Wild What_If

[samgrant]

What if Grant had not the fortitude at Shiloh, and had retreated (or escaped?) after Day 1?

- No future for Grant, no Vicksburg, no Chattanooga, no Lieutenant Generalship, no Appomatox, no presidency?

- P.T.G. Beauregard president of the CSA?

ETC. ???

[gary]

Grant sacked and relegated to backward command until he could redeem himself. Beauregard replaces A. S. Johnston as commander of the army. His esteem among the Confederates is buoyed but Davis still dislikes him anyway. The best thing about it is that it will be harder for Davis to replace Beauregard with Bragg.

However, the Confederates would still lose - unless the '64 election went with McClellan.

[ole]

What if Grant had not the fortitude at Shiloh, and had retreated (or escaped?) after Day 1?

Too wild! If Grant hadn't the fortitude at Shiloh, it wasn't Grant. Might as well leave Grant in Galena and substitute another name.
Ole

[Battalion]

Didn't 20,000 additional Federal troops on their way to Pittsburg Landing have something to do with that fortitude?

[OpnDownfall]

Changing as little as possible, then Grant's army is on the banks of the river with the Army of the Cumberland coming up across the river from Grant and other reinforcements available soon. Then even a dispondent Grant would have had to have a round-robin discussion with Buckner, Halleck and Lincoln. Halleck, of course, would accept retreat as advisable, but Lincoln might not. In any case the retreat would be slow, Halleck would be as slow in a retreat as in advancing and for the same reason, marching only a few miles a day, before entrenching up to the eyes, for the night.
Beauregard, with his depleted, disorganized and exhausted army, would be glad to see Halleck go.
Later from wherevey Halleck retreated to, Halleck would advance with a ponderous army, at a glacial pace to Corinth (Probably).
Beauregard would probably have withdrawn to Corinth leaving a covering force at Shiloh, with the intent to later retake Fts' Donelson and Hentry. But Lincoln would be urging Halleck to resume the offensive with a army larger than the one defeated at Shiloh and Halleck was no McClellan, actively sabotaging the Administrations war effort, just slow and caution, but when he had overpowering force Halleck could be induced to advance. So Beauregard would likely retreat before such an advance.
As noted by others the absence of Grant would only have delayed the Anaconda's coils, not eliminated them.

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by Battalion

Didn't 20,000 additional Federal troops on their way to Pittsburg Landing have something to do with that fortitude?

It's just my impression that Grant had not depended on those reinforcements, as they had already been expected sooner; and how could he be sure when they would arrive?

I think he meant to take to the battle ("Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though.") with what he had at hand.

As it happened, Buell's troops did arrive that night.