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I thought you might like to see this. The guy has a couple of historical items wrong (i.e., there is no way the Union lost 320 guns at Gettysburg), but many of the logistics items are interesting.
Title : The Effects of Logistical Factors on the Union Pursuit of the Confederate Army During the Final Phase of the Gettysburg Campaign.
Abstract : For ten days after the Battle of Gettysburg, the Army of Northern Virginia, under command of Robert E. Lee, remained trapped on the Union side of the flooded Potomac River. During that time, the Army of the Potomac, commanded by George G. Meade, pursued the Confederate forces as they retreated across Pennsylvania and Maryland, attempting but never quite succeeding in bringing about another general engagement. This paper examines the extent to which logistical factors on the Union side of the line hampered the effort to destroy the Confederate army. Specifically, it will seek to show that the resource limitations experienced by the Union army were a decisive factor in their inability to destroy Lee's forces while they remained trapped on Union soil.
Tim
__________________ "Let us, then, consider all attempts to weaken this Union, by maintaining that each state is separately and individually independent, as a species of political heresy, which can never benefit us, but may bring on us the most serious distresses."
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of South Carolina, 1740-1824, Revolutionary War soldier, one of the authors of the US Constitution in 1787, speaking at the South Carolina Ratifying Convention in 1788.
Trice, I've seen the 320 number before and there is no way it can be legit as the AoP didn't have 400 guns there. Heck the whole AoP only had 67 batteries available to them.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
Trice, I've seen the 320 number before and there is no way it can be legit as the AoP didn't have 400 guns there. Heck the whole AoP only had 67 batteries available to them.
Yes. As I recall, the AOP had something in the 360-380 range for guns present. If the AoP had actually "lost" 320 of them, the AoP would have been a total wreck, Lee would have been walking all over them, and then he would have been heading for Baltimore and Washington.
This guy is quoting Hunt for that number. He was an Air Force Major, so he obviously has a military background, but maybe something in Hunt's language didn't connect with him and he misunderstood.
Ah ... here it is, in Hunt's report on Gettysburg:
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This struggle closed the battle, and the night of the 3d, like the previous one, was devoted to repairs and reorganization. A large number of batteries had been so reduced in men and horses that many guns and carriages, after completing the outfit of those which remained with the army, were sent to the rear and turned in to the ordnance department.
Our losses in the three days' operations, as reported, were as follows:
Casualties, July 1, 2, and 3.
Killed. Wounded.
Organizations. Number of guns. Officers. Men. Officers. Men. Missing. Horses.
In the corps 212 5 57 18 361 52 565
Artillery Reserve. 108 2 41 15 171 15 316
Total 320 7 98 33 532 67 881
Of these 320 guns, 142 were light 12-pounders, 106 3-inch guns, 6 20-pounders, 60 10-pounder Parrott guns, and a battery of 4 James rifles and 2 12-pounder howitzers, which joined the army on the march to Gettysburg. This table excludes the Horse Artillery, 44 3-inch guns, serving with the cavalry. It will be seen that the Artillery Reserve, every gun of which was brought into requisition, bore, as in all the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, its full share, and more, of the losses.
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The table formats out poorly, but essentially Hunt is saying there were 320 guns actually present (not counting the horse artillery), not that there were 320 lost.
With 105 dead, 565 wounded, and 67 missing, the artillery crews obviously took a beating. The loss of 881 horses surely would have meant many guns could not have followed the Army south even if they had crews. So Hunt is saying that after consolidation the AoP (7 Corps and the Artillery Reserve) went south with a lot less than 320 guns -- and the excess went back to the ordnance department to go into inventory. When they could provide crew and horses for them, they would be coming back.
But by no means is Hunt saying that the AoP had 320 guns "lost" at Gettysburg (as in destroyed, damaged, captured, etc.).
Tim
__________________ "Let us, then, consider all attempts to weaken this Union, by maintaining that each state is separately and individually independent, as a species of political heresy, which can never benefit us, but may bring on us the most serious distresses."
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of South Carolina, 1740-1824, Revolutionary War soldier, one of the authors of the US Constitution in 1787, speaking at the South Carolina Ratifying Convention in 1788.
