WI LEE trapped and surrenders after Antheitham

Imagine a lucky competent aggressive commander at the Maryland battle. Maybe McLellan is taken ill.

The Army of Northern Virginia's retreat is blocked.

He loses a battlle near the Potomac. He surrenders his army.

Now does this mean that the CSA collapses?

I wonder if it could happen. If there was an surrender before December 31 the Emancipation Proclamation would have had no impact.

How long would slavery have lasted?
 
Maybe, but only if someone else was in command of the Army of the Potomac. Little Mac just wasn't smart enough to do it, mainly because he was always afraid of being outnumbered, when in actuality, he outnumbered Lee.
 
It could easily have happened and if it did the CSA would be screwed! The CSA would have had virtually no one to send to try and stop the Union Army from reaching Richmond. The sad thing is you are probably right. The surrender probably happens before Dec 31st so the EP does not come into effect.:( If nothing else the destruction of Lee's army would greatly encourage the CSA to surrender before it could come into effect.
 
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