For the Confederates, Gettysburg was a tactical error. It was a great battle; important to remember. But the Confederates should never have come to Gettysburg.
For the first two days, the Army of Northern Virginia was the hunter; on July 3 the Confederates became the hunted. Little did Lee know that his army would walk into an ambush. Hidden on Cemetery Ridge were 39 cannon of Lt. Col. Freeman McGilvery's Reserve Artillery. Lee's artillery failed to damage this force and for that matter most of the artillery on Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge and Little Round Top. Confederate artillery failed in its barrage.
Then Picketts division formed for battle and made several oblique movements right in the face of McGilvery's artillery. It was a turkey shoot, where the turkey gets tied to a log and loses much freedom of movement.
For many, McGilvery's batteries never existed; never plowed shell and canister into the Confederate ranks as it crossed the open fields of Gettysburg on that July 3rd.
Many historians could not fault Robert E. Lee. Recognizing the action of the Army of the Potomac artillery on July 3rd, would recognize the slaughterhouse of an attack against Cemetery Ridge.
The Army of the Potomac was greater than General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia imagined. It was a Grand Ambush.
For the first two days, the Army of Northern Virginia was the hunter; on July 3 the Confederates became the hunted. Little did Lee know that his army would walk into an ambush. Hidden on Cemetery Ridge were 39 cannon of Lt. Col. Freeman McGilvery's Reserve Artillery. Lee's artillery failed to damage this force and for that matter most of the artillery on Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge and Little Round Top. Confederate artillery failed in its barrage.
Then Picketts division formed for battle and made several oblique movements right in the face of McGilvery's artillery. It was a turkey shoot, where the turkey gets tied to a log and loses much freedom of movement.
For many, McGilvery's batteries never existed; never plowed shell and canister into the Confederate ranks as it crossed the open fields of Gettysburg on that July 3rd.
Many historians could not fault Robert E. Lee. Recognizing the action of the Army of the Potomac artillery on July 3rd, would recognize the slaughterhouse of an attack against Cemetery Ridge.
The Army of the Potomac was greater than General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia imagined. It was a Grand Ambush.