GDG- If Sickles had stayed put!

[Margaret D. Blough]

That sort of precision attack, to the extent that it was possible in the Civil War with the state of communications technology, hardly seems within the repertoire of the ANV at Gettysburg. For starters, in the nearly two months since Jackson's death, the army had gone from two to three corps, two of which were in being commanded by novices in corps command. It also meant transfer of  divisions from one corps to another.  Ewell had performed reasonably well at Winchester, but, it's a very different matter when one has to coordinate with two other corps.  Hill at the top of his game was much more of a "runs with scissors" than a "plays well with others" (Lee transferred him to Jackson after Hill challenged Longstreet to a duel over disputes over newspaper coverage of the Seven Days).  Hill virtually disappears not only as a factor but as a human being after July 1, which may have had a huge effect on Anderson's performance. (His division transferred from Longstreet who kept a firm ey
e on him to Hill).  

I've seen a postwar quote from McLaws who said that he felt that Longstreet would have called off the attack if it meant attacking with a Union corps on its flank.  As I've said earlier, I doubt anyone in the First Corps of the ANV forgot about their devastating attack on Pope's flank at Second Manassas.

Of course, any discussion should center on the realization that all Confederate plans for July 2 before Longstreet moved out on what became the countermarch was based on a horrifically unfounded belief as to where the Union flank was.  Anything after the discovery of where the flank actually was involved improvisation to get something going before darkness fell.  In many ways, it says much for Longstreet and the fighting abilities of his corps that the Confederates did as well as they did. 

Regards,

Margaret

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

> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes: 
> 
> 
> According to Lee and Longstreet's reports, Longsteet was to assault the 
> Union left flank and drive it in. If Sickles was back on the ridge, 
> Longstreet might well have decided that the flank of the Second Corps was an 
> inviting target, and hit the Union line at that point. Whether he used the 
> ER as an anchor or how he aligned his troops were certainly optional aspects 
> of how he would attack. But looking at the map, because of the angle, 
> Caldwell's flank sure looks like an inviting target. If Longstreet and Hill 
> attacked simultaneously, and that is a big if, it looks like the Union 
> center would be hard pressed to hold them back. 
> 
> Tom Ryan 
> 
> P.S. What is the source of the intent for McLaws to lead off supported by 
> Hood? 
> 
> 
> <> Exactly how this would have been done was never really made clear, but the 
> consensus seems to be that McLaws would have guided up the line of the road 
> with Hood somewhat behind, perhaps somewhat in echelon to McLaws' right 
> rear. Placing Hood's division to McLaws' left doesn't really comport with 
> the division being in a supporting role. Moreover, having Hood's entire 
> division advancing on the left of the road also places it rather far from 
> the Union line. Given thge frontage of a deployed brigade line, in fact, if 
> the formnation employed was two lines of brigades abreast of each other, 
> then in the initial stages of the advance the left flank of the division is 
> actually going to be west of Seminary ridge, and unless the axis of advance 
> shifts considerably along the way, having the division's right guide along 
> the road takes it not to, but past, CH and up toward the town.>> 
> 
> 
> Jim Cameron 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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