Anaxagoras
Banned
What if, during the interval between Chickamauga and Chattanooga, Jefferson Davis listens to the advice of most of the senior commanders of the Army of Tennessee and replaced Braxton Bragg with James Longstreet?
How would it have affected the upcoming battle for Chattanooga? I think clearly it would be to the Confederates' advantage. Longstreet was a better general than Bragg by a longshot, the AoT would not be as internally divided with Longstreet in command as it had been with Bragg, and the two divisions which were sent off to Knoxville IOTL would probably remain on Missionary Ridge.
It is possible that this move would affect things sufficiently to give the South a chance to pull a victory at Chattanooga, or at least avoid the humiliating rout that took place IOTL? How would that affect the overall course of the war?
I'm not sure if it would be less internally divided. The AoT still has pro and anti Bragg factions
for Missionary Ridge: Would Longstreet correct the position that everyone OTL - not just Bragg - thought was invulnerable?
There would obviously be bad feeling towards Longstreet by those who were pro-Bragg, such as Wheeler, Stewart, and others. But folks like Hardee, Hill, Cleburne, Breckinridge and others would be delighted. While there would still be tension, I don't think it would be nearly as bad as it was IOTL.
True. But that might not matter given how surprisingly indefensible it was.Not sure, but he would probably have two extra divisions with which to do it.
At the very least in full command Longstreet would make all efforts to fully cut the Cracker Line and capture the Army of the Cumberland *before* relief expeditions had a chance to do anything. Bragg as usual found himself fighting with his subordinates at the worst possible time, Longstreet would in the short time be making all effort to focus on the actual battle.
Now, whether or not Longstreet could make the AoT generals act like adults and not spoiled toddlers.......
Agreed. If the Cracker Line had been cut, what would have been the result?
Agreed. If the Cracker Line had been cut, what would have been the result?
Hardee and Breckinridge would have been happy to give Longstreet a chance, I think. They would mostly be happy to have anyone but Bragg at the head of the army.