Thanks for your response.
I am simply suggesting that we ought to 'walk in the shoes' of Lee and other senior commanders who actually had to decide what to do with poorly performing subordinates. It seems to me it is far more fun, once the poor performer is identified, to try to find an acceptable replacement. Identifying incompetence is easy; what to do about it is the challenge.
Agreed.
After Chancellorsville, here is who Lee had to replace Jackson and also take over a new Third Corps:
Lafayette McLaws, George Pickett, John B. Hood, Richard H. Anderson, Richard S. Ewell, A.P. Hill, Robert Rodes, Jubal Early, and J.E.B. Stuart.
McLaws had lost Lee's trust.
Pickett was an average division commander, at best (not to mention that he had never commanded a division in action).
Hood didn't have the temperament for more than division command, according to Lee.
Anderson was a viable candidate. He had both the seniority and the competence to take over a corps.
Ewell was the most senior candidate and was Jackson's chosen successor.
A.P. Hill was both a senior officer and was probably the best division commander in the army.
Rodes was a junior division commander and wasn't promoted to major general until after the reorganization (although his date of rank was backdated to May 2).
Early was a possible candidate but there were questions about his temperament.
Stuart was a real possibility although Lee just didn't trust any other officer in charge of the cavalry. Lee just relied on him too much.
Of these, Ewell was the easiest choice since Jackson recommended him and he had both the experience and quality that was needed. After him, it was down to Hill, Anderson, and Early. Early was taken out so that Ewell would have a senior division commander to rely on (both Rodes and Johnson were fairly new to division command). So, Hill and Anderson. Hill is the obvious choice and also gives him a senior officer for Hill in Anderson. In retrospect, Lee's choices are fairly obvious but allowing Stuart to take over one of the corps makes for an interesting option. If only Lee could put his trust in either Wade Hampton or Fitzhugh Lee, it could have worked.
Ryan