GDG- What if Pickett's charge had worked?

[Alan D. Brunelle]

Tom Ryan wrote:
> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> Jim,
>
> 	<snip>
>
> 	On the issue of "panic," there are degrees to this concept of course.  I
> would say that Hooker panicked at Chancellorsville, even though the Union
> retreat was more or less orderly.  Pope's army was in a panic to escape
> after Second Bull Run, and almost did not make it.  Burnside also ended up
> in a personal panic following Fredericksburg, again though the army
> retreated back across the river in good order.  I am sure Lee had all of
> those instances in the back of his mind of how the AoP commanders and the
> army itself behaved in the past, even though he had greater respect for
> Meade as someone who would not make a mistake in his front.
>
> Regards, Tom
>
>   
Hi Tom -

On the 1st, the Union retreat was sometimes referred to as being 
"orderly", but there are also plenty of indications that there was a 
nature of a "panic" in the retreat. The collapse along the whole front 
was complete - and although the streets of Gettysburg impeded any 
retreating efforts, it probably hurt any follow-on attacking prospects 
just as much. Given that, Lee must have seen a rag-tag pell-mell retreat 
through the town on the 1st as an indication of what *could* happen 
given a coordinated push.

(On the other hand, the actions on the 2nd may have mitigated this 
somewhat: even though there were signs of localized collapses, in all 
cases the main Union lines held pretty firmly.)

Respectfully submitted,
Alan