GDG- BMI report of July 3

[Tom Ryan]

Despite a BMI report to Meade's HQ on July 2 that prisoners had been taken
from all three of Ewell's divisions (Early, Johnson and Rodes) as the result
of the action on July 1, and that "all prisoners agree that their whole army
is here," chief of staff Butterfield queried the BMI as follows at 7 a.m. on
July 3:

"Are you satisfied that there are only two divisions of Ewell in front of
Slocum and how strong do you think they are?  If the general [Meade] was
pretty sure of this he would make an attack there.  Write me soon."

There is no information available to explain why the confusion on
Butterfield/Meade's part given the specific report they had available that
all three of Ewell's divisions were in place on the Rebel left (as well as
the statement that the entire Rebel army was on the battlefield).

In response to Butterfield's query, BMI civilian analyst John Babcock sent
the chief of staff a detailed order of battle of Ewell's corps.  He listed
the three division with a breakout by brigade including the name of each
brigade commander and the estimated strength of each brigade.  The totals
were:  Johnson's division, 7,000, Early division, 7,000, and Rodes' division
7,200.  The grand total was 21,200 which was very close to Ewell's actual
strength.

>From the BMI files at the National Archives.

Tom