Civil War History - Gettysburg ForumGettysburg! It's not just a National Park. It's a Civil War Battlefield. For some it's historic and storied past are almost an obsession! All related discussions are welcome here!
Many on this site never studied horses, mules and wells. Many would have no knowledge of running a well dry, particularly in Adams County? How many know how much water, a horse needs in a day? How fast will a horse get disabled after a meagre amount of water for days? Particularly an artillery horse?
Estimates range, that from 1 million to 1 and a half million horses died in the war.
Adams County had a small population and was nearly totally dependent on well water. Because of the relative small county population of some 28,000 residents, the wells would have been spread out over the portion of the county occupied by the Confederates. Lee brought his entire army to Adams County. That's a lot of men and horses/mules seeking water where there are no large rivers or a reservoir in the Confederate area. Confederates would have no good knowledge, where all the wells were located, an advantage the Army of the Potomac would have with Adams County residents. Plus the AoP rotated their supply wagons back to Westminster, Maryland, where water was available. More water than is available in Adams County, PA.
The AoP had the ability to shuttle some of their horses back to Westminster. I do not think it totally coincidental that Buford's cavalry was sent back to Westminster to protect the trains and obtain any needed water and forage for their horses. Quartermasters has shipped forage from Baltimore by train.
Watershed Alliance of Adams County July 2005
"There are no major streams or rivers flowing into Adams County that we can tap for our water needs. Therefore, over 80% of Adams County's water supply comes from groundwater, pumped from either private or municipal wells."
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"Compounding the shortage of potable water was the fact that the water table of the entire region was being stressed far beyond its capacity. Most wells and cisterns had been drained dry within days by the mouths of thirsty soldiers, both friend and foe alike. Even with the extensive rainfall, it was simply going to take time to restore the depleted water table. In the meantime, all that remained for patients and staff of the Second Corps Hospital was the brackish and polluted drainings from the battlefield."
Grappling with Death: The Union Second Corps Hospital at Gettysburg
Roland R. Maust
Wells meant to supply a family of five or six. A total population of 2500 or so living great off the water available. The sudden presence of 200,000 more people is going to put a heavy strain on what you have. How fast does a well fill back up? Honestly, I never had one so I don't really have a refference. But as stated before it would have effected both sides.
A lot depends on the aquifer supplying the well. And aquifer's are funny things. When I was growing up, our well had the sweetest, coldest water for miles around. Our neighber, about 1/4-mile away, would frequently haul his water tank over to fill from our well, as his had run dry. Mine has never run out, but you can bet I don't water the lawn during a dry summer--better the grass than me.
Whatever the water conditions in Adams County at the time, the 4-day influx of that many men and horses would certainly have placed a horrific burden on the wells.
It would appear that Willoughby Run was accessissible to those on Seminary Ridge. Marsh Creek was south of the static position. It would also appear that Rock Creek was available to Ewell's men, and that access by Union troops would have been difficut at best for most of them.
That one reference to water has been posted suggests that the lack of water was not a problem worth spending a lot of time on.
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
"That one reference to water has been posted suggests that the lack of water was not a problem worth spending a lot of time on."
Well if you've ever had to spend a lot of time outdoors, with a shortage of water, you'd spend a lot of time attempting to resolve the problem.
Of course, students of the Civil War are more interested in the combat, and not the fact the artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia ran out of ammunition preceding Pickett's Charge.
Who among the students of that war, would be concerned about whether the horses were getting at least eight gallons of water a day. Battery commanders would worry, since they needed their horses to get their cannon and limbers from place to place, and in line for firing. Sick and dead horses don't move artillery.
Most historians ignored, perhaps all I wouldn't be surprised, Lee's dispatch to Jefferson Davis, some three weeks after Gettysburg. It was about unimportant things such as a lack of horseshoes and forage; that half the cavalry was dismounted, "and the artillery horses and wagon teams have suffered equally."
Of course, historians have ignored water sources in Adams County, although that county is having problems supplying the needs of some 100,000 current residents. Lee brought almost that many men and horses to one small part of Adams County. Surely he had no water problems.
