Civil War History - "What if..." DiscussionsWhat if they had attacked instead of digging in...? What if he was in charge of the army instead...? Did you ever have a "What if..." question, and you weren't sure where to post it? Here's the place to ask these speculative questions!
In April of 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee faced a choice. Either surrender his army to the advancing AofP, or allow his army to break into small units, head for the hills, and continue the fight.
Lee chose to surrender.
What if he did the opposite?
Any theories?
Mine is of an insurgency that took 10 years to put down and the bad feelings lasting well into this century.
__________________ F. S. Powers
Union Ancersor: Pvt Arnuah Norton, 60th Ohio. (G-G-G Grandfather) Died at Salisbury NC, November 3, 1864
Confederate Ancestors: Captain Thomas A. Morrow, 29th Texas Cavalry (G-G-G- Uncle) and 2LT George W. Morrow, 31st Texas Cavalry (G-G-G Grandfather). Both survived the war
There is a book entitled "April 1865" by Jay Winik that deals with this subject. Lee could have chosen to fight a guerrilla war that might have lasted a hundred years, much like the centuries old Ireland v.s. Britain issue, but he chose not to.
John W.
__________________ Ancestors in CSA Army: 51st VA, 54th VA, 45th VA, 50th VA, 24th VA
Union Ancersor: Pvt Arnuah Norton, 60th Ohio. (G-G-G Grandfather) Died at Salisbury NC, November 3, 1864
Confederate Ancestors: Captain Thomas A. Morrow, 29th Texas Cavalry (G-G-G- Uncle) and 2LT George W. Morrow, 31st Texas Cavalry (G-G-G Grandfather). Both survived the war
I don't think there's really anyway that the Union could defeat an army that it couldn't find.Robert E. Lee was quoted as saying if he would have seen how badly the North treated the South in defeat that he would've never given up his sword.It's an interesting question for sure.I guess there's the remote possibility that the North would've eventually gotten tired of the expense of hunting them down, but I don't consider it likely.It's hard to imagine Reconstruction being worse but it probably would've been had there have been a guerilla war.Have you guys ever heard the rumor about Jesse James being affiliated with the Knights of the Golden Circle and supposedly raising money for the Confederacy's second war with the North?I don't buy it but some claim that fighting a guerilla war is what he was doing.
Have a good one
Lee did the right thing. Saylor's Creek was just a warm-up of what would happen to his army. Sure, some of his units might have...and I say might have escaped. Lee was looking at the wholesale slaughter of his men. Could you imagine Grant turning someone like Sheridan lose on the Southern Army? Even such leaders as Gordon and Forrest saw the writing on the wall. Continuing the fight would have led to senseless lose of lives and a possible total destruction of the South. Remember Sherman's march? As it turned out the South rose again and now pretty much controls American politics.
Calicoboy
__________________ My dear mother:- I have come safely through two more terrible engagements with the enemy, that at South Mountain and the great battle of yesterday (Antietam). Our splendid regiment is almost destroyed. We have had nearly 400 men killed and wounded in the battles. Seven of our officers were shot and three killed in yesterday's battle and nearly 150 men killed and wounded. All from less than 300 engaged. The men have stood like iron....Maj. Rufus Dawes, 6th Wisconsin Volunteers
Lee did the south a favor by sending his boys home.
Scenario: The war is officially over. On both sides, the soldiers are overjoyed at the prospect of going home in time to maybe get a crop in the ground. Oops, there's semi-organized guerilla bands beginning to operate in South Carolin and along the black belt in Georgia. Then a large portion of the northern troops are told that the war is not really over -- so they have to go root out these bands.
You think Sherman's March was severe? There would have been scorched earth to make the Russians look like pikers. Going home, planting for the fall harvest, planning for the future that began that day. I think Lee saw that and declared "It's over."
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What if Lee chose to keep fighting? 
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