GDG- RE: Lane & the myth of hollow squares

[Laurence Schiller]

Hi Chris - thanks for the posts - I've seen these before - however,  
it has been some years since I wrote my article on Gamble's first day  
action and I'll have to defer until I can find my sources.

Best as always,

Laurie Schiller

On Apr 29, 2007, at 7:04 PM, Chris Army wrote:

> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> Esteemed Member Laurie Schiller wrote:
>
>>> Hello - forgive me if this has been answered but I've gotten way
> behind in the posts. To answer your question, Gamble had formed his
> brigade on the left of the Union line, where he was protecting the
> flank, and as Pender moved forward, he mounted his men and acted as
> though he was going to charge Lane's flank. Lane, of course, was the
> rightmost regiment in Pender's attack on the Seminary. It was a
> mounted feint and worthy of a square since it was on the flank of
> Lane and clearly a danger were the attack to have come off.
>
> Take care,
> Laurie Schiller<<
>
> Laurie,
> As you can see from the following two OR’s  - Gamble’s and  
> Buford’s, I’m not sure I agree with your conclusion that Lane  
> formed a square based on a mounted feint this late in the attack:
>
>> From GAMBLE’s OR Report:
> In the afternoon, the enemy, being strongly re-enforced, extended  
> his flanks, and advanced on our left in three strong lines, to turn  
> that flank. The general commanding division ordered my brigade  
> forward at a trot, and deployed in line on the ridge of woods, with  
> the seminary on our right. Half of the Eighth New York, Third  
> Indiana, and Twelfth Illinois were dismounted and placed behind a  
> portion of a stone wall and under cover of trees.
> The enemy being close upon us, we opened a sharp and rapid carbine  
> fire, which killed and wounded so many of the first line of the  
> enemy that it fell back upon the second line. Our men kept up the  
> fire until the enemy in overwhelming numbers approached so near  
> that, in order to save my men and horses from capture, they were  
> ordered to mount and fall back rapidly to the next ridge, on the  
> left of the town, where our artillery was posted. The stand which  
> we made against the enemy prevented our left flank from being  
> turned, and saved a division of our infantry.
> This brigade had the honor to commence the fight in the morning and  
> close it in the evening.
>
>> From Buford’s OR Report:
> After the fall of General Reynolds, whose advance troops partially  
> drove back the enemy and made heavy captures of prisoners, the  
> enemy brought up fresh troops, and engaged General Doubleday's  
> command, which fought bravely, but was greatly outnumbered and  
> forced to fall back. Seeing our troops retiring, and their need of  
> assistance, I immediately rushed Gamble's brigade to Doubleday's  
> left, and dismounted it in time to render great assistance to our  
> infantry, and to check and break the enemy's line. My troops at  
> this place had partial shelter behind a low stone fence, and were  
> in short carbine range. Their fire was perfectly terrific, causing  
> the enemy to break and rally on their second line, which made no  
> farther advance toward my position. Shortly after this, I placed my  
> command on our extreme left, to watch and fight the enemy should he  
> make another attack, and went to Cemetery Hill for observation.
> END
>
> Rather, I think the mounted feint or a series of them took place  
> earlier in the action against the 7th TN (FRY) and Marshall’s 52nd  
> NC by Beveridge’s 8th Ill.
>
> Lt. Col. Shepard of the 7th TN wrote in his OR:
> Being completely overpowered by numbers, and our support not being  
> near enough to give us any assistance, we fell back across the  
> field, and reformed just in rear of the brigade that had started in  
> as our support. [THIS WOULD BE MARSHALL’S 52ND NC] Colonel Fry took  
> command of the brigade, and, after remaining in the woods for two  
> or three hours, the whole line upon our left advanced. Archer's  
> brigade advanced at the same time upon the extreme right of the  
> line. While advancing, the enemy threw a body of cavalry around  
> upon our right flank. Seeing this, Colonel Fry changed the  
> direction of his front so as to protect our flank.  The cavalry did  
> not advance upon us, but hung around during the entire engagement  
> of the evening of July 1.
> END
>
> Finally, in reviewing Bacheldor’s maps it appears the action is  
> consistent with his interpretation for the flank threats earlier in  
> the attack. The maps show no movement around the flank of Lane, but  
> rather the direct defense behind the stone wall and down to the  
> McMillan Farm as depicted in Gamble’s & Buford’s OR’s.
>
> Regards,
> Chris
>
>
>                    
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Dr. Laurence Dana Schiller
lds307 at northwestern.edu

Maitre d'Armes
Head Fencing Coach                       Department of History
Northwestern University
Commissioner, Midwest Fencing Conference
Midwest VP, US Fencing Coaches' Association
Vice-Chair USFA Illinois Division
Lds307 at northwestern.edu
847-491-4654
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