Longstreet unscathed at Wilderness

River of Death

River of Death

On May 6th, 1864, Longstreet arrived with his Corps at the Battle of the Wilderness on the Confederate right flank, just as it was crumbling, and stabilized the line. Longstreet then personally led 3 brigades on a flanking march through an unfinished railroad cut, surprised the Union left flank, and rolled it up and back a good mile. His attack was too successful, however, and the flanking force passed in front of the Confederate main line. Longstreet was wounded by friendly fire, and was out of action for 6 months. When he returned, he was only well enough to lead the defense of Richmond, far from the war of not-quite-maneuvre going on southwest of Petersburg.

WI Longstreet is not hit at the Wilderness? I don't think it will affect the battle proper all that much, but how will the rest of the overland campaign turn out?

Like, ex: Longstreet would surely have opposed the salient at Spotsylvania, and argued for a fortified line near the base. Or on May 24th, with Lee sick at North Anna, he would have trusted Longstreet to lead an attack on the isolated Union IInd corps.

Probably still doesn't lead to a Confederate victory. Thoughts?
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
He would have been an option for President Davis to consider when he was faced with the choice of whether to remove Joe Johnston from command of the Army of Tennessee. I can see Atlanta holding out longer with the army under the command of Longstreet than it did under the command of Hood.
 

lothaw

Truth told, Longstreet would likely favor a defensive campaign as well. Though, if he replaces Hood, he does keep that army a going concern, and he does have a track record of devious, unorthodox tactics.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
lothaw said:
Truth told, Longstreet would likely favor a defensive campaign as well. Though, if he replaces Hood, he does keep that army a going concern, and he does have a track record of devious, unorthodox tactics.
Click to expand...

Longstreet might be the best of both worlds vis-a-vis Johnston and Hood. Johnston was too cautious, while Hood was too reckless. Longstreet's record was one of sensible caution, but the need to seize the initiative when it made good sense to do so.
 

lothaw

Anaxagoras said:
Longstreet might be the best of both worlds vis-a-vis Johnston and Hood. Johnston was too cautious, while Hood was too reckless. Longstreet's record was one of sensible caution, but the need to seize the initiative when it made good sense to do so.
Click to expand...

I always pegged Longstreet as a man ahead of his time. It's a shame he never did get a command.

I've half thought of writing up a TL where Longstreet takes over Bragg's army when he's sent west. Certainly he would've have botched Chatanooga to the extent Bragg did.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
Another question worth considering is whether Longstreet might have been able to lead an attack on the Army of the Potomac at the North Anna River, when Lee's brilliant maneuvering had resulted in the Yankees being divided into three segments that were isolated from one another.

Lee was very sick, and so couldn't effectively function for a few days. All the other commanders were either ill or clearly in over their heads as corps commanders.

Had Longstreet been present, Lee could have entrusted the attack to him, and a quarter or a third of the AoP might have been smashed as thoroughly as Pope was smashed at Second Manassas.

(Then again, Longstreet's presence would have resulted in butterflies that would certainly have prevented the situation on the North Anna River from emerging as it did IOTL. But still a fun thought.)
 

Nytram01

Lee's not going to let Longstreet go again, especially considering the danger facing him in Virginia. Lee will want his most trusted subordinate close at hand for the coming months and Davis is unlikely to send Longstreet out West.

Davis got it into his head that he could make another Lee out of Hood and once he decided Johnston was to go there was no one who was going to replace Joe in command of the AoT except Hood.

A fit and healthy Longstreet would allow the Army of Northern Virginia to cause a great deal of Damage to Grant's Army at North Anna, victory or not, and would put the Confederates in a bit better position during the campaign - though it is likely to end up the same way anyway.

If only there was some kind of Army of Tennessee POD here as well that would allow Cassville to be a smashing success then you could have North Anna and Cassville as two major morale destorying moments for the North and increase the chance of McClellanite victory in the 1864 elections.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top