Dixie Victorious: Chapter 3, Lee fools McClellan

SYNOPSIS | Just for the fun of it, we're going through the scenarios in Stackpole's new offering, Dixie Victorious: An Alternate History of the Civil War (Peter G. Tsouras, ed.). I'll compile my comments on the scenarios and post them Sunday. (Note that the title of this post is a link to the book description on Amazon.)

Chapter 3. "What Will the Country Say?"

McClellan assumes command of a field army after Second Manassas. Halleck is still in the West. Lee, invading Maryland, draws up phony plans and charges Stuart with getting them into McClellan's hands. The Rebels do not besiege Harpers Ferry but instead concentrate on the western side of South Mountain. McClellan believes in the false dispositions described in the phony orders. Franklin is heavily defeated at Crampton's Gap and the main body of the army is encircled near Turner's Gap. McClellan tries to rally the broken AoP on the National Road but then "cravenly" flees. Lee burns Carlisle and destroys the railways around Harrisburg. Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation despite these defeats. France allies with the CSA to enlist its help in Mexico. Kentucky is occupied by the Rebels. By the time of the November 1862 elections, the Republican majority gives way to peace Democrats who sanction dissolution of the Union.