GDG- Re: Guns captured by Wright have been Identified.

[James Cameron]

<< Now as to Heth, see his OR in Ser. I, Vol. 27, part 2 on page 637:  "It 
may
not be improper to remark at this time - 9 o'clock on the morning of July
1 - I was ignorant what force was at or near Gettysburg, and supposed it
consisted of cavalry, most probably supported by a brigade or two of
infantry.  On reaching the summit of the second ridge of hills west of
Gettysburg, it became evident that there were infantry, cavalry, and
artillery in and around the town.  A few shot from Pegram's battalion
(Marye's battery) scattered the cavalry videttes..."

Obviously, he knew of the cavalry at the time.  However, in subsequent
writings (I believe in B&L) he denied that he ever faced cavalry that day.
30 years after the war, in his memoirs he wrote similar language as was in
his OR, that he faced Buford's cavalry and drove the videttes back.

I find the divergent claims interesting.  >>

They are indeed interesting, although far from unusual when comparing 
accounts written years apart.

I'm inclined to think he either knew, or strongly suspected, there was 
cavalry to his front.  After all, it certainly wouldn't have been out of the 
ordinary or in any way unexpected.  OTOH, I'm not sure that knowing for sure 
one way or the other whether the screen he'd encountered was cavalry or not 
would have had all that much bearing on his tactics in pushing it back with 
his own skirmish line.  Similar, in many way, to the manner in which Rodes 
handled Devin's vidette line north of town, at Keckler's hill.

Jim Cameron