GDG- Ewell and the High Ground

[Tom Ryan]

<<If Stuart had been with the army, maybe nobody even gets to Gettysburg at
all.   Once Stuart is put with the rest of the army, sooner than was
actually the case, everything changes to the point that not even the battle
itself can be taken as a certainty.>>

	A good point that is reinforced by an entry dated June 26, 1863 in the
diary of Jed Hotchkiss, Ewell's topographical engineer in which he stated,
"Gen. Lee wrote to Gen. Ewell that he thought the battle would come off near
Fredericks City [Frederick, Maryland] or Gettysburg."

	Lee and Ewell were not that far away from each other (Lee approaching
Chambersburg and Ewell near Shippensburg) so the message was probably dated
June 25 or 26, two or three days before Lee found out that the AoP had
crossed the Potomac from the scout Harrison.

	If Lee had Frederick in mind as a possible battle site at that early date,
having Stuart's recon capability on hand could have made that a reality, or
some other location between there and Gettysburg.

Tom Ryan