Had Stonewall Jackson lived throughout the entire Civil War, would the South have won the war?

Answer 1

Would TJ have taken Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill on the first day of the Gettysburg battle, hmmmm, that's a no brainer. Of course he would've. The high ground would've been in confederate hands before the entire Union army was on scene.

Meade would've either attacked the high ground or retreated further south to a position he had picked prior to the battle. If he was smart, he would done the latter, otherwise it was Fredricksburg all over again.

TJ was well know for taking the initiative and not following Lee's commands to the 't'. This made him a brilliant commander,....leading from the front, as it were. Too bad he was killed.

Of course with the fog of war, it's hard to say if a Rebel victory at Gettysburg would've meant foreign recognition of their government by Britain or France (as Lee hoped). And the anti-war sentiment in the north, may have compelled Lincoln to sue for peace....who knows.

Answer 2

Possibly. While I agree in the long run that the South would have been overwhelmed by superior numbers and material, there is a possibility that the North could have been forced into a diplomatic peace.

If Jackson had lived to see Gettysburg, it is possible that either A) Lee wins and routes the Army of the Potomac or B) Lee forces a draw in the second day, then withdraws south and east, capturing Washington DC. If either A or B occurs, and the Draft Riots in NYC reach or exceed the level of civil unrest, it is reasonable to believe that a diplomatic peace would be created or Forrest's cavalry does in the North what Sheridan did in the South (destroying economic infrastructure and making the land unable to support large, organized forces). It is also conceivable (but unlikely) that with the capture of Washington and a major victory on enemy territory European nations might have intervened. Even if all England, France, or Spain did was disrupt the naval blockade, the South's ability to wage war would have been increased in measure and extended in time while support for the war in northern states would have diminished.

Answer 3

No, even if Stonewall Jackson would have lived throughout the entire Civil War, his soldiers would have been decimated by the Army of the Potomac's artillery, infantry, and calvary.

Answer 4

No.

Maybe prolonged the war, but not won it. The south just did not have the resources to fight a long, protracted war.