WI: Sickles obeys

On July 2nd 1863 Dan Sickles, III Corps, Army of the Potomac Commanding, decided to disobey orders form George Meade, Commander of the AOP. if you dont know the story i'll tell it quickly before i get to the actual POD

Meade told Sickles to occupy "yonder hill" (Little Round Top) Sickles, being the selfish and insubordinate political general he was, decided to move his III corps, consisting of two divisions, out nearly a mile in front of the Union lines, out of range of support. the result is (in)famous; the III corps was destroyed when confederates under the command of James Longstreet smashed into his flank and routed his corps. Sickles himself lost a Leg and he had to be reinforced by elements of the V and II corps had to fill in the gap. this led to a series of events that ended in the charge of the 20th Maine, the fierce fighting over the Wheat Field and the carnage in Devils Den.

now for the POD

Sickles obeys. he holds his ground on the round tops. what happens next?

discuss!
 
Well the first thing that needs to be addressed is the OOB.

In this case the brigade that will defend the Round Tops is not Strong Vincent's, but rather J.H. Hobart Ward's. Ward is a very solid veteran commander who has fought in the Mexican War and in most major battles in the Eastern Theater. In OTL he and his brigade was tasked with holding the Wheatfield and Devil's Den. They were stretched thin but held for quite some time before breaking. In this regard it is safe to say that they were good soldiers and would do a good job holding Little Round Top. From left to right you would have the 4th Maine, 124th New York, 86th New York, 20th Indiana, and 99th Pennsylvania. Captain James Smith's 4th Light Artillery will be with them on Little Round Top. Hiram Berdan's sharpshooters are going to be taking positions in Devil's Den and in the woods near the Wheatfield.

In the low ground between Cemetery Ridge and Little Round Top you'll find Regis de Trobriand's Brigade. The French Aristocrat has men from Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, and Maine under his command. Finally you'll find Humphrey's division at the base of Cemetery Ridge. Overall this is a solid position, and the men will have been entrenched here for some time.

When the Confederates attack you're going to have Law's Alabama Brigade and Benning's Boys hitting Little Round Top. Berdan's sharpshooters and Smith's Battery will pester them all the way, delaying them as they form for the advance up the hill. It's going to be a bloody attack; many officers will likely be killed and wounded. In the end the Rebel assault will be repulsed, as these troops will not have been rushed into position and will have dug in. No reason to believe the 4th Maine will fair any worse than their brothers in the 20th. The rest of the fight will be desperate and bloody. The battle at the base of Cemetery Ridge will likely do the most harm to the Confederates, as it will be Picket's Charge part one. Overall Hancock will get a great deal of credit for managing the situation on the Union left, as will Sickles for his men's valor. The Union will hold, but it will take a great deal of shuffling of forces up and down the lines. Perhaps the 1st Division of the II Corps is engaged; perhaps Vincent's men still go into action. This is hard to know.

With the Union holding more successfully than in OTL, the nature of the battle changes. I could see Lee going with Longstreet's plan rather than with the attack up the middle. In OTL the Union barely held; here they are entrenched and do better. Therefore a flanking attack could make more sense to Lee. If he attacks there it will be with the same divisions that hit Cemetery Ridge on July 3rd. This means Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble. They will find fresh men on Little Round Top and along the Taneytown Road; the V and VI Corps of the Union Army. Once again the fight will be brutal and close, but superior Union numbers and internal lines will carry the day. Not much else changes in the long run. I could see Sickles remaining a Corps Commander if he still keeps his leg. Perhaps he commands the V Corps instead of Warren (whose heroism is butterflied away).
 
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