And what of the dead horses laying in some of those small Adams County streams. Everyone just knows that horses will drink any kind of water. Well they do don't they, or don't they? A dead bloated horse laying in a stream on a hot July Pennsylvania day, sure would do wonders for the flavor of that water?
But then that's not as interesting as the sizzle of minie ball and the bursting of an artillery shell. How important is water? Not very to the students of warfare!
" How important is water? Not very to the students of warfare!
Well we must think it important, right? I mean we are discussing it aren't we?
Not just the horses though, what about the wounded soldier who crawled to the stream and died? Or washed his wounds off and the blood trickled downstream to where other soldiers were trying to drink? An already taxed water supply now tainted as well. Only one entry on the water probelm, but can anybody say that EVERY journal written has been gone through? Where one man cries, more are suffereing. Not to mention the fact they may have had other things on their mind. As thirsty as they may have been I think the minie balls passing over head were a little more urgent. You can live a little while without much water, although not long, but try living even that long with a bullet lodged in your skull. Maybe they didn't complain beacuse there was nothing to do about it, but they sure as heck could do something about that guy shooting at them across the field!
__________________
"In mortal combat, a man may and will become so infuriated by the din and dangers of a bloody fight that his heart will turn to stone and his every de sire [be] for blood."
John Hadley, 7th Indiana after the battle at Port Republic
Whitworth makes a good point in that historians who quote from letters and journals either ignored or didn't find reference to suffering from thirst. If the former, Whitworth makes a good point; if the latter, then thirst wasn't a notable condition.
It's the quantity of water, not the quality. Soldiers and horses alike would drink whatever they could find. Well-water would be preferred, but if it was unavailable, a puddle with a road apple in it would do. The streams had been for livestock, but livestock can tolerate a great deal of taint in the water. After two years of campaigning and drinking such water (I know, there were some greenies who if they lived, likely suffered greatly on the way home), the veteran could tolerate quite a lot.
That "artillery horses and wagon teams suffered greatly" is in no way indicative of a lack of water. They didn't have shoes, they weren't adequately fed, and they'd been worked hard for four days. Water might have been part of the suffering, but that's not what he said.
On the other hand, water might have played a role in Lee's decision to go for broke on that third day. But that's a might-have too far.
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Well we must think it important, right? I mean we are discussing it aren't we?
Well, we're discussing the relative importance of what is hypothesized to be a lack of water. Water is obviously "per se" important. Virtually every Confederate has to pass over Marsh Creek and while it may not be enough to irrigate fields to feed 50000, I've personally seen the creek and it definitely has enough water to quench the thirst of 50000 people for three days. You'd be surprised how much water flows through bodies of water.
Well, we're discussing the relative importance of what is hypothesized to be a lack of water. Water is obviously "per se" important. Virtually every Confederate has to pass over Marsh Creek and while it may not be enough to irrigate fields to feed 50000, I've personally seen the creek and it definitely has enough water to quench the thirst of 50000 people for three days. You'd be surprised how much water flows through bodies of water.
I've been to Gettysburg so many times and I can honestly say I never noticed bodies of water. This got me thinking. A better understanding of the battles will come out of understanding what the soldiers went through. My new mission... open my eyes to more than just the lines... notice things such as water holes and such.
__________________
"In mortal combat, a man may and will become so infuriated by the din and dangers of a bloody fight that his heart will turn to stone and his every de sire [be] for blood."
John Hadley, 7th Indiana after the battle at Port Republic
A better understanding of the battles will come out of understanding what the soldiers went through.
The terrain goes a long way in fixing the battle in one's mind. Water courses at Gettysburg, had nowhere the topographical importance that they did at Shiloh.
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
The interesting thing about Gettysburg is the fact that agricultural fields are relatively wide open making it difficult to conceal movements. To conceal his movement on the 2nd day Longstreet has to take a circuitous route which delays the assault where he runs into my good friend, Sickles.
You also see how a relatively small altitude advantage can have a tremendous effect on a battle.
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