GDG- Cavalry (again): Buford's withdrawal

[Alan D. Brunelle]

Cooke1863 wrote:
> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> This is very interesting. I also am reading the Longacre book now, and I read those passages only yesterday. Why did this hero request relief at this critical juncture? To be sure, his division had ridden many miles and fought hard on Day 1, but his losses were relatively minor. he was performing a vital service, and while many cavalry units were en route to Gettysburg, many also had not yet arrived. Let's hope that the more learned cavalry posters here can enlighten us.
> Also, thanks for bringing up a new cavalry thread. It's about time that we moved on from bashing the CWT article about the cavalry.
> Regards, 
> JC
>   

The thing that gets me most (at this point anyways) is that after 
reading POBTGA (you know, that "yet another Stuart book") and while 
going through Longacre's book it is pretty clear that just about 
/everybody/ in the cavalry at this point in time was pretty much worn 
out and beat up. And yet, just look at the vicious action the next day 
between these "worn out and beat up" cavalry units. It would seem to me 
that Buford could have somehow managed to keep some of his units on the 
field... (And I'm with you: let's hope some more learned cavalry people 
will comment ... hint, hint...)

Alan

> -----Original Message-----
>   
>> From: Chet Diestel <chetd1 at comcast.net>
>> Sent: Jun 11, 2007 10:45 AM
>> To: GDG <gettysburg at arthes.com>
>> Subject: Re: GDG- Cavalry (again): Buford's withdrawal 
>>
>> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>>
>>
>>
>> Esteemed GDG Member Alan D. Brunelle Contributes:
>>
>>    I'm working my way through "The Cavalry at Gettysburg" by Edward G. 
>> Longacre, and I'm at the section covering Buford's actions on the 2nd   day. 
>> My (previous) understanding concerning Buford's leaving the field of battle 
>> on 2 July (based upon more general studies) seemed to indicate:
>>
>>    * Buford's troops were beaten up and tired from almost a month of 
>> fighting, marching, and the battle on 1 July
>>     * He was ordered to go to the railhead supply base at Westminster by 
>> Pleasonton for refit, and Meade was fully aware of this.
>>    * There was some assumption that Pleasonton would replace Buford with 
>> some other cavalry, which wasn't done.
>>
>>     So I've always assumed that the major blame was upon Pleasonton, with 
>> perhaps some mild censure on Meade for not being specific and/or not 
>> checking on things. (Mitigated by the sheer magnitude of managing the 
>> on-going battle: after the quotes below, Longacre states: "In the midst of a 
>> growing battle, Meade faced a mob of concern, Buford's replacement being 
>> only one." [pg 206])
>>    I gather from Longacre that it might not be that simple, from page 205:
>>
>>  "The morning's fighting, sharp though it was, cost Devin fewer than a 
>> half dozen casualties. Given its five percent loss rate of the day before, 
>> Buford's division remained in good shape, especially since Merritt's 
>> brigade, now moving toward Emmitsburg from Mechanicstown,  Maryland, had not 
>> been engaged. Still, Buford worried about the strength of his command, which 
>> he could not recruit [adb: perhaps he meant  resupply?] without the wagons 
>> traveling with Merritt. Early that morning  he had requested of Pleasonton 
>> (now encamped about a half mile below  Meade's headquarters along the 
>> Taneytown road) to be allowed to go to the rear for an extensive refit. The 
>> petition was curious, since Buford's was the only disposable cavalry on the 
>> battlefield."
>>
>>   Longacre than goes on to say: "Just as curiously, Pleasonton assented." 
>> and "Buford's decision to leave Gettysburg was questioned by his own 
>> troops." and then "Pleasonton deserves as much blame as Buford for the 
>> withdrawal."
>>
>>    Rather than placing most of the blame on Pleasonton, is it perhaps 
>> fairer to assign a hefty share on Buford's shoulders for leaving the left 
>> flank unmasked of cavalry? [I'd think that Pleasonton also had quite a lot 
>> on his mind with his troops spread out over southern PA and  northern MD?]
>>          Alan
>>
>>   The withdraw of Buford's cavalry brigades from the AOP's left flank on 
>> the morning of July 2 has always been a mystery to me. From all I read, both 
>> Devin's and Gamble's brigades were still capable of combat and surely could 
>> have conducted effective screening and scouting operations on the army's 
>> flank.
>>    Why Buford asked to be withdrawn at such a critical time, IMHO, remains 
>> inexplicable. However, that Pleasanton granted the request is more 
>> understandable. Buford was a veteran division commander and one of the most 
>> combative officers in the army, thus when such a request came to the corps 
>> commander it is not without reason that Pleasanton would take him at his 
>> word and grant permission. (To the group's cavalry experts: Is there a 
>> record of the two meeting or of Pleasanton actually inspecting the condition 
>> of Buford's brigades to evaluate their combat worthiness?)
>>   However, even in granting Buford's request, Pleasanton should have 
>> arranged for a screening force (perhaps a squadron or even a regiment) to 
>> remain on the flank until fresh cavalry could be brought up after the rest 
>> of Devin's and Gamble's brigades were withdrawn. That would have been a 
>> sound and prudent military move.
>>  Also, does anyone know if Sickles or Hancock were formally informed of the 
>> removal of the flank-covering cavalry or did they suddenly discover that the 
>> horsesoldiers had vanished and, if so, what, if any, did that fact play in 
>> Sickles'  decision to eventually move forward to the Emmittsburg Road?
>>   With regards,
>>     Chet 
>>
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