Gettsyburg and Grant

We muse how a Rebel victory at Gettysburg would affect the ascension of Ulysses S. Grant and the pace of the final chapter of the Civil War. It’s stunning to think but Lee’s victory would actually end the war 8-12 months earlier than our history books write.

With the success at Vicksburg in July of 1863, Lincoln sees a rising military genius, who is hawkish and unafraid to aggressively pursue, and attack, the Confederate armies he faced. After the appalling casualties at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, Lincoln dismissed Grant's critics, saying "I can't spare this man; he fights.”

In our timeline, in August of 1863, Grant was promoted to Lieutenant General, giving him command of all Union armies. His new rank had only been held by one man in American history, George Washington.

It’s important to note, what Grant will bring to the war, is different than any previous Union general. He will use the telegraph and other signal communications to modernize his command-and-control over the entire theater of operations. 

Prior to Grant's leadership, the armies operated independently to accomplish localized goals and defeat specific army groups. Grant will look at the theater in its entirety and coordinate attacks to strangle supplies and movement that will eventually render the Confederates incapable of fighting. Grant was not interested in capturing territory or towns unless those gains kept the Confederates from resupplying.

Grant will coordinate with generals, review troop movements, and issue orders in near-real-time. Only Sherman, who had been ordered to go dark, was not in constant contact to utilize intelligence to pressure and attack the different Confederate armies, including Lee’s. 

Grant will also bring a completely new attitude to the Union army: “Attack, pressure, drive the initiative against the enemy.” This philosophy would embolden the ranks of Federal forces in a way that was badly needed, particularly after the loss at Gettysburg.

Rather than mid-1864, our scenario has the coordinated theater-wide surge of Union forces happening during the late Summer months of 1863.