GDG- Gettysburg The second day

[Laurence D. Schiller]

Thanks Chet -

>(snip)
>   Anderson most certainly must have been aware of the continuous 
>attack to some degree for three of his five brigades (Wilcox, 
>Perry/Lang and Wright) were in battle formation when the attack 
>commenced and in perfect timing and echelon followed Barkesdale's 
>Mississippians into the fight.

Well, this certainly does suggest proper preparation - yet, I agree, 
someone sure dropped the ball. Lee was in the area, I think - it sure 
falls on him to get on someone's back. I find this very interesting 
and would like to hear some more take on it.

Thanks

Laurie Schiller

>   The actions of those brigades spoke much more of coordination than 
>spontaneous marching to the sound of the guns by three separate 
>brigade commanders in the exact echelon formation that had started 
>with Law's Brigade.
>  But then the up-the-line attack just fades away with only part of 
>Posey's Brigade and none of Malone's advancing and we are left with 
>what is probably an unanswerable question: If Anderson and/or Hill 
>knew then why in the devil weren't they down there giving the type 
>of battlefield leadership that Longstreet and his division 
>commanders, Hood and McLaws, demonstrated?
>  Which then leaves only one of two conclusions: they were not 
>informed properly by Lee. either directly or by staff, while Ewell 
>seemingly had been, or it was dereliction of duty on the part of 
>either Anderson and/or Hill to an astounding degree.
>   With regards,
>          Chet
>


-- 
Dr. Laurence Dana Schiller		Civil War First Person Impressions
Maitre d'Armes				William Bradshaw, Co. F 2nd WI
Head Fencing Coach			George Hammitt, Co. H 104th Ill
Department of History
Northwestern University
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