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Life NRA,SUVCW # 48,Legion 352
| Joined: | Sat Dec 2nd, 2006 |
| Location: | South Of The North 40, Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 1051 |
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The French had serious difficulties keeping their troops in Mexico supplied and to be honest I see France as less likely to have intervened in the Civil War than the Brits. For all of Napolean III's bluster he was a realist. He knew what his military was capable of. He was careful to send observers to both sides... what the observers said from the US side of the lines is still classified and unavailable from the French Military.
French operations against New Orleans were not a real option after the US capture of the city. They would have had to fight there way through a small fleet past several well armed forts and into the city itself which was very stronglt garrisoned. Frankly Farraguat probably would have pulled his fleet away from New orleans and used it to operate against French shipping where it would have been very dangerous indeed.
Also the French took a lot away from the CW. It decided them on the breachloader, rifled guns (they copied the 3" Ordnance rifle and in fact the first French 75's were reworked 3" Rifles.) And a very real appreciation of the use of rails in warfare. French observers were very interestged in the US supply and logistical system.
While much of the European generalship viewed the ACW as a war fought between amatuers... they were nonetheless sobered and not a little impressed by what they saw. A French observer called US Arty the best in the world, another, a veteran of the Crimea, believed Sherman's Army as the equal to any in the world.
Also any realistic intervention by the French would not have come into play prior to the fall of 62 or possibly the Spring of 63 at the earliest. Most realistic would likely have been in the Summer/fall of 63. Which would have put Grants Army just finishing the seige of Vicksburg and those tough vets able to be deployed against them. And Grant would have been more than happy to march them through CS territory to get at any French force landing near New Oreleons.
To me it isn't realistic, in hindsight, for either the French or the English to have intervened in the Civil War.