GDG- Gettysburg The second day

[Tom Ryan]

One has to wonder how much Lee's penchant for placing Virginians in command
over well-qualified personnel from other states had to do with Hill's
selection as corps commander (not to mention Ewell whose health was also
marginal at best).

Tom Ryan

-----Original Message-----
From: gettysburg-bounces at arthes.com
[mailto:gettysburg-bounces at arthes.com]On Behalf Of Chet Diestel
Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 8:51 AM
To: GDG
Subject: Re: GDG- Gettysburg The second day


Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:



----- Original Message -----
From: "keith mackenzie" <bluzdad at yahoo.com>
To: "GDG" <gettysburg at arthes.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 5:04 AM
Subject: Re: GDG- Gettysburg The second day


Esteemed GDG Member Keith MacKenzie Contributes:

hey, come on, cut the guy some slack! He was ill, possibly a flare up of the
VD he picked up at West Point when he was a cadet. I think.
   K.

   Cutting Hill  "some slack" as a human being is one thing, but cutting him
"some slack" as a corps commander with the lives of thousands of men resting
on his shoulders when he was chronically ill was something else.
   Hill's "delicate constitution," to use the phrasing of the day, was
certainly known to Lee when he promoted him to command of the new III Corps
less than two months before Gettysburg. Indeed, Hill had a long history of
illness dating back to his cadet days at West Point where he was infected by
gonorrhea, the effects of which resulted in a chronic infection which
severely impaired his renal functions as well as causing uremia and all the
disabilities associated with it.
  In short, Hill, given his state of health --- which, in effect, was that
of a dying man --- by the summer of 1863 had no place commanding troops in
the field. Medical surgeons were not blind or ignorant of the obvious
symptoms and given the smallness of the Old Army, his ailment and the
treatment it can be assumed was well known, at least in passing. After all,
it delayed his graduation from West Point by a year.
  And one would assume the general commanding the ANV would be aware of
this, especially an officer as close to him as A.P. Hill was --- perhaps
much too close.
  It would seem he got the promotion and kept it more for what he had
been --- a good and efficient brigade and division commander --- than what
he was capable of doing two years into the war.
  But then that raises the whole question of the reorganization of the ANV
and why Lee chose as he did.
    With regards,
              Chet

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