With an alternate history
One of the most common scenarios to come across is a Confederate States managing to win the American Civil War
With the Confederates caption, Washington DC following battles of centium Gettysburg and Bull Run
however, one battle that doesn't get mentioned often actually offers us the most like this scenario for such a thing to
occur
That was the Battle of Fort Stevens
The Battle of Fort Stevens was the closest that the CSA got to capturing
Washington DC during the American Civil War in mid
1864 Jubal a early score of 10,000 veterans
Faced a heavily fortified but lightly defended Union Capitol the timely arrival of the six-core from Virginia
Prevented early from being able the force of Defense's and evinced him to withdraw back to the Shenandoah Valley
but in an alternate universe
What if the Union 6-quart didn't arrive in time and the Union Capitol came under Confederate control?
Even for a brief time before answering that question
We need some history in
early May of 1864
ulysses s grant
Sent the army of West Virginia under the command of Major General Franz Sigel later replaced by General David hunter
to destroy the rail Center at Lynchburg, Virginia
Robert Elise and Jubal Early's Corps to sweep Union forces from the valley and if possible to
Menace Washington DC or swing around the north of DC and capture Point Lookout
releasing thousands of Confederate prisoners
following a skirmish at Lynchburg
Hunter led his defeat of forces into West Virginia
Which would knock them out of the war for five weeks leaving little Early's way to defend, Washington
The one force that did gain his weight was 5,800 men of the middle department under Lewis Wallace
Wallace managed to delay early at the Battle of mana
Cassie and this gave enough time for the men of the 6th Corps to arrive in DC
The simplest way for a change would be for wolves to not delay Early's forces
How this would happen could be a number of different ways either Wallace wasn't able to get the information about Confederate troops soon enough
Thought that the 22nd Corps within Washington was sufficient or a variety of other factors
Regardless Bisley is early with 14,000 veterans to Balak ins the 22nd corps under Major General Christmas
Auger that was manning the washington defenses
The corps had the paper strength of around
32,000 men. However, its actual strength was only around
9600 and most of the defenders were either 100-day militia men from the reserve corps
Or there were armed federal clerks with them being outnumbered and out skilled
It wouldn't be hard to believe that early could have taken the field thus occupying washington, but then what?
Well while DC is now occupied that doesn't mean that the war is won
Lincoln had a steamer waiting for him in the Aven that the Confederates managed to get through and would have gotten him and everyone else
Uper important out before being captured
While would be a massive boost to southern morale the victory could only be short-lived
Union troops would be buzzing around everywhere and closing in on early fast
He would stay in the capital at most for a day before being to retreat
Otherwise, he runs the risk of being cut out from the Shenandoah and his route home
What this would cause is a massive uproar on how the Capitol could possibly be allowed to be taken
Ground would almost certainly be removed and shot even against Lincoln's wishes and a large amount of the Army of the Potomac
Would be drawn back to defend, Washington
Exactly what Lee wanted?
Another outcome of this would be the effect it would have on the upcoming presidential elections
Lincoln himself during our timeline
Thought he had little chance of being re-elected and the recent occupation of the Capitol by Confederate forces
Would only cement the thought that the warrant was far from won
Lincoln ran under the National Unity Party and John C
Fremont was a potential for running on the Republican ticket. Thus splitting the vote for Lincoln
However, Union victory is near the election made Fremont not run on the ticket with DC being occupied
However, Fremont may stay in the political race. Granting George B
McClellan the presidency while many suggest that McClellan would have tried to get peace with the Confederacy at cost
I don't see that happening
McClellan had never stated peace at any cost even if the party supporting him had wished for such a thing
Had he managed to gain the prison scene
McClellan would have saw the war to a finish
However with Grant and the Army of the Potomac being heavily pulled from the Virginian campaign the last year of bloodshed in
Virginia would have been for little and the Confederacy would have limped along
Until manpower food and morale were utterly exhausted
Assuming the northern stomachs could last that long. I
Hope you enjoyed the brief look into one possibility if the Confederates had managed to capture
Washington DC if you would like to want some other alternate history scenarios that I have
Click here for the players that contains all of them. Don't forget to Like and subscribe and I'll catch you guys next time