GDG- Winter Stomp

[James Cameron]

<<  I  am currently re-reading one of the books in my collection, Howard 
Coffin's excellent Nine Months to Gettysburg, the story of the Second 
Vermont Brigade (Stannard's). His map, based upon period recollections of 
the Vermonters, has them turning off the Taneytown Road just beyond Meade's 
HQ and moving directly into battleline, with the 16th VT immediatley 
flanking the copse, with the left of the 14th well north of the Codori 
house. The 13th's companies head for Weir's guns in his map. The fact they 
passed the Leister house is based on numerous contemporary reports from the 
soldiers.

  Quoting Peter Sturtevant, "passing General Meade's headquarters into the 
field beyond, up over the ridge in the direction of our left center that 
appeared from our observation to be in great danger...: The 13th companies 
hence had no Rebels on the east side of the crest when they advanced past 
the Widow's house. What about the other two regiments? Colonel Wheelock 
Veazey: "When we up to the batteries on the crest I saw no supports whatever 
with them...The smoke obscured the view, but little could be seen. Here we 
encountered a furious cannonade."

  The implication is that the batteries on the crest were abandoned, or a 
minimum, had no infantry in direct support. We know that the 69th PA was 
supporting Cushing's battery, but perhaps they were obscured by the smoke, 
or perhaps Veazey was further to the south.  >>

Coffin's book is indeed excellent, although I do wish he believed in 
footnotes!

In The Bachelder Papers, Veazey describes being sent forward to "the 
batteries then engaged", which despite his also saying they lacked infantry 
supports doesn't, to me, suggest they were abandoned.

Jim Cameron