GDG- Gettysburg The second day

[Alan David Brunelle]

James Cameron wrote:
> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> << A point frequently overlooked when attempting to understand the
> breakdown  of the en echelon attack on July 2nd is that Posey did not
> just half-heatedly support Wright's  attack on purpose; the federals
> located in the Bliss Farm buildings on his flank would have been fatal
> to his brigade if he had ignored them by advancing with Wright. He HAD
> to send half of his brigade to deal with them.
> He had no choice.
>
>                        Pres  >>
>
> I think much of it comes down to Anderson not being set up to make a 
> major attack of his own.
> The idea of the attack being made en-echelon comes, I believe, more 
> from the way it was actually mounted, than from how it was originally 
> planned.  In the original plan, McLaws was to attack up the Emmitsburg 
> Road, supported by Hood.  We don't know exactly how Hood was to have 
> done that, but I've never seen anything to state specifically that the 
> two divisions would attack en echelon to one another, or in sequence.  
> Anderson, for his part, was to support the attack as it reached his 
> sector, driving the AOP in toward the town.  In other words, support 
> an attack already pretty much a success, not make one of his own.  His 
> division wasn't deployed in the depth Hood and McLaws were, which 
> meant his brigades had no second lines behind them, ready to come up 
> in support, or, exploit any success.
>
> Jim Cameron
>
>
>  
According to Anderson's report in the OR:

"Shortly after the line had been formed, I received notice that 
Lieutenant-General Longstreet would occupy the ground on the right; that 
his line would be in a direction nearly at right angles with mine; that 
he would assault the extreme left of the enemy and drive him toward 
Gettysburg, and I was at the same time ordered to put the troops of my 
division into action by brigades as soon as those of General 
Longstreet's corps had progressed so far in their assault as to be 
connected with my right flank."

This would seem to me to be more than just a supporting action - doesn't 
it sound like an order for an attack en echelon? (Granted, the stuff 
about right angles didn't quite come off that way..., but the fragment: 
"ordered to put the troops of my division into action by brigades" 
contains two key phrases "ordered" and "by brigades".) And it certainly 
seemed that things got started that way - Barksdale's troops are driving 
north (at right angles), and then heads off east; then off go Wilcox and 
then Lang and then Wright ("by brigades").

As to your point about "support[ing] an attack already pretty much a 
success", I would argue that by the looks of things on Anderson's right, 
Barksdale (et al) were certainly looking mighty successful from 
Anderson's vantage point - (if he was actually watching things, that is.)

Alan