American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

A quote from Bill Peters about Lyons' death prompted in me a potential discussion thread --

What officer, had they lived, or had they continued in active service after illness/wounds, do you think would've made the most impact on the war? Lyons? J.E.B.? Reynolds? A.S. Johnston? Others?

Note that "impact" can be good or bad...


Maj Gen Sean Turner
3rd Cavalry Division, "The Bishop's Men"
I Corps
Army of Alabama

I think A S Johnston would have had the most impact had he not been killed at Shiloh, but whether for good or bad I don't know. But it's hard to imagine him doing worse than Bragg, who ultimately got his job. Earl Van Dorn is another you haven't mentioned. The cavalry raid he led at Holly Springs helped cause Grant to abandon the overland campaign against Vicksburg. On the Union side, Phil Kearney comes to mind. He led 1st Division III Corps and might have gotten the corps command instead of Sickles if he hadn't been killed at Chantilly. He had extensive combat experience overseas with the French and lost an arm at Churubusco in the Mexican War.

MG Mike Mihalik
1/III/AoMiss/CSA

I had always wondered how Gettysburg would have turned out had Jacksn been there..

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Lieutenant General John Corbin
Commanding officer
Army of The James
USA</center>

I always wonder what would have happened if John Reynolds had not been killed at Gettysburg.

General Mark Nelms
6/3/IX/AoO
"Blackhawk Brigade"

So imagine Gettysburg with Kearny instead of "Dangerous Dan" -- I wonder how day 2 would've played out?


Maj Gen Sean Turner
3rd Cavalry Division, "The Bishop's Men"
I Corps
Army of Alabama

Jackson may have had the biggest impact, but imagining Kearney or Reynolds on the Union side is a fun thought as well...


General Jeff Laub
Union Chief of the Army
ACWGC Cabinet Member
http://www.geocities.com/laubster22/UnionHQ/

Like many I think Jackson would have had the greatest impact, I doubt he would have hesitated like Ewell and A.P. Hill at Gettysburg. S.A. Johnston would have been better than Bragg in my opinion by far. How about a thread on if they had been promoted to higher command, like army command. I mean the likes of Forrest, Cleburne, Hardee on the CSA side, and maybe Reynolds, Kerny and others on the Union side.

GEN. Tony Malone
Commander Army of Mississippi
"Do your duty in all things, You can never do more, You should never wish to do less".

What about guys like Bernard Bee?? Wonder what he would have done had he not been killed??

What about Thomas Megaher had he not been sidelined??

Obviously Jackson would have been the big key asset, but would he have really made enough difference in the end?? Say Reynolds had lived at Gettysburg, that would be an interesting show down, I'd say. Of course the forces would be aligned differently at least for the CSA, so the whole marching order and the times and places units came onto the field would have been different.

Say it all stays the same, had Ol' Jack taken Culp's Hill, he'd have a lot of men bearing down on all sides on him, and that hill is somewhat one sided for defense....

I think for the West I'd be interested in Cleburne vs Thomas...or Cleburne vs Sherman....

Just a few thoughts....

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<b>Major General Scott "The Mad Prussian" Ludwig</b>
Commanding Officer, Western Theater, CSA
"The Army Commissary" and "The Traveling Blowhard of Virginia"
Retired ANV Commander 2004-06

http://www.networkforgood.org

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