<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rob.field</i>
<br />As much as it pains me to say it, it probably would have been Bragg.
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I seriously doubt that Bragg would have been chosen after being just relieved from the AoT, and if he had, given his reputation I think that there would have been either a coup, a mutiny, or just some group from the Texas brigade that got together and shot him dead in plain sight of the rest of the army to do them all a favor! [:D]
In deciding who to put in command after Bragg, the only options of high enough rank were Johnston, Hardee, and Beauregard. Hardee didn't want army command at all, and Davis hated both Johnston and Beauregard. But if Lee went down, and Longstreet with him, I'm sure temporary command would have fallen to A.P. Hill during the interim of the battle (his promotion preceeded that of Ewell by rank, I think, even though they both became Corps commanders at the same time... and the Confederate heirarchy went by date of promotion if of equal rank.) After that, I think Davis would have had to either moved Beauregard to the ANV or promoted one of the existing ANV commanders - but as has been mentioned - Hill was too sick, Ewell wasn't thought too highly of after Gettysburg, and Early was a teachers pet.
So either Beauregard (highest available rank) or Early (one of Davis's pets at the time).
If Grant went down, then Meade would have stayed as AoP commander - which he already was - Grant did not command the AoP while he was overall commander, he merely followed it around and offered "suggestions", but the army was Meade's on paper so there would be no change there. Overall command, however, would have been an issue - outside of Grant the North's only other commanders of sufficient rank and Presidential favor might have been Meade, Sherman (though only through Grant's trust in him), and possibly some lower men like Thomas or Hancock. In all likelihood, however, Lincoln would not have promoted any of those men to overall army command and might well have chosen someone not in active field command...
Regards,
Lt. Col. Alan Lynn
3rd Battery "Jacksonville Greys"
4th Div, II Corps, AoA
God bless <><
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