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!
Something about a whole division making a reconnaissance in force, just doesn't quite jibe. I understand that sending a division makes sense in many circumstances. But not here.
OK. Heth knew that there were some Yanks in or around Gettysburg. He didn't know that Buford had ridden up that morning (or did he?). Likely, he figured there was some militia.
One doesn't send a division marching down the road with no particular goal in mind. Was Heth covering his butt with a division, or did he have something else in mind? (We can dispense with the shoes.)
Just wondering out loud.
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
All Lee knew was that the AoP was closing in on his army, somewhere . He needed an easily accesible place with plenty of roads going in and out to make it quicker and easier to concentrate his army. Heth would have known by this time that the army needed to be gathered, and figuring the crossroads through Gettysburg could be very important, I don't see it as a stretch that he sent an entire division.
__________________
"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
Gentlemen: Perhaps we could get a military man to weigh in here. Not being one, I can only acknowledge the point that Lee sent Heth ahead to secure the crossroads in and around Gettysburg -- to get the high ground, as it were. Hence, the division and the need to "not bring on a general engagement.
However, it still seems incongruous that a division was sent into unfamilar territory -- that a division was risked exploring an unknown situation.
Hill's Corps was the closest to Gettysburg under Lee's direct control. (Can we say that Ewell's Corps was not under Lee's control?) So, doesn't it become a question of what did Lee know, and when did he know it?
I've read that Lee believed that, if any troops were in Gettysburg, they were militia -- to be chased away by any show of force (division sized?). Or did he send a division because he knew Union Cavalry and an Army Corps were closing in on Gettysburg? And that a division was sent to secure the area?
Interesting discussion. Will be looking for further additions.
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
I think I understand the reater question here now. Why send a division if you were not expecting a general engagement? A brigade could have gone, and would have been less likely to bring on an engagement. Perhaps expecting skirmishers or a light cavalry resistance? some Pickets or some smaller force that Lee thought he could bully out of the area? Then it woudl be a skirmish, not a general engagement. But still not worhty of sending an entire Division. Maybe to detatch them somewhat from the rest of the army, so as to disperse the need for supplies they would have to find over a greater area. And an entire division.. thats a lot of guys to feed, not to mention horses.
__________________
"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
I don't doubt that Lee had figured he must concentrate his army where there were excellent roads to the point of concentration. And he might have been doing one of his "audacious moves" to gain that point of concentration.
Might we look at the idea that he had two Corps backed up from Chambersburg to points west, and one somewhere east? In that situation, to concentrate, he must move two corps east and bring one back west. The meeting point was Gettysburg.
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Maybe to detatch them somewhat from the rest of the army, so as to disperse the need for supplies they would have to find over a greater area. And an entire division.. thats a lot of guys to feed, not to mention horses.
Excuse, please. Dispersing the need for supplies into a somewhat urban area doesn't make sense either. Sending a division into a small agrarian town might have fed them for an hour or two. But I can't find substantial supplies for a division, let alone an army, when all you can do is pillage some smoke houses and root cellars. True. There would be some eats, but not for a division. (Lee's trains were still far behind, and the troops were not moving into the breadbasket of Pennsylvania.)
None of which explains to me, satisfactorily (yet), the dispatch of a division. Couple of missing pieces. Maybe if we keep working at it, we can find something reasonable among the fragments.
Perhaps we'll just end up at "what was he thinking?" Maybe someone will come up with a suggestion. (It's happened before. Get enough people thinking about a subject, and somebody usually comes up with a possible.)
Excellent questions and answers and speculation. Glad to have you on the other end of the sparring, Dred.
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
I wasn't necesarily thinking of getting actual supplies from Gettysburg, but at least its that much less taxing the other regions the Rebs are in. You have to send somebody anyways, and with supplies already stretched to breaking and the fields raped of anythign worthwhile, you may as well send a larger group away in hopes of freeing up what little forage you have. And at least the few houses and fields around are something, as opposed to more people getting nothing in another area.
__________________
"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
If one studies a topographical map of the Gettysburg area, one clearly sees that Lee was bringing over two corps through narrow mountain gaps in South Mountain, on the Chambersburg-Gettysburg Pike.
General Lee also had his army strung out on a narrow gapped road, with no cavalry to scout ahead of the infantry.
Because it was the only road to use, Lee was bringing up his army from Chambersburg, a brigade at a time. A fact General Buford quickly took advantage of by putting a "cork in the bottle" west of Gettysburg, for a time. Buford and the Union army knew Lee had two corps in Chambersburg, west of South Mountain, and was now attempting to cross through the gaps in that mountain, over one road.
Looking at the topographical map again, one can clearly see that a Confederate defense at Cashtown is impractical. Lee would have to defend with a mountain at his back and only one egress for withdrawal, if needed.
While Lee did not want to bring on a general battle before his army was up, Lee had to capture the crossroads at Gettysburg. He needed at least two or three roads for withdrawal, if necessary, to Virginia. Once his army started crossing through the gaps of South Mountain to Cashtown, Lee was militarily committed to taking Gettysburg.
The worst possible situation happened. Lee did not have his whole army up for battle; victory on the first day meant all three corps were basically at Gettysburg in two days. Lee still only had control of two roads back to Virginia and one was tenuous. Lee got his army to Gettysburg one day late. Lee also got his army to Adams County, Pennsylvania, a poor place, logistically, for such a large concentrated army.
Lee had no easy way to withdraw, if he wanted to, on July 1. Lee also found supplies for horses and mules inadequate to stay for long. Even in losing on July 1, the Army of the Potomac had Lee's army in a good place. Lee lacked a lot of wiggle room, and his supplies were limited. Lee couldn't live off the land for very long, in a county with relatively few farms for an army so large. Lee was boxed into an area by mountains and narrow gaps to his west and south.
And Lee would have to attack to retain two roads back to Virginia; two roads through gaps that he would use to eventually retreat back to Virginia. The Chambersburg-Gettysburg Pike and the Fairfield road were both used in retreat.
Lee was forced to push his army into Gettysburg, even if only a brigade at a time. He couldn't keep his army at Cashtown. He was a day late getting to Gettysburg, before the Army of the Potomac.
The Army of Northern Virginia wasn't just fighting to inflict loss on Meade's army. They had to maintain the route through Fairfield, south to Maryland. At a minimum Lee had to attack and maintain control of the Fairfield road. He also would run out of supplies for the wagon mules and artillery horses. For these reasons, Lee couldn't wait for an AoP attack.
It was the lifeline that Lee eventually needed after running out of artillery ammunition and suffering such large losses-the Chambersburg-Gettysburg Pike and the Fairfield road south to Maryland.
Historically, Lee learned of the presence of elements of the AoP on the evening of the 28th of June, from Longstreet's scouts.
Lee immediately sends orders to Ewell and the rest of his army to assembly around Chambersbur but on second, orders Cashtwon as the assembly area.
During this assembly, Heth's and Pender's Div's of Hill's Corps find themselves to the East of Cashtown towards Gettysburg. Pettigrew's Brigade of Heth's Div. is sent forward, to get shoes, according to legend, but more probably as an advance scout to locate the approaching AoP. In any case on the evening of June 30, Pettigrew's scouts contact Buford's cavalry and Pettigrew, having accomplished his mission of locating units of the AoP, quite properly, withdraws to Heth's Div.
So, in fact, the scouting force was indeed just a brigade not a Division.
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