GDG- RE: Kershaw

[Alan D. Brunelle]

keith toney wrote:
> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> Hi Alan,
> Understand this is strictly one guy's opinion, I don't
> have hard evidence to back it up, BUT...
> I've always thought it was more a natural reaction
> than Kennedy responding to an actual order. They're
> taking terrific fire. The right regiment of Kennedy's
> wing responds/reacts to the movement to the right.
> Kennedy and his troops start to think to themselves
> Hmmmm...big bullets, little bullets, big metal pieces,
> little metal pieces...hey, I think we can turn a flank
> over therre! Let's do it! (insert Rebel Yell)
>
> Like I said, just an opinion.
> Regards,
> Keith

Hello Keith,

There could well have been some of that [30 cannon firing cannister must 
have been very - shall we say - persuasive], although a good counter is 
that the movement to the right seemed a bit orderly - at least for the 
2nd SC, and perhaps parts of the 3rd battalion.

It's also clear that the "order" was not universally obeyed across the 
left wing - it's pretty clear that the 8th SC skedaddled back into the 
ravine, and perhaps some of the 3rd battalion as well. [Of course, 
counter-counter-point - where's Shane Alexander? - the artillery fire 
through the swale* leading down from Bigelow's position might also have 
been a big factor in the 8th SC's decision not to proceed across that 
line of fire - order or no order.]

It's also pretty clear (to me anyway) that even in the case of the 2nd 
SC, they then moved into the little chunk of woods and then seemed to 
primarily try to fight (long distance) northwest against the artillery 
line, rather than continue northeast/east to take on Union infantry on 
the stony hill (which would seem more natural if an order really came to 
conform to the 3rd & 7th SC regiment's assault on that area of the field).

An old Robert Palmer song comes to mind: "I'm looking for clues."

Alan
* My spell-checker says this is mis-spelled, but dictionary.com says its 
ok, so I'll go with that... :-)