Hooker advances on Richmond

[majveg9]

I was reading Sear's Gettysburg and a thought crossed my mind. What if Lincoln had allowed Hooker to advance on Richmond when Lee begun the Gettysburg campaign? What do you think would have happened.

 

[Elennsar]

First, the obligatory welcome!

Second: Why would Hooker do better at this point than he had done with more men (more to the point, more men relative to Lee) earlier? Lee would notice and respond.

 

[ole]

First, the obligatory welcome!

Second: Why would Hooker do better at this point than he had done with more men (more to the point, more men relative to Lee) earlier? Lee would notice and respond.

Hooker wasn't that bad as a corps commander. He did make some improvements in the intelligence gathering and cavalry organization while he led the AoTP.

After he was replaced, he did make a fairly good division commander.

 

[Elennsar]

Hooker wasn't that bad as a corps commander. He did make some improvements in the intelligence gathering and cavalry organization while he led the AoTP.

After he was replaced, he did make a fairly good division commander.

I do want to note my agreement with this - but he crippled his artillery organization (at Chancellorsville) needlessly, and generally didn't handle the whole "all the responsibilities of army command" well.

Not all worthless, but I'm not betting on his army beating Lee's army.