Civil War Turnover

[Spirt of 1861 Copperhead]

what civil war general could have switched sides during the begging of hostilitys

The civil war was a time were familys were torn apart with kindered friendhships never abel to recover as a result. There were many genrals who could have easily flipped to the other side such as general William Selby Harney who could have easily sided with the southern cause along with Thomas Francis Meagher had circustances differed such as a new york city sessionist coup or no attack on fort sumter.

One question that would perhaps most intrugege people would be a union general robert e lee or a confederate gerge h thomas? I would love the notion nof a confederate general winfield scott even if his service had to be brief[/h1]

 

[jackt62]

US Naval Captain Franklin Buchanan resigned his commission to join the Confederacy in the expectation that his state Maryland, would secede. When that didn't happen, he tried to rescind his resignation but Naval Secretary Gideon Welles refused. Buchanan went on to command the CSS Virginia.

 

[R. Porter]

Buchanan submitted plans for a naval school that were used to create the U.S. Naval Academy and was its first superintendent. He was the commandant of the Washington Navy Yard when he resigned his commission.

He didn't command the CSS Virginia in its fight with the Monitor because he was wounded the day before when he climbed on the top deck of the Virginia and started firing a carbine toward shore. A Union sharpshooter hit him in the leg so his second in command had the honor.

In August of 1862 he was made the only full admiral of the Confederate Navy and given the command of naval forces in Mobile Bay. His flagship became the ironclad CSS Tennessee. When Farragut attacked, Buchanan was wounded and captured. He was held prisoner and not exchanged until February, 1865.

(from his Wikipedia article)

 

[Spirt of 1861 Copperhead]

Buchanan submitted plans for a naval school that were used to create the U.S. Naval Academy and was its first superintendent. He was the commandant of the Washington Navy Yard when he resigned his commission.

He didn't command the CSS Virginia in its fight with the Monitor because he was wounded the day before when he climbed on the top deck of the Virginia and started firing a carbine toward shore. A Union sharpshooter hit him in the leg so his second in command had the honor.

In August of 1862 he was made the only full admiral of the Confederate Navy and given the command of naval forces in Mobile Bay. His flagship became the ironclad CSS Tennessee. When Farragut attacked, Buchanan was wounded and captured. He was held prisoner and not exchanged until February, 1865.

(from his Wikipedia article)

Buchanan submitted plans for a naval school that were used to create the U.S. Naval Academy and was its first superintendent. He was the commandant of the Washington Navy Yard when he resigned his commission.

He didn't command the CSS Virginia in its fight with the Monitor because he was wounded the day before when he climbed on the top deck of the Virginia and started firing a carbine toward shore. A Union sharpshooter hit him in the leg so his second in command had the honor.

In August of 1862 he was made the only full admiral of the Confederate Navy and given the command of naval forces in Mobile Bay. His flagship became the ironclad CSS Tennessee. When Farragut attacked, Buchanan was wounded and captured. He was held prisoner and not exchanged until February, 1865.

(from his Wikipedia article)

Do you believe he could have changed the course of history by sinking the USS Montier or possibly leading Virginia to safety had he commanded the ship?

 

[R. Porter]

Do you believe he could have changed the course of history by sinking the USS Montier or possibly leading Virginia to safety had he commanded the ship?

Somehow I suspect the outcome would have been about the same.

 

[Lubliner]

Bushrod Johnson had family in Ohio. He was disgusted with the Union due to the trouble he had not been cleared of while in West Point. He was a pivotal figure in some of the harshest actions, such as Chicamauga.
Lubliner.

 

[Spirt of 1861 Copperhead]

Somehow I suspect the outcome would have been about the same.

Perhaps but it is interesting to wonder which generals could have picked a different side and what would have occurred because of that. A union general, Robert E Lee as possible but it's not Likely unless Virginia state in the union. While this wouldn't happen, it would have been at least cool of a confederate general Winfield Scott, or it's many union generals who decided to fight for the union.

Andrew Johnson could have stayed loyal to his state he was Torn