Actual Union guns lost at Gettysburg:
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ARTILLERY HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
October 4, 1863.
GENERAL: In compliance with your directions, I have the honor to state that the following were the captures from the army in the recent operations:
First Corps lost one gun, 3-inch, from Reynolds' battery (L, First New York), July 1; Eleventh Corps, one light 12-pounder, Heck-man's battery (K, First Ohio), July 1; Third Corps, three 10-pounder Parrotts, Smith's Fourth Independent New York Battery, July 2; Artillery Reserve, one 3-inch, Thompson's battery, Third and Fourth Pennsylvania, July 2; six lost.
I received no report of captures from the enemy in an official form, although I heard that the cavalry had picked up several on the road, and that two were taken at Falling Waters.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
HENRY J. HUNT,
Major-General, Chief of Artillery.
Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
=====
Tim
__________________ "Let us, then, consider all attempts to weaken this Union, by maintaining that each state is separately and individually independent, as a species of political heresy, which can never benefit us, but may bring on us the most serious distresses."
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of South Carolina, 1740-1824, Revolutionary War soldier, one of the authors of the US Constitution in 1787, speaking at the South Carolina Ratifying Convention in 1788.
As an example the 9th Mass Battery got hammered on July 2nd losing 2 guns, 11 killed, 16 wounded, 2 missing, 80 horses killed or wounded. They got off only 2 guns & 5 limbers.
On 4 July the battery acquired & repaired two CS guns that had been left behind. But it wasn't until April of 64 that they were back up to a full complement of men, horses, limbers & cassions.
If you can get a hold of it the History of the Ninth Massachusetts Battery is a good look at how a Battery served during the war.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
Acting Chief Ordnance Officer, Army of the Potomac.
REPORT OF ORDNANCE AND ORDNANCE STORES COLLECTED ON THE BATTLE-FIELD OF GETTYSBURG, AND SHIPPED TO THE WASHINGTON ARSENAL.
Collected by Lieut. Morris Schaff, Ordnance Department: Muskets 19,664
Bayonets 9,250
Small-arms ammunition (rounds.)14,000
Cartridge-boxes 1,200
Sabers 300
Artillery wheels26 Lieut. William J. Augustine, First Division, Twelfth Army Corps: Muskets 804
Cartridge-boxes 390
Cartridge-box belts 250
Cartridge-box plates 400
Waist-belts 187
Waist-belt plates 100
Cap-pouches 136
Bayonet-scabbards 100 Lieut. Edward H. Newcomb, Third Division, Eleventh Army Corps: Muskets 1,142
Bayonets 581
Accouterments 441
[size=2]Capt. George A. Batchelder, First Division, Fifth Army Corps: Muskets 800 Capt. James G. Derrickson, First Division, Second Army Corps: Muskets 425
Cartridge-boxes 50
Sabers 2
Cartridge-box belts 50
[size=2]Lieut. W. E. Potter, Third Division, Second Army Corps: Muskets 889
Bayonets 110
Cartridge-boxes 110
Cap-pouches 110
Bayonet-scabbards 110 Capt. G. M. Elliott, Second Division, Twelfth Army Corps: Muskets1,680
Bayonets 639
Accouterments 200
Sabers 18 Capt. W. E. Graves, Tenth New York Cavalry: Cartridge-boxes 84
Carbines 114
Revolvers 5
Swivels 82
Sabers 51
Saber-belts 10
Gun-slings 76 Capt. John Dessauer: Bayonets 11
Rifles 10
Accouterments 2
Saber-belts 10
Caissons and limbers 2
[size=2]Captain Hall, Second Maine Battery: Guns--rifled 2
Gun-carriages 1
Limbers 2 JNO. R. EDIE, [i][right]Lieut. Acting Chief Ordnance Officer, Army Potomac.
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No. 31. -- Report of Lieut. Joseph G. Rosengarten,
One hundred and twenty-first Pennsylvania Infantry, Ordnance Officer.
HDQRS. FIRST ARMY CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Hamilton, Loudoun County, Va., July 19, 1863.
