GDG- Gettysburg the Second Day

[John Baniszewski]

I strikes me that, using my 20-20 hindsight, Lee's best move after Day 1 would have been to move toward Jack's Mountain, just southwest of Fairfield.  From that position, he would still be threatening Washington, as he could use the Waynesboro Pike to advance southeast in the direction of Emmitsburg, but would have the mountain pass behind him as an escape route back over the mountains.  At that position, he could then wait for Meade to react, perhaps  eventually following Longstreet's desire to find a "Fredericksburg" type position near Jack's Mountain, and let the Union Army dash itself upon entrenched Confederates.

What made this impracticable on July 2 was Lee's decision the evening of Day 1 to allow Ewell to hold his position north of Gettysburg, despite Lee's own desire to have Ewell back with him on the Seminary Ridge line.  On July 2, had Lee forced the issue and made Ewell pull back, Ewell could have been in position west of Seminary Ridge, astride the Fairfield Road, with Longstreet on the right on Seminary/Warfield Ridge, and Hill on the left.  Ewell could support either of these two corp offensively or defensively, or begin a march toward Fairfield.

I think that Lee's failure the evening of Day 1 to have Ewell pull back to where Lee wanted Ewell to be is one of the least-discussed and most important mistakes Lee made during the battle.  

John Baniszewski

 			
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