GDG- Stuart and the Historians

[Tom Ryan]

<<He might be forced to cross all the way back over South Mountain, which
means he would be competing for northbound roads with Lee's infantry.  In
that event, Lee would probably have been forced to delay Ewell's advance,
and the entire ANV might have stayed west of South Mountain until the end of
June.  In other words, the entire course of the campaign would have changed
so drastically, speculation becomes impossible.  The major battle might have
been anywhere in the Cumberland Valley - Chambersburg, Hagerstown,
Antietam.>>

	Revisiting this point you made about "the entire ANV might have stayed west
of South Mountain until the end of June," I do not think this option would
have still been available.  The problem was that Lee realized that, once the
AoP had crossed the Potomac and was moving northward in the vicinity of
Frederick, his communications were threatened.  Not so much his supply route
(because that was practically non-existant), but his retreat route would
have been cut off.  That is why he moved east of the mountains at Cashtown
after receiving news of the AoP having crossed the Potomac to insure that
Meade would keep all of his troops with him, and not deploy some west of the
mountains into Lee's rear.

	So I think the point about Lee staying west of the mountains is mute, and
he would have had to quickly find an adequate location to make a stand east
of the mountains against the advancing Union army.  In other words, he
likely would have moved toward Gettysburg, the place he had apparently
already noted on his map would be an ideal location to engage the AoP.

Regards, Tom Ryan