GENERAL: I have the honor to report that the following arms and equipments were captured from the enemy in the recent engagements near Gettysburg:
Springfield rifled muskets 174
Enfield rifled muskets 2,402
Austrian rifled muskets 64
English rifled muskets 26
Harper's Ferry smooth-bore 212
Various 80
Total 2,958
Of these, a large part were turned in by the division ordnance officer to Lieutenant Edie at Frederick, and the balance were left at Gettysburg or used in arming returned convalescents, escaped prisoners, &c.
Turned in to post ordnance officer at Frederick, Md.:
Cartridge boxes 1,246
Cap-pouches 848
Cartridge-boxes, waist-belts, and plates 500
Bayonet scabbards 1,156
Issued to the troops of the Third Division:
Gun-slings 125
Ramrods 40
Small-arms ammunition rounds. 5,000
And that the following amount of small-arms ammunition was expended, viz:
Caliber. Rounds.
[.58 60,000
First Division [.54 4,000
[.57 16,000
Second Division ............ 34,000
[.57 8,000
[.57 90,000
[.58 7,000
Issued from First Division train to Third Division ................................................. [.54 5,000
[57 3,000
[.69 1,000
Issued from First Division train to Third Division, Eleventh Army...................... [.54 8,000
Corps [.54 5,000
Total 241,000
Very respectfully,
J. G. ROSENGARTEN,
Ordnance Officer, First Army Corps.
General S. WILLIAMS,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Hdqrs. Army of the Potomac.
-----===============================================
Respectfully submitted for consideration,
M. E. Wolf
[Additional numbers- You can see from the battles up to Gettysburg, there were casualties and are connected by being part of the campaign]
O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXVII/1 [S# 43] -- Gettysburg Campaign
No. 15. -- General Return of Casualties in the Union forces during the
Gettysburg Campaign, June 3-August 1, 1863.
[excerpt]
CODE: OK =Officers Killed; EK=Enlisted Killed; OW-Officers wounded; EW-Enlisted Wounded; OC-Officers captured/missing; EC-Enilsted captured/missing --------Total. [If there is a _____ means its blank/zero]
Brandy Station (Fleetwood) and Beverly Ford, Va., June 9.(*) OK10 EK67 OW35 EW356 OC13 EC356 Total837
Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-4(*) OK246 EK2,909 OW1,145 EW13,384 OC183 EC5,182 Total23,049
Fairfield Gap, Pa., July 4 OK1 EK1 OW2 EW4 .OC... EC13 Total21
Monterey Gap, Pa., July 4 OK.... EK1 OW3 EW9 OC1 EC29 Total43
Emmitsburg, Md., July 4 OK.... EK.... OW.... EW.... OC1 EC67 Total68
Cunningham's Cross-Roads, Pa., July 5 OK.... EK2 .OW... EW.... OC.... EC1 Total 3
Near Greencastle, Pa., July 5 .... .... .... 1 .... 18 19
Near Fairfield, Pa., July 5 .... 2 .... 5 .... .... 7
Smithsburg, Md., July 5 .... .... 1 5 .... 4 10
Hagerstown, Md., July 6 3 16 5 45 10 184 263
Williamsport, Md., July 6 1 13 3 34 3 66 120
Downsville, Md., July 7 .... 1 .... 1 .... .... 2
Funkstown, Md., July 7 .... 6 1 8 .... 50 65
Boonsborough, Md., July 8 .... 8 5 49 .... 18 80
[end of excerpt]
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O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXVII/1 [S# 43] -- Gettysburg Campaign
No. 7. -- Itinerary of the Army of the Potomac and co-operating
forces, June 5-July 31, 1863.(*)
June 30.--Headquarters Army of the Potomac moved from Middleburg to Taneytown; the First Corps from Emmitsburg to Marsh Run; the Third Corps from Taneytown to Bridgeport; the Fifth Corps from Liberty, via Johnsville, Union Bridge, and Union, to Union Mills; the Sixth Corps from New Windsor to Manchester; the Twelfth Corps from Taneytown and Bruceville to Littlestown; Gamble's and Devin's brigades, of Buford's cavalry division, from near Fairfield, via Emmitsburg, to Gettysburg; Gregg's cavalry division from New Windsor to Westminster, and thence to Manchester; Kilpatrick's cavalry division from Littlestown to Hanover; and the Artillery Reserve from Bruceville to Taneytown. Kenly's and Morris' brigades, of French's division, left Maryland Heights for Frederick, and Elliott's and Smith's brigades, of the same division, moved from the Heights, by way of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, for Washington.
