GDG- Heth

[James Cameron]

Welcome aboard, Dave.

<< Why did Hill allow Heth to take such a large force to Gburg for a simple
foraging and recon mission?  >>

It was a recon in force, into a poorly scouted area, in hostile territory, 
with a good possibility of enemy contact.  Under such conditions you send a 
strong enough force to handle anything it runs into, or to fight its way out 
of trouble it it runs into something too big.

<< Did Hill (or Heth) believe Pettigrew's story about seeing veteran 
infantry
at Gburg on the day before? >>

My impression is that even if Pettigrew thought the troops he saw looked 
like veterans, his opinion was discounted.

<< If Hill had Heth take a large force expecting trouble, why no 
skirmishers?
(Coddington mentions skirmishers, but doesn't say when they were deployed,
was it Marsh Creek?) >>

He did have skirmishers out, and for the most part his skirmishers were able 
to push back Buford's screen until he got to the Herr ridge area and 
resistance began to stiffen up.

<< If Hill (or Heth) did believe Pettigrew and expected trouble, was he
disobeying the spirit of Lee's No Engagement order?  >>

Lee's instructions not to bring on a general engagement were not a 
prohibition of any fighting.  The two armies were moving to contact, and 
Gettysburg was a likely place for that to happen.  Lee and Meade both 
recognized this.

<< I hope this isn't too much for one post, I just can't find the answers to
these questions.  Offline would be ine too.  >>

Not too much at all.  Keep it coming.

Jim Cameron