In the summer of 1863, the CSA was in a rather sticky situation. The stunning victory at Chancellorsville had been won with a heavy price of men and officers paid, including Lt. Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson. In the Western Theater, Vicksburg with its 30,000 man-strong garrison was besieged by Grant's Army of the Tennessee while Rosecrans was preparing for his invasion of Middle Tennessee.
Within Richmond a debate raged regarding the Confederacy's next step. A number of differing plans by differing actors rose up:
1.Lee's Invasion of Pennsylvania: Though Lee's more distant goals might not have been clear, we have a definitive idea of Lee's immediate objectives. By going north any Federal plan for a summer campaign in Virginia would be broken up. The movement through the Shenandoah Valley would allow for the destruction of Union garrisons occupying the lower end of the valley and force the Army of the Potomac to leave its camps around Fredericksburg and out of Virginia.
Secondly, an invasion of Pennsylvania might dispirit Northerners, and a decisive victory could compel other nations to recognize the Confederacy. At this point in time, the strength of the Army of the Potomac was at a low, with 2-year and 9-month enlistments expiring in the summer. If Lee wanted an opportunity to inflict a severe blow to his adversary, this was the opportunity. Lee also hoped that the threat to large Northern cities would compel the Federals to abandon the siege at Vicksburg or disease outbreaks in Mississippi force Grant to abandon the siege.
Finally, after 2 straight years of war Virginia needed a respite from war. An invasion of Pennsylvania allows for the people of Virginia to harvest their crops free from interruption by military operations, and the rich farms and towns of Pennsylvania offered food, forage, and supplies for the Army of Northern Virginia.
The Western Concentration Bloc has other ideas however:
2. Onto Nashville!: Contrary to popular belief, Longstreet was opposed to going to Mississippi because he believed he would be subordinated to Pemberton as he (and Lee) thought Pemberton was an ineffective field commander (which is odd considering that Longstreet outranked Pemberton). Instead, Longstreet suggested that the bulk of his corps along with Joe Johnston's OTL Army of Relief be sent to Bragg along under the overall command of Johnston to crush Rosecrans and reclaim Nashville. The idea was that a movement to Nashville would compel the Federals to abandon or weaken the siege at Vicksburg, a plan somewhat similar to Lee's rationale for an invasion of Pennsylvania.
The plan seems pretty good on paper. The reinforced Army of Tennessee would attain a numerical superiority in both infantry and cavalry over the Army of the Cumberland. However, the key issue here would be logistics. Historian Thomas Connelly observed that "Bragg's own transportation system had been on the verge of collapse since early 1863." IOTL after Chickamauga Longstreet complained to Bragg that his staff officers had not been provided with the means of supplying his troops. Unless the army's wagon train could be greatly expanded then the Army of Tennessee could not venture more than a few miles away from a secure rail-head. A logistical build up that would take more than a month is needed before the Army of Tennessee+ is ready to strike a blow.
In addition, the detachment of Longstreet leaves Lee open to another Chancellorsville/Wilderness, now putting both Richmond and Vicksburg in peril.
3.Pickett to Vicksburg: Secretary of War James Seddon was in the mind of reinforcing Vicksburg and Vicksburg alone. He apparently wanted to send Pickett's division in particular for Mississippi, possibly allowing for Lee to proceed with his invasion of Pennsylvania. Will the outcome change much? Not really, if Lee could not win with Pickett's division I can't see why he would win without Pickett. Pickett's division in the meanwhile is being sent on a wild goose-chase, for Johnston was not advancing against Sherman's entrenched Army of Observation.
Which of these options would you choose? Personally, I would say that the Invasion of Pennsylvania was the best solution of the three. While the Army of Northern Virginia was badly bloodied at Gettysburg, the Invasion of Pennsylvania was not a failure. More than 45 miles of quartermaster and subsistence trains filled with impressed stores escaped Pennsylvania and Maryland along with 20,000 horses and mules seized and large herds of livestock. Throughout the rest of the summer Lee's men had enough meat, flour and fodder. All of which were unavailable in Virginia. If you have any other strategies, feel free to write them in 'Others.'
