GDG- RE: Pipe Creek

[The Mills]

Margaret:

Sherman's campaign of 1864 and the capture of Atlanta and the Gettysburg /
Lee campaign of 1863 are not really the same, even if the capture of
Harrisburg would have happened.  The Confederates could not capture and hold
Harrisburg and at best, could hold it for an extremely short time.  Had they
even tried to hold it, probably would have lost their army because they
couldn't sustain an occupational force long enough for it to make much of a
difference before the AOP arrived.  

The AOP was on the heels of the ANV and the ANV was not able to do as
Sherman did on his march through Georgia, so the two events are not really
as similar as you would try to make them out to be.  Sherman had no opposing
army, had free reign to do as he choose.  The ANV had the AOP on its heals
and at most, might have been able to try to occupy Harrisburg for a day or
two before the AOP arrived.  Hardly the same as the Sherman campaign in
1864.

Had the ANV done battle so far north, the would have to fight their way back
regardless of victory or defeat, barring total annilation of the AOP and we
all know that isn't going to happen on the field.  Best case is the ANV
achieves victory, but still has to fight its way home as happened at
Gettysburg, but has a lot further to go.

Thanks
Andy

-----Original Message-----
From: gettysburg-bounces at arthes.com [mailto:gettysburg-bounces at arthes.com]
On Behalf Of Margaret D. Blough
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 7:25 PM
To: GDG
Subject: RE: GDG- RE: Pipe Creek

Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:


Tom,

The Susquehanna River is the eastern boundary of Cumberland County (aka "The
West Shore" around here).  If you keep going east a few more miles in
Cumberland County from Camp Hill, which is the farthest that Ewell's command
is documented as going in at the end of June 1863, you will reach the
Susquehanna River bridge (now bridges) crossing to Harrisburg (aka "The East
Shore" around here).  Hotchkiss's account is additional confirmation that
Harrisburg was Lee's primary target in his 1863 Pennsylvania campaign.
Harrisburg was a major railroad junction and the most secure rail line
immediately north of the embattled B & O line. Furthermore, it was the
capital not only of a loyal state of great importance in the 1864
presidential campaign but  also one headed by one of the leading pro-Lincoln
war governors, Andrew Gregg Curtin, and it was almost defenseless.  The ANV
wouldn't have had to hold Harrisburg very long, simply taking it would have
enormous political and psychological signi
ficance on Union morale and even internationally.  If successful, it would
have sent the message to the states loyal to the Union that Sherman's 1864
campaign in Georgia sent to the people of the rebel states in the Deep
South-your government is incapable of performing one of the most fundamental
acts of a functioning government-protecting its citizens.
Regards,

Margaret

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Tom Ryan" <pennmardel at mchsi.com> 

> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes: 
> 
> 
> <> so 
> earlier>> 
> 
> The Hotchkiss diary entry was dated February 23, 1863, right around the
time 
> that Lee began seriously thinking about invading the North. The complete 
> entry on this subject reads as follows: 
> 
> "I got secret orders from the General [Jackson] to prepare a map of the 
> Valley of Va. extended to Harrisburg, Pa., and then on to 
> Philadelphia;--wishing the preparation to be kept a profound secret. So I 
> went to reducing a map of Cumberland Co., Pa." 
> 
> Hotchkiss started work on the map the next day, and worked on it for a 
> couple weeks, then on March 4 made this entry: 
> 
> "As I had nearly finished the map of Cumberland Co. I wanted some more to 
> add to it, I therefore went up to Gen. Lee's to obtain others, or rather
to 
> Gen. Stuart's, Capt. Blackford having them." 
> 
> Hotchkiss says he finished the "map of Cumberland Co., Pa." on March 10. 
> Cumberland County is north of Adams Co. and runs from about Shippensburg 
> east to the Susquehanna River. This, of course, was just one part of the 
> overall map that Jackson requested. 
> 
> What these passages suggest, I believe, is that Jackson had been
encouraging 
> Lee for some time to invade the North, and do as much damage as possible
to 
> its capability to conduct warfare. Lee had been hesitant about the idea 
> earlier, but now decided it was time to take the war into Northern 
> territory. Hooker's aggressiveness that led to the Battle of 
> Chancellorsvile delayed these plans until early June when the the invasion

> took place. 
> 
> Tom Ryan 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------- 
> You may unsubscribe by going to 
> http://mailman.arthes.com/mailman/listinfo/gettysburg 
> 
> You can add yourself to the GDG map at: 
> http://www.frappr.com/gettysburgdiscussiongroup 
> 
> View archived posts from May 2004 - present at 
> http://mailman.arthes.com/pipermail/gettysburg/ 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------
You may unsubscribe by going to
http://mailman.arthes.com/mailman/listinfo/gettysburg

You can add yourself to the GDG map at:
http://www.frappr.com/gettysburgdiscussiongroup

View archived posts from May 2004 -  present at
http://mailman.arthes.com/pipermail/gettysburg/