The Union's Dark Fall of 1863

October 11, 1863 - Confederate General James Longstreet holds his tongue concerning the incompetence of Braxton Bragg when meeting with President Jefferson Davis. The lack of this second request to replace Bragg results in the aforementioned commander of the Army of Tennessee being less vindictive to Longstreet later on. [PoD]

October 28, 1863 - Longstreet attacks the newly established Union detachment at Brown's Ferry with his full 8,000 man force, as compared to OTL when Bragg only gave him 4,000 men to attack the 5,000 strong Federal force. The Union troops are repelled by the larger Confederate host, whom close the junction to the soon to be established "Cracker Line" before it can even be formed.

October 30, 1863 - With Brown's Ferry in Confederate hands, the Union cannot sail the resupply steamships. The situation for the besieged Army of the Cumberland is now critical, with the men only having enough rations left for the following morning's breakfast while the civilians also trapped in the town have only four cases of bread for their entire population of 2,000.

November 4, 1863 - With starvation fully in effect, the 40,000 strong Army of the Cumberland under George Thomas is forced to surrender to Bragg's Army of the Tennessee. General Grant is forced to resign in the aftermath, while William Sherman's Army of the Tennessee consisting of a reinforced corps withdraws back to Nashville and its fortifications. Luckily for Sherman, his Confederate opponents are themselves too exhausted to follow up on their major victory to mount a large-scale pursuit. A stalemate ensues in the Western Theater, as both reorganize and rebuild over the remainder of Winter.