FW: GDG- Stuart and the historians

[Richard M Kadas]

Tom
  Indeed, what you write is true, but it doesn't keep me from wondering how Lee understood his responsibility to secure  adequate reconnaissance  in the absence of Stuart. Pure conjecture makes me ask if is it possible that in Mexico Lee only learned the how of  gathering  operational intelligence in the field without absorbing the operational commander's responsibility of securing it? How else can we explain his failure to assign other resources?

Tom Ryan <pennmardel at mchsi.com> wrote:
  Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:


<burden to the ANV when Lee had cavalry resources he left unused and had
perdonally lead the U.S.army under Scott to victory at Cerro Gordo and
Churubusco in the Mexican-American War with brilliantly conducted
reconnaisance missions performed on foot.>>

Dick,

You raise an important point here. One example in particular that
illustrates the importance of not having Stuart's services available
occurred after the spy Harrison informed Lee that Hooker's army had crossed
the Potomac and had progressed northward to the vicinity of Frederick,
Maryland. There is some evidence that Lee wanted corroboration of the spy
Harrison's report (Lee had no familiarity with the spy since he belonged to
Longstreet), and sent scouts out to pinpoint the Union army's location.
These scouts were likely members of the 39th Virginia Cavalry Battalion, one
company of which served as scouts and couriers for Lee's HQ.

At the same time, Meade (who had taken over from Hooker) decided to send
Buford northward to scout the Gettysburg vicinity. Buford at the time was
in Mechanicsburg (Thurmont) and moved norhtward with two brigades while
Lee's scouts were coming south at the same time. For some unexplained
reason, those scouts never saw Bufords' long line of cavalry heading toward
Fairfield and Gettysburg. If they had seen Buford's boys and reported it to
Lee, my best guess is that Lee would have rushed A.P. Hill into Gettysburg
to occupy the town -- and, therefore, Hill presumably would have noted the
beautiful high ground to the south and directed some of his troops to occupy
it as well.

The point is that if Stuart had been available, and given his experience
and aggressiveness in conducting reconnaissance, he undoubtedly would have
detected Buford's movements and gotten the word to Lee in time to prevent
Buford from occupying Gettysburg. That, of course, would have changed the
game plan on both sides, and would have forced Meade to go on the offensive
at Gettysburg or fall back to a defensive position such as his Pipe Creek
Line.

Regards, Tom Ryan


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