Anaxagoras
Banned
What if P.G.T. Beauregard, rather than John C. Pemberton, had been given command of the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (the department than included Vicksburg and Port Hudson) in October of 1862?
Beauregard surrenders to Grant instead of Pemberton.
What if P.G.T. Beauregard, rather than John C. Pemberton, had been given command of the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana (the department than included Vicksburg and Port Hudson) in October of 1862?
All else is the same as historical? Including the relative correlation of forces?
I rather think that Beauregard would have done a better job than Pemberton did. He was a better soldier, a skilled engineer, good at intelligence (as demonstrated in Charleston), didn't lose his head (as demonstrated at Petersburg). Moreover, his men would have had confidence in him in a way that they didn't have in Pemberton.
Also, what was the relationship between Beauregard and Joe Johnston?
For the sake of simplicity, assume that Beauregard is appointed to the command on October 10, 1862 (the date that Pemberton was so appointed IOTL). Do you think his presence would impact the relative correlation of forces on either side?
Maybe Grant says screw them and goes after Mobile after reinforcing Tennessee.