GDG- Buford at Fairfield

[Tom Ryan]

<<Tom- Suggest you will find page 205 of General A.P. Hill from James
Robertson Jr. interesting.
Hill was with Heth when Pettigrew made his report in the afternoon of 30
June.    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 amd have not yet struct their tents">>

Bill,

After taking another look at Hill's statement and Heth's reporting these
comments in an SHSP article, it raises the question of what Lee's plan was
at that stage, if he indeed had a plan.

It appears that he no intention of occupying Gettysburg before learning that
Pettigrew ran into an unidentified force there on June 30.  He also did not
redirect Ewell's march on the morning of July 1 from Heidlersburg to
Gettysburg instead of Cashtown until Heth was engaged with Buford on the
outskirts of Gettysburg.

So I guess the question is where did Lee intend to fight once he learned
that the AoP had crossed the Potomac and his scouts informed them part of
the Union army was as close by as Middleburg.

Some of his aides said after the war that Lee intended to fight at
Gettysburg all along, and Ewell's mapmaker, Jed Hotchkiss, noted in his
diary that Lee had told Ewell in late June that he thought the battle would
take place in Frederick or Gettysburg.

However, the evidence points to Lee having no plans to occupy Gettysburg.
Instead it looks like he was going to make a stand at Cashtown until he was
drawn into a battle at Gettysburg.

Appreciate your thoughts.

Regards, Tom