American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

Got me a bear by the tail as the ole grizzleyman General Bascom and I tangle at HPS Gettysburg, At turn 107 we have managed to virtually destroy both Armies. Now ya`ll all say-ah, never woulda happened but I see where it might have. Suppose an aggressive Meade indeed senses that he could destroy the Reb Army and instead of regrouping launches all out attack on Day four, Now, General Lee redeems himself with Ole Petes able assistance and puts up an excellant defense. Both armies are destroyed on days 4 and 5. What woulda happened? Who wins the war and why?

Lt Colonel Tony Best
Army of Georgia

Sir,

I think that it would have been the battle of the Wilderness one year earlier. The Union can replace it's losses. The Confederates can't. It also would mean no Chickamaugua and no siege of Knoxville so Rosecrans Chatanooga campaign wouldn't have stopped. Bragg and for that matter Johnston simply didn't have enough troops under Hardee and Polk to take the offensive without Longstreet.

The Union with the victory over Pemberton at Vicksburg and the fall of Port Hudson to Banks could and would have had Grant's army available. Even if the South had won a tactical victory at Gettysburg, losses of more than 20,000 by the ANV combined with the fall of Vicksburg would have made those losses unreplaceable.

It's important to remember that only a quarter of the casualties were killed outright. The other casualties represent stragglers, captured and of course the wounded. The army in posession of the field at the end of the day will recover it's wounded and capture the other side's wounded. In time, a portion of the wounded will return to service.

In addition, posession of the field allows for gleaning of weapons and ammunition - a major source of supply for the rebels during the early part of the war. The loss of these warfighting materials would have been signifigant in it's own right. By this point in the war, the Union blockade was almost total and with the loss of Vicksburg nothing was going to be imported overland.

Respectfully,

Chuck Berdanier
Lt Col, 2/1/IX, AoO
National Light Infantry

I think Col Best has the best Idea....(no pun intended)

The ANV and Longstreet in particular were Great at fighting defensivly....

I believe Meade most likely would've done the same thing that Lee had tried the Day before....Only Meade would have MORE troops then Lee started with and would've had a significantly harder time coordinating it all and Lee would've subsequently Mauled the Army of the Potomac...So you have Day 3 Mauling the ANV and then Day 4 Mauling the AotP.....So you're left with Day 5...1 of 3 things would likely happen....#1 Lee and/or Meade would've tried to move to put some distance between the armies to allow them to recover....#2 We see a Stone's River Day 2 type Scenerio, wherein both armies basically Skirmish a bit, but nothing really significant basically both armies resting, Hancocks "nothing will happen today, everyone is too tired" becomes reality on Day 5.....or #3..Lee and/or Meade sense that since the other Army was Mauled on Day 3 or 4 they are open for attack again...If it's Lee, he will most likely be more observant to Longstreets suggestions, and Mauls the AotP again.forcing Meade to fall back towards Washington..If it's Meade...He has Troops who've had a full day of no action or seen no action at all..and he will Maul the ANV....Either way the battle wouldn't last beyond 6 Days before Lee takes Pete's advice and moves around Meade and heads towards Washington....Meade won't move, he has too many Politicians pushing him forward...Lee knew what he was talking about on that subject..

Lt. Jason Fitch
commanding, 4th Bde
1st Div IX Corps
Army of the Ohio

" At the end of forty-three minutes of a desperate and unequal contest, I found the enemy completely around my flanks. To prevent a useless destruction of life, or entire capture of my regiment, I gave the order to retire. I was Honored to be forced to repeat it, and even then the brave fellow complied reluctantly -- many refused" -- Colonel Bernard Mullen, commanding 35th Indiana Infantry, 1st Irish....Report of the Actions of the 35th on the Last Day at Stone's River