Episode 03: Lee Wins Gettysburg
What If Lee was successful at Gettysburg? There were multiple instances where the Union’s grip on their defense was tenuous at best. Further effort directed against strategic gaps, supported by better flanking coordination, could have easily swung the battle towards the Confederates.
On July 1, Ewell could have used his numbers to aggressively attack the retreating and disorganized forces on Cemetery Ridge. The Union was still trying to figure out if they would defend this area, and Meade had not yet arrived.
On the second day alone, there were multiple opportunities to swing the battle to Lee’s army. Only furious fighting and swarms of reinforcements kept the Confederates at bay in the salient. Little Round Top was one charge away from falling to the Confederates. And the Rebels had successfully reached Cemetery Ridge at the center but did not have flank support to hold the position, which would have cut the Union forces into two.
On July 3, better coordination between Longstreet and Lee could have led to an earlier kick-off of Pickett’s charge. Forces that had mistakenly been held back from the advance could have been used to support Pickett’s success and exploited the breaches more fully.
In our scenario, Lee’s continued field brilliance has led to a rout of the Union forces who have retreated from Gettysburg towards Baltimore. There, they could regroup their forces with fresh recruits, supplies, and ultimately a new leader, who has been rushed from Mississippi sooner than history records.
In our scenario, the Union suffers a devastating defeat, but a brilliant general and future president, Ulysses S. Grant takes over the entirety of the war effort. And believe it or not, Lee’s success at Gettysburg will lead to a quicker defeat of his forces and a shorter end to the Civil War.
