Had things been planned properly could there have been a breakthrough following the huge mine explosion and could Richmond have followed
Lee is seen as one of America's greatest generals...I see him, not only as a rebel..but as a fool. Once Grant had him pinned down in Petersburg he had to know he was beaten..with nothing but bad news coming from the West..and no hope of British intervention..once Lincoln was reelected..why didn't he counsel Davis to surrender? Even at the end he tried to fight on..is that praiseworthy? Not if your one of the thousands of soldiers that died in thse final days..or tens of thousands in those final months.
Great tactician..greater egotist and ass.
Lee is seen as one of America's greatest generals...I see him, not only as a rebel..but as a fool. Once Grant had him pinned down in Petersburg he had to know he was beaten..with nothing but bad news coming from the West..and no hope of British intervention..once Lincoln was reelected..why didn't he counsel Davis to surrender? Even at the end he tried to fight on..is that praiseworthy? Not if your one of the thousands of soldiers that died in thse final days..or tens of thousands in those final months.
It certainly could have gone a lot better than it did; IIRC, the black troops who had been training for the battle for a long time were replaced last-minute with white troops because the government didn't want to be seen using black troops as cannon fodder in case the attack failed.
General Ledlie, whose division was selected for the assault, was a drunken coward. He hid in a dugout with a bottle of whiskey and let his troops lead themselves.Keep the troops who have been training for it in the attack, and the attack will go much better.
I wonder how many troops Lee could get out. The sudden shattering of the line would allow no time to get a withdrawal started. OTL, after the defeat at Five Forks on April 1, Lee knew the defense was lost, and ordered the evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg. The next morning, Union troops broke the right flank of the Petersburg defenses, but many Confederates got away to the west or across the Appomatox through Petersburg.If it had been successful, we could have seen the Siege of Petersburg end eight months before OTL. Given that Petersburg is vital for resupplying Richmond, I think Lee would have given up both cities, as he did in 1865 OTL. Assuming Lee manages to get most if the ANV out, he likely manages to resist from North Carolina for a little longer before Grant catches up to him.
With Richmond gone, I wonder how long the rest of the CSA holds out.
At this point OTL, Atlanta hadn't fallen yet, and the boost of Richmond falling means that there isn't any political pressure on Sherman to push ahead.
I think the CSA is likely to surrender if Richmond falls.
The decision was made by Meade - who was thinking about the political fallout, but mainly WRT his own postwar career. Grant supported Meade.
General Ledlie, whose division was selected for the assault, was a drunken coward. He hid in a dugout with a bottle of whiskey and let his troops lead themselves.
Burnside also deserves considerable denunciation. When Meade interfered, Burnside went off in huff, and had the replacement division selected by lot. He made no further effort to see that his plan was actually followed.
I wonder how many troops Lee could get out. The sudden shattering of the line would allow no time to get a withdrawal started. OTL, after the defeat at Five Forks on April 1, Lee knew the defense was lost, and ordered the evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg. The next morning, Union troops broke the right flank of the Petersburg defenses, but many Confederates got away to the west or across the Appomatox through Petersburg.
A breakthrough at the Crater is a complete surprise, and a deadly thrust into the heart of the Confederate position. Burnside's original plan called for the breach to be followed by an immediate drive into Petersburg and the bridge over the Appomatox. It would have trapped an entire Confederate corps to the east. To the west, the Confederate line would be unhinged, and retreat in disorder.
I'd guess, though, that Lee could evacuate the troops north of the Appomattox (the blocking forces at Bermuda Hundred, and east of Richmond), and about half those to the south would get away. He'll pull Early's corps from the Shenandoah, too.
50,000 all up, I guess.
Four months, max.
There will be pressure to finish the job, to match the victory in Virginia. Sherman is not going to slack off. The demoralization on the Confederates will be considerable, and Atlanta will fall within two weeks (not a month).
Lee will retreat to North Carolina; Grant will pursue, driving the Confederates south. Sheridan gets assigned to scour the landward side of the advance.
Sherman might march directly from Atlanta to North Carolina, or due east into South Carolina. Alternately, Grant may pursue Lee to the southwest, and send Sheridan south to Raleigh and Wilmington.
By the end of August, Grant will have cleared North Carolina. Lee will have to retreat to South Carolina, where he will be joined by Hood, retreating in front of Sherman. Grant and Sherman will annihilate the remaining Confederate army in South Carolina in September.
October will be mop-up.
Lincoln wins in a landslide in November; the last rebels surrender that month.
Davis will never surrender. He'll be caught somewhere.
An interesting knock-on: the rehabilitation of Burnside's reputation. He's won one of the most important victories of the war. Even with his OTL reputation he had a considerable political career later, as Governor of Rhode Island and U.S. Senator. He was popular in spite of his defeats, serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic for a year, and as the first head of the National Rifle Association.
If he is the Victor of Petersburg, then he could be President. He won't displace Grant, but he could succeed him in 1876.
Could there be any social butterflies if the decisive battle of the Petersburg Campaign was won by the USCTs?
By the end of August, Grant will have cleared North Carolina. Lee will have to retreat to South Carolina, where he will be joined by Hood, retreating in front of Sherman. Grant and Sherman will annihilate the remaining Confederate army in South Carolina in September.
Good points, but I'm not sure about Burnside becoming President. He may have won one battle, but there's still Fredericksburg to consider, and the utter hash he made of that.
Everyone in the AotP knew it was Burnside's project, and that neither Meade nor Grant had supported it.In addition, Meade and Grant are going to try to claim at least some of the credit for the battle.
Hayes, Garfield, and Harrison all became President, and Hancock was nominated, after serving as subordinate commanders in the ACW.It might just cement Burnside's reputation as an excellent subordinate, but not cut out for the top job. Not the best reputation you want when running for the top slot.
Grant lived down Cold Harbor.
As I noted, in spite of Fredericksburg, Burnside was popular enough to win three terms as Governor, two terms as Senator, and a term as Commander of the GAR.
Everyone in the AotP knew it was Burnside's project, and that neither Meade nor Grant had supported it.
Hayes, Garfield, and Harrison all became President, and Hancock was nominated, after serving as subordinate commanders in the ACW.