The fall of Washington

[18TH TEXAS VOL INFANTRY]

The Confederates capture Washington: Is the War won....
There are several indications that some of the Southern leadership thought the taking of Washington would bring about the end of the War....

What if the Confederates at Bull Run continued on to Washington?

What if the Confederate Army redeployed South away from Gettysburg and march toward Washington destroying Meades forces, at least long enough to take the Capital?

I believe this was a false dream. I see no reason that Lincoln would have not boarded a US ship or took another form of transportation and moved the Government, New York, Boston, etc and continued the fight.

The taking of the Capital would have been a great boost to the Southern Morale but at the same time I think it would have stiffened the resolve of those in the North.

I believe too it would depend on the time of the capture. 1861 with the North having limited forces in the field or 1863 with Grant in the West and a blockading Navy choking the South....

Does the capture of Washington draw in England and France, if Yes, the US would have to sue for peace... As the French and English Navies, would become a factor and the possibilities of English and French troops landing in the South or better yet in Canada, and Invading from the North.....

Would Washington's fall end the War????


James
18th Texas

[samgrant]

I would guess that the government would have relocated to New York city (?) and it all would have gone on. Whether foreign governments would have decide to give support to the South is questionable.

As you have mentioned, at what point in time this event might have occurred would make quite a difference as to the aftereffects of such a development.

[milhistbuff1]

It might draw european involvement, but end the war? What Mac McDowell and Davis failed to understand was that the capture of a capital would not have the decisive effect that it had in prior wars. Washington's value was as a port and connecting with the B&O apart from industry and rail connections the richmond-petersburg area was equally useless to the CSA. The taking of WDC or Richmond might not end the war, but the long term disruption of the opposing govt might end it. With no centralized command, coordination, large scale reinforcement and communication become difficult if not impossible, thus rendering the advantage to the occupying side.
Respectfully,
Matt

[whitworth]

The Confederacy never had the logistics to capture Washington.
Washington also had too much artillery batteries defending the capital. If the U.S. had moved the capital temporarily, probably politically impossible, the war might have ended a year earlier. Defending Washington, was always a millstone around the AoP commander's neck.