July 1.--The First Corps moved from Marsh Run and the Eleventh Corps from Emmitsburg to Gettysburg; the Second Corps from Uniontown, via Taneytown, to near Gettysburg; the Third Corps from Bridgeport, via Emmitsburg, to the field of Gettysburg; the Fifth Corps from Union Mills, via Hanover and McSherrystown, to Bonaughtown; the Sixth Corps from Manchester en route to Gettysburg; and the Twelfth Corps from Littlestown, via Two Taverns, to the field of Gettysburg. Gregg's cavalry division marched from Manchester to Hanover Junction, whence McIntosh's and J. I. Gregg's brigades proceeded to Hanover, while Huey's brigade returned to Manchester. Kilpatrick's cavalry division moved from Hanover, via Abbottsville, to Berlin; and the Artillery Reserve (Ransom's and Fitzhugh's brigades) from Taneytown to near Gettysburg. Stannard's Vermont Brigade, from the Defenses of Washington, joined the First Corps on the field of Gettysburg. W.F. Smith's (First) division, of the Department of the Susquehanna, marched from the vicinity of Harrisburg to Carlisle. Kenly's and Morris' brigades of French's division reached Frederick.
July 2.--The Second, Fifth, and Sixth Corps, Lockwood's brigade, from the Middle Department, McIntosh's and J. I. Gregg's brigades, of D. McM. Gregg's cavalry division, Kilpatrick's cavalry division, and the Artillery Reserve, reached the field of Gettysburg. Gamble's and Devin's brigades, of Buford's cavalry division, marched from Gettysburg to Taneytown, and Merritt's reserve brigade from Mechanicstown to Emmitsburg.
July 3.--Gamble's and Devin's brigades, of Buford's cavalry division, moved from Taneytown to Westminster; Merritt's reserve brigade from Emmitsburg to the field of Gettysburg; and Huey's brigade, of Gregg's cavalry division, from Manchester to Westminster.
July 4.--Gamble's and Devin's brigades, of Buford's cavalry division, marched from Westminster, and Merritt's reserve brigade from Gettysburg, en route to Frederick; Huey's brigade, of Gregg's cavalry division, from Westminster, via Emmitsburg, to Monterey: J. I. Gregg's cavalry brigade from Gettysburg to Hunterstown; and Kilpatrick's cavalry division from Gettysburg, via Emmitsburg, to Monterey. Smith's division, of Couch's command, moved from Carlisle, via Mount Holly, to Pine Grove, and the remainder of Couch's troops from the vicinity of Harrisburg toward Shippensburg and Chambersburg. Elliott's and Smith's brigades, of French's division, arrived at. Washington from Maryland Heights, and moved to Tennallytown. Morris' brigade, of French's division, marched from Frederick to Turner's Gap, in South Mountain.
July 5.--Leaving Gettysburg, the Second Corps marched to Two Taverns; the Fifth Corps to Marsh Run; the Sixth Corps to Fairfield; the Eleventh Corps to Rock Creek; the Twelfth Corps to Littlestown; Mcintosh's brigade, of Gregg's cavalry division, to Emmitsburg; and the Artillery Reserve to Littlestown. Buford's cavalry division reached Frederick. J. I. Gregg's cavalry brigade moved from Hunterstown to Greenwood. Kilpatrick's cavalry division and Huey's brigade, of Gregg's cavalry division, marched from Monterey, via Smithsburg, to Boonsborough.