Within Richmond a debate raged regarding the Confederacy's next step. A number of differing plans by differing actors rose up:
1.Lee's Invasion of Pennsylvania: Though Lee's more distant goals might not have been clear, we have a definitive idea of Lee's immediate objectives. By going north any Federal plan for a summer campaign in Virginia would be broken up. The movement through the Shenandoah Valley would allow for the destruction of Union garrisons occupying the lower end of the valley and force the Army of the Potomac to leave its camps around Fredericksburg and out of Virginia.
Secondly, an invasion of Pennsylvania might dispirit Northerners, and a decisive victory could compel other nations to recognize the Confederacy. At this point in time, the strength of the Army of the Potomac was at a low, with 2-year and 9-month enlistments expiring in the summer. If Lee wanted an opportunity to inflict a severe blow to his adversary, this was the opportunity. Lee also hoped that the threat to large Northern cities would compel the Federals to abandon the siege at Vicksburg or disease outbreaks in Mississippi force Grant to abandon the siege.
Finally, after 2 straight years of war Virginia needed a respite from war. An invasion of Pennsylvania allows for the people of Virginia to harvest their crops free from interruption by military operations, and the rich farms and towns of Pennsylvania offered food, forage, and supplies for the Army of Northern Virginia.
The Western Concentration Bloc has other ideas however:
2. Onto Nashville!: Contrary to popular belief, Longstreet was opposed to going to Mississippi because he believed he would be subordinated to Pemberton as he (and Lee) thought Pemberton was an ineffective field commander (which is odd considering that Longstreet outranked Pemberton). Instead, Longstreet suggested that the bulk of his corps along with Joe Johnston's OTL Army of Relief be sent to Bragg along under the overall command of Johnston to crush Rosecrans and reclaim Nashville. The idea was that a movement to Nashville would compel the Federals to abandon or weaken the siege at Vicksburg, a plan somewhat similar to Lee's rationale for an invasion of Pennsylvania.
The plan seems pretty good on paper. The reinforced Army of Tennessee would attain a numerical superiority in both infantry and cavalry over the Army of the Cumberland. However, the key issue here would be logistics. Historian Thomas Connelly observed that "Bragg's own transportation system had been on the verge of collapse since early 1863." IOTL after Chickamauga Longstreet complained to Bragg that his staff officers had not been provided with the means of supplying his troops. Unless the army's wagon train could be greatly expanded then the Army of Tennessee could not venture more than a few miles away from a secure rail-head. A logistical build up that would take more than a month is needed before the Army of Tennessee+ is ready to strike a blow.
In addition, the detachment of Longstreet leaves Lee open to another Chancellorsville/Wilderness, now putting both Richmond and Vicksburg in peril.
3.Pickett to Vicksburg: Secretary of War James Seddon was in the mind of reinforcing Vicksburg and Vicksburg alone. He apparently wanted to send Pickett's division in particular for Mississippi, possibly allowing for Lee to proceed with his invasion of Pennsylvania. Will the outcome change much? Not really, if Lee could not win with Pickett's division I can't see why he would win without Pickett. Pickett's division in the meanwhile is being sent on a wild goose-chase, for Johnston was not advancing against Sherman's entrenched Army of Observation.
Which of these options would you choose? Personally, I would say that the Invasion of Pennsylvania was the best solution of the three. While the Army of Northern Virginia was badly bloodied at Gettysburg, the Invasion of Pennsylvania was not a failure. More than 45 miles of quartermaster and subsistence trains filled with impressed stores escaped Pennsylvania and Maryland along with 20,000 horses and mules seized and large herds of livestock. Throughout the rest of the summer Lee's men had enough meat, flour and fodder. All of which were unavailable in Virginia. If you have any other strategies, feel free to write them in 'Others.'
