Cleburne goes North

[Luke Freet]

As it is Patrick Cleburne's birthday, I wanted to make a thread regarding the Army of Tennessee's finest commander.
I saw someone earlier today lamenting how sad he was Cleburne joined the Confederacy instead of the Union, how "he was smarter than that". While I think this is quite judgemental of Cleburne and his circumstances, I do not reject the idea outright that he would join the Union.
So, my What if question for yall: What if Cleburne abandoned his community and joined the Union cause? Would he have advanced to higher rank? Or would he be stuck in obscurity as a lower level commander? Would he have enough standing to become a Colonel or Brigadier?

 

[John Wolf Smith]

As it is Patrick Cleburne's birthday, I wanted to make a thread regarding the Army of Tennessee's finest commander.
I saw someone earlier today lamenting how sad he was Cleburne joined the Confederacy instead of the Union, how "he was smarter than that". While I think this is quite judgemental of Cleburne and his circumstances, I do not reject the idea outright that he would join the Union.
So, my What if question for yall: What if Cleburne abandoned his community and joined the Union cause? Would he have advanced to higher rank? Or would he be stuck in obscurity as a lower level commander? Would he have enough standing to become a Colonel or Brigadier?

He would get a good command in MO and a BG leading a brigade or division, maybe an army if hee is Lyon's 2nd in command.

 

[Saphroneth]

If the difference is that he doesn't move from Ohio to Arkansas, that might make a good divergence as he'd thus be from the North - he however has no regular army rank, current or lapsed. He'd start off as a reasonably skilled company or regimental CO, but if he distinguishes himself early he could really go places (at least half of that is in the hands of which dead - or promoted - men's shoes he fills).

If he's a regimental CO then there's scope for him to distinguish himself early; the man had seen the inside of the British Army, and we know he was willing to train his men hard. It's a plausible path in that case for him to be considered someone to watch, and his quickest path to the top is probably getting one of Ohio's assigned generalcies (which is the best way to get him a brigade) and from there - well, Meade was a brigade commander in early 1862.