July 6.--The First Corps marched from Gettysburg to Emmitsburg; the Fifth Corps from Marsh Run to Moritz's Cross-Roads; the Sixth Corps from Fairfield to Emmitsburg, except Neill's (Third) brigade, of Howe's (Second) division, which, in conjunction with McIntosh's brigade of cavalry, was left at Fairfield to pursue the enemy; the Eleventh Corps from Rock Creek to Emmitsburg; Buford's cavalry division from Frederick to Williamsport and thence back to Jones' Cross-Roads; Kilpatrick's cavalry division and Huey's brigade, of Gregg's cavalry division, from Boonsborough, via Hagerstown(*) and Williamsport, to Jones' Cross-Roads; McIntosh's brigade, «10RR--VOL XXVII, PT I» of Gregg's cavalry division, from Emmitsburg to Fairfield; and J. I. Gregg's brigade, of Gregg's cavalry division, from Greenwood to Marion. Smith's division, of Couch's command, moved from Pine Grove to Newman's Pass. Kenly's brigade, of French's division, marched from Frederick en route to Maryland Heights. Elliott's and Smith's brigades, of French's division, left Tennallytown, via Washington and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, en route to Frederick.
July 7.--Headquarters Army of the Potomac moved from Gettysburg to Frederick; the First Corps from Emmitsburg to Hamburg; the Second Corps from Two Taverns to Taneytown; the Third Corps from Gettysburg, via Emmitsburg, to Mechanicstown; the Fifth Corps from Moritz's Cross-Roads, via Emmitsburg, to Utica; the Sixth Corps from Emmitsburg to Mountain Pass, near Hamburg; the Eleventh Corps from Emmitsburg to Middletown; the Twelfth Corps from Littlestown to Walkersville; and the Artillery Reserve from Littlestown to Woodsborough. Buford's and Kilpatrick's cavalry divisions and Huey's brigade, of Gregg's cavalry division, moved from Jones' Cross-Roads to Boonsborough. J. I. Gregg's cavalry brigade was moving en route from Chambersburg to Middletown. McIntosh's brigade of cavalry and Neill's brigade, of the Sixth Corps, moved from Fairfield to Waynesborough. Smith's division, of Couch's command, marched from Newman's Pass to Alto-dale. Kenly's brigade, of French's division, with other troops forwarded by Schenck from Baltimore, reoccupied Maryland Heights. Elliott's and Smith's brigades, of French's division, reached Frederick from Washington.
-----------------end of excerpt--------------------------------
Respectfully submitted for consideration,
M. E. Wolf
Theres a change of pace...AoP hampered by lack of supplies. How often have we seen that?
Well, while I thought the paper interesting, I don't agree with his conclusions -- or at least with the extent and emphasis of his conclusions. Some of what he says is in the true-but-not-realistic class of things.
Example: he tells us Lee is moving closer to his source of supplies as he retreats. This is true. But Lee's source of supply is deep in Virginia, his nearest railhead is on the other side of the Potomac in the Shenandoah, the Potomac is at a flood stage, and the Union has raided and destroyed Lee's bridge train. Lee's supply situation doesn't get any better until he actually crosses the Potomac.
Example: he tells us in detail of the difficulties of Meade getting supplies from the trains at Winchester to the AoP at Gettysburg. All true. But he does not compare them to the difficulties of Lee getting supplies forward from his railhead in Virginia, or trying to forage the land when he is burdened with the close presence of the AoP.
Example: he tells us Meade is moving away from his source of supplies as he pursues. Technically true, but Lee and the ANV would have loved to be only 25 or 30 miles from a working RR, and they were very familiar with being hungry and barefoot.
In short, I think the paper very useful for showing just how much difficulty Meade faced that isn't obvious to us armchair historians. OTOH, while I can see that Meade had a great many practical difficulties to overcome here, I still think he should have tried to do something more in his pursuit.
Of course, I am not able to say what that "something more" should have been. Whatever the indefinable quality is that makes a good and competent commander a great one, I don't think Meade had it (and I'm sure I don't have it). I do think a Lee, a Grant, a Jackson or a Sheridan would have tried "something more", done "something more". Maybe Thomas would have; I doubt Sherman would have. That's why they end up so high on the list, with Meade somewhere below them.
Tim
__________________ "Let us, then, consider all attempts to weaken this Union, by maintaining that each state is separately and individually independent, as a species of political heresy, which can never benefit us, but may bring on us the most serious distresses."
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of South Carolina, 1740-1824, Revolutionary War soldier, one of the authors of the US Constitution in 1787, speaking at the South Carolina Ratifying Convention in 1788.
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Logistics and the Union Pursuit 
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