The Union decisively wins First Bull Run in 1861 (user search)
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
May 30, 2024, 12:04:05 PM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  General Discussion
  History
  Alternative History (Moderator: Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee)
  The Union decisively wins First Bull Run in 1861 (search mode)
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: The Union decisively wins First Bull Run in 1861  (Read 455 times)
True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
Ernest
Moderators
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 42,144
United States


« on: May 07, 2021, 03:49:49 AM »

Given the state of both armies that early in the war, even a decisive Union victory at Bull Run in 1861 would have left McDowell in no condition to pursue as the rebel Army of the Potomac skeddaddled off to Richmond. So in no way does it bring the end of the war in 1861. With so significant a change, it's doubtful Jackson gains his "Stonewall" sobriquet, and if he does, maybe General Bee can explain if he meant it as a compliment or insult.

So any Confederate collapse as a result of Bull Run would be political, not military, in nature. As of Bull Run, Tennessee had seceded but not yet formally joined the Confederacy. So it's possible that Bull Run leads Tennessee to attempt a Kentucky-like neutrality.
Logged
True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
Ernest
Moderators
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 42,144
United States


« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2021, 07:06:44 PM »

Given the state of both armies that early in the war, even a decisive Union victory at Bull Run in 1861 would have left McDowell in no condition to pursue as the rebel Army of the Potomac skeddaddled off to Richmond. So in no way does it bring the end of the war in 1861. With so significant a change, it's doubtful Jackson gains his "Stonewall" sobriquet, and if he does, maybe General Bee can explain if he meant it as a compliment or insult.

So any Confederate collapse as a result of Bull Run would be political, not military, in nature. As of Bull Run, Tennessee had seceded but not yet formally joined the Confederacy. So it's possible that Bull Run leads Tennessee to attempt a Kentucky-like neutrality.
Interesting.
How much sooner does the war end in this scenario?

It might even last longer.  For all of McClellan's faults as a battlefield general, he was superb when it came to logistics and training, and he'd be unlikely to take command of the Union forces in the Virginia theater until at least 1862 if the Union wins Bull Run. Also, a neutral Tennessee would have all sorts of butterflies for how soon, or even if, Grant rises to prominence. But even assuming that other than Forrest beginning his military career in a Mississippi regiment, no significant changes in leadership happened, then it ends at most a year earlier in my opinion.

The Union winning Bull Run is unlikely to lead to permanent Union control of central Virginia, and even if it did, it won't make a significant change in relative military capability. An early loss of Richmond is what would make possible a significantly shorter war, not a change in Bull Run.
Logged
Pages: [1]  
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.021 seconds with 13 queries.