GDG- If Sickles had stayed put!

[JIM COOKE]

Linda,
The artillery man was Henry J. Hunt, who agreed that the Peach Orchard position was a good position for posting artillery, but at the same time demurred from recommending, ordering or otherwise accepting Sickle's decision to move forward, stating that he (HJH) did not have the authority to do so.
JC
----- Original Message -----
From: Linda J Guy <lindajguy at embarqmail.com>
To: GDG <gettysburg at arthes.com>
Sent: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:56:48 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: GDG- If Sickles had stayed put!

Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:


 From someone not quite as expert in maneuvers as many others on this 
list I would like to put in my feeble knowledge from research for a 
college paper on this subject.

As I remember from my research, Sickles sent word at least three times 
for confirmation on the placement of his troops and was sent instead on 
separate occasions, first Meade's son, then an artillery man (I forget 
his name, but he had also told Sickles he thought he had a good 
position), and finally Meade when the attack was about to start. If 
Meade wanted Sickles troops moved he should have got off his lazy butt 
and went the first time Sickles asked if he was in the correct position. 
He was just as lazy on this as following Lee's retreat.

Also, after the war, Lee wrote Sickles "if his troops had not been where 
they were located he (Lee) would have won the battle." I think for your 
enemy in any battle to admit he was bested in position on the 
battlefield is proof enough it was a good position which just needed to 
be re-enforced with extra troops.

Sickles had also learned from a bad experience at Chancellorsville with 
his troops positioned in lower ground on the field, and wanted to 
prevent the same mistake.

He might have been a scoundrel and womanizer, but he did not want to 
lose troops under his command. How would that continue building the 
reputation he valued so much? When it comes to Sickles you have to think 
like a politician, not an army officer to understand his motives.

As to his murder trial, he did get acquitted with the first "temporary 
insanity" plea. He was not a stupid man, just a politician.

Just my research, and honest opinion.

Linda



collins.d at comcast.net wrote:
> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
> Actually, Meade and one of his engineers did recon the night of July 1. That map is now in the National Archives.
>
> No this was not after the fact. Meade did ride out to the 3rd Corps position. He directed Sickles where he wanted the 3rd Corps placed. The only thing is, the rebels started their artillery attack,. This prevented the 3rd Corps from falling back into the positions they were initially assigned.
>
> Collins, Topographical Engineers.
>
>
>
> -------------- Original message -------------- 
> From: "Bill Speer" <bspeer at compassnet.com> 
>
>   
>> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes: 
>>
>>
>> " Meade did go to the 3rd Corps position. If you read Coddington, Meade was 
>> astounded by what he saw for sickles had assumed a position "very muchin 
>> advance" of what it had been Meade's intention for him to take." 
>> [bs] 
>> Was this not after the fact, if you would. He did not recon the area before 
>> issuing orders. Just perhaps due to the animosity between the two he did 
>> not want to accept anything Sickles did, especially using a Corps 
>> commander's discression. 
>>
>>
>> bs 
>>
>>
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