GDG- Buford at Fairfield

[Mike Nugent]

-----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of William Hewitt
Subject: GDG- Buford at Fairfield

Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:

"... Hill quote: "The only force at Gettysburg is cavalry, probably a
detachment of observation.  I am just from General Lee, and the information
he has from his scouts coorborates what I have received from mine-- that is
the enmey is still at Middleburg and have not yet struct their tents"


Bill, 

I'd respectfully disagree with your conclusions regarding the above quote.
Hill made this statement refuting Johnston Pettigrew's report of Federal
Cavalry in Gettysburg.  As Buford's two brigades didn't arrive in town until
about 11:00 am on the 30th, the exchange between Pettigrew, Heth and Hill
couldn't have happened earlier in the morning as you surmise.  By the time
Pettigrew made his observations and returned to Cashtown I think it would
have been mid to late afternoon at the earliest. (Stephen Sears and others
have Pettigrew making his report to Heth and Hill later that evening.)

My take on this is that as Pettigrew was not especially well known and was
not a professional soldier, Heth and Hill both did not take his report
seriously (although in hindsight he was obviously correct.)  Heth is
reported to have said he believed that there was nothing but militia in
Gettysburg despite Pettigrew's insistence that he encountered regular
Cavalry.  In any event, Hill's belief that the Union Army was no closer than
Middleburg was clearly based on out-of-date or flawed intelligence as that
night (possibly shortly after Hill made his statement in response to
Pettigrew's report), the Union 1st Corps encamped in PA (with Reynolds' HQ
at Moritz's Tavern), and the 11th and 3rd Corps just south of Emmitsburg.

Regards,

Mike Nugent