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!
A lot depends on the aquifer supplying the well. And aquifer's are funny things.
Ole, Adams County and the Gettysburg area have seen a very great study on hydrology in modern times and the state of wells in the area.
Adams County, today, has serious water problems, as they always had. Its population of only around 100,000 is pushing the availability of water. Recently they ran water lines in from York County, a county with a bigger population and more available water.
June-early July was probably the worst time to look for forage in the barns of Adams County. Plus there were not many barns, since Adams County had only some 26,000 residents in total.
Adams County, was foreign territory for the Confederates, so the Union would have the advantage on where and more importantly, where not to find water.
With its small population and lack of water resources, Gettysburg was the last place to look for a supply of shoes. No industrialist would have ever built a shoe factory in Adams County. Ever read where the Confederates found an abundance of shoes for its soldiers? All part, I believe, of the "grifters" that avoided telling everything about Gettysburg.
Confederates and Unionists both have reason to not disclose certain stories. And the "rock" and "monument" enthusiasts at the military park, have no reason for anyone to believe that it wasn't the fairest fight ever.
Of course, R.E. Lee admitted he was in a bad place. Something he did not know, realistically, the day before he marched his corps into Adams County. He was short of supplies and had to attack. The Union army, from their spies, would have known Lee was in a bad place for 60 to 70 thousand troops and nearly 30 thousand horses. The Union had civilian spies who came from Gettysburg, so all those dark secrets, hidden over the generations, were then available.
June-early July was probably the worst time to look for forage in the barns of Adams County. Plus there were not many barns, since Adams County had only some 26,000 residents in total. Adams County, was foreign territory for the Confederates, so the Union would have the advantage on where and more importantly, where not to find water.
Have never contested the idea that Lee, once stopped at Gettysburg, was in a tight place.
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With its small population and lack of water resources, Gettysburg was the last place to look for a supply of shoes....All part, I believe, of the "grifters" that avoided telling everything about Gettysburg.
I do not put so great an importance on the "shoes." It is a myth based on a misstatement someone made about a century ago, and it makes a good story so it was repeated until it became part of history. Nothing to do with grift.
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Confederates and Unionists both have reason to not disclose certain stories. And the "rock" and "monument" enthusiasts at the military park, have no reason for anyone to believe that it wasn't the fairest fight ever.
Mostly agree, but I prefer to think that the reasons were not so much hidden as they had, until relatively recently, little consequence compared to the placement of markers and writing biographies and action reports.
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Of course, R.E. Lee admitted he was in a bad place. Something he did not know, realistically, the day before he marched his corps into Adams County. He was short of supplies and had to attack. The Union army, from their spies, would have known Lee was in a bad place for 60 to 70 thousand troops and nearly 30 thousand horses. The Union had civilian spies who came from Gettysburg, so all those dark secrets, hidden over the generations, were then available.
Lee did not expect to be stopped there. (Although I'm at a loss about where he might have expected to brace Meade where conditions were more favorable to him.) So long as he was moving, his army was living large. Meade couldn't have known Lee would be intercepted there either, but Meade did have the railroad, lots of wagons, and horses that weren't exactly on their last legs.
Back to the water. From the positions of the troops and the waterways (given that wells were inadequate), it looks like Meade's boys would have had the harder time of bringing up water, although he did have the resources to detail large detachments to obtain same.
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
Gettysburg might be a logical meeting point based on the roads in the area, but we have to remember that the battle unfolds there and both sides kind of get 'sucked into the vortex' so to speak. Meade wants to fight on Big Pipe Creek and even Heth on his 'shoe' hunt is told not to bring on a general engagement.
One thing about the 'shoe' debate is that people point out that indeed there are no shoes or shoe factories in Gettysburg, is that really the question? The question is whether Heth believed it. Is that really why he's going to Gettysburg that day or was it just an excuse he made up because he realized he violated the spirit of his orders not to bring on a general engagement?
The question is whether Heth believed it. Is that really why he's going to Gettysburg that day or was it just an excuse he made up because he realized he violated the spirit of his orders not to bring on a general engagement?
By George, I think you've got it! Next question: did it take a division to get shoes?
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
By George, I think you've got it! Next question: did it take a division to get shoes?
ole
Well, he was told there was northern forces ahead on the road, so it makes sense to figure out who exactly is in front of him and how many people are in front of him. A good general will do that. However, when he saw the size and eventually the 1st Corps, he should have immediately sent word back knowing that he wasn't messing with militia and that he was potentially bringing on a full engagement that Lee had orders against.
Plus if you go off without elements of your division you might come back and find out other units have picked up your division and you can become a brigade commander real quick!
Summagun, CW, you always manage to come up with a nangle that escaped my attention. I'll make a note of that one.
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
Perhaps because he had no idea where Meade was, Lee might have been closing the gaps between the two corps that were in the Chambersburg area and Early's division in the York area.
Of course, such an idea involves some negativity. Lee had his army strung out in Pennsylvania and has no idea where the Army of the Potomac is. So instead of waiting for Early to move to the protection of Lee, Lee moves to protect Early.
Lee had no way of knowing, before he moved his corps towards Gettysburg, if Early's division could be intercepted by the AoP, before joining up with the rest of Ewell's Corps or the other two corps. Early certainly couldn't have been in any good situation if he ran into an AoP corps without any support. Early was hanging out on a limb, near York, a couple of days away from support.
That might well be why Lee was on the path he was--given that most all roads went through Gettysburg, but are you implying that Lee was behind Heth's movement? Perhaps as part of Hill's general movement east?
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
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A lot depends on the aquifer supplying the well. And aquifer's are funny things. 
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