What if Longstreet Took Command From Bragg in 1863?

[SpartanGSG]

How would events have played out, especially in unltimately engaging Sherman?

[Ter61]

I believe Longstreet would have been a good opponent for Sherman. Certainly he would have done better than Johnston or Hood. If he could have kept Sherman out of Atlanta until after the 1864 persidential election that might have cost Lincoln the election. A new President might have seeked peace with the South.

[wt_jimbos]

I don't believe Longstreet would have done better than Johnston. Johnston's conduct while in command of the AotT was well handled, he never lost a artillery piece after Resaca. He managed his forces very well around pickets mill/new hope church and he held Sherman on the kennesaw/pine top line for nearly a month.The only negative was at Cassville where he should have confirmed the threat on his right flank as I simply recon would have show that it was only cavalry. Johnston was a sensible and realistic commander.

James.

[Battalion]

Originally Posted by wt_jimbos

I don't believe Longstreet would have done better than Johnston. Johnston's conduct while in command of the AotT was well handled, he never lost a artillery piece after Resaca. He managed his forces very well around pickets mill/new hope church and he held Sherman on the kennesaw/pine top line for nearly a month.The only negative was at Cassville where he should have confirmed the threat on his right flank as I simply recon would have show that it was only cavalry. Johnston was a sensible and realistic commander.

James.

Also.....check Longstreet's dismal performance in Knoxville against Burnside.

[SpartanGSG]

Originally Posted by Battalion

Also.....check Longstreet's dismal performance in Knoxville against Burnside.

Duly noted but that is the point of "what if"? Would Longstreet CEO in the West have even bothered with Burnside in Knoxville and would there even have been a Knoxville campaign to analyze?

[gary]

Sherman would still have captured Atlanda. As an independent commander, Longstreet wasn't all that effective. Suffolk & Knoxville being the two examples where his performance wasn't too stellar.

[richard]

I don't think Longstreet would have had a chance in East Tennessee and Southeastern Kentucky. Kirby Smith had no luck getting recruits in the area. On the other hand, he may have had a better chance if he had replaced Bragg in the summer of "63 before Chattanooga. One thing he would have used was Forrest to his fullest.

As far as his performance in East Tennessee in the winter of '63, the weather made it no picnic. It was some of the coldest weather that had been recorded up till then. Accounts of the 18th Indiana Light Artillary indicated that the wheels of the wagons and cannons froze to the ground in just a very short time. That was near Fair Garden and Mossey Creek. They also had a lot of rough ground to cover with a lot of rivers in there path.

[ole]

Longstreet was a pretty darned good second-in-command. By himself, he was a one-trick pony. He was wasted in the west; Lee should have sent someone else.
Just a thought.
Ole

[ewc]

I think Longstreet would have done well. However I do not see how he, Lee, or anyone could have done better than Johnston. As jimbos points out, Johnston's handling of the army was exceptional and he was facing, as would anyone else in command, fearful odds and a well equipped and led veteran army bent on achieving its objective. Ultimately Old Pete would have to comport himself as johnston did or risk losing his army, Atlanta, and the War sooner rather than later.