What if V Corps had moved to attack Early below Culps Hill upon its arrival on the battlefield. Longsteets Corps was already headed towards the Union Left but did not attack until well into the afternoon.
V Corps was fresh w/ about 12000 men in 8 Brigades including the Regulars of Day & Burbank as well as the excellent troops under Weed & Vincent. The 2nd Division is often classed as one of the best in the AoP. Barnes & Crawford were both competant Divisional commanders and though Sykes was a bit plodding he had solid veterans in his corps... though I believ both Weed & Fisher had quite a few smoothbores in their Brigades; IIRC abou 1/4 to 1/2 a real disadvantage. V Corps had 26 guns w/ about half being Napoleons and the rest Parrots & 3" Rifles. They were on the right road to be in place for an attack by 1100 or so. With the
arty already in place I think he would have had about another 30 guns between I, & XII Corps able to provide support. If a couple Regiments of I corps were to provide some flank support from Culps Hill they might have been able to tip the balance.
Ewell had twice as many men but they were spread out a good bit w/ many in the town itself. I believe Early's Division was almost completely in the little valley between the town & Culps Hill. W/ Rodes in the Town and facing XII Corps w/ the majority of his
Arty making life pretty uncomfortable for the folks on Seminary Ridge and not really in a position to support Early. I believe most of Johnsons Division was on that hill opposite Culps Hill. w/ the lions share of
CS Arty in that sector posted there... only about 18-20 guns.
If V Corps streamed out of the Union Line between the Town & Culps Hill and smacked into Early they would have had the advantage of attacking mostly down hill w/ ample long range
Arty support & a better than 2 to 1 advantage. Sedgewick & his Corps was on the road behind V Corps a couple hours behind them and would have been in a position to expolit a success or shore up a failure.
If Johnsons Division counterattacked they would have the advantage of also attacking down a hill but they would have been advancing into the teeth of most of thirty guns w/ a stream to cros between them & V Corps all the time under
arty fire...
Could Early have held? Would Lee have changed his plan of attack and recalled Longstreet to bolster his left? Would Stuarts arriving Division have been able to stabalize the situation if Early folded or would they have been forced to withdraw?
Just some thoughts of an aggressive arm chair general. Any thoughts from those of you more familiar w/ the AoP & Gettysburg?
CivilWarTalk.com -
A free and friendly Civil War community. 
Gettysburg day 2 
What if -- Gettysburg 
Linear Mode
