I will abbreviate the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge with PPT for the rest of this thread.
If the PPT Charge succeed, and the PPT troops drove the Union Second Corps from Cemetary Ridge, it seems to me that such a success could put the PPT troops and the rest of the ANV in a precarious position. If the PPT troops drove the Union Second Corps off Cemetary Ridge, it would not be feasible for the PPT troops to just remain stationary on Cemetary Ridge because the PPT troops would be so vulnerable to artillery fire from Cemetary Hill, Little Round Top, and possibly Culp's Hill. Cemetary Ridge is open ground, and Cemetary RIdge is right in between Cemetary Hill and Little Round Top. If the PPT Charge succeeded in driving the Federals off Cemetary Ridge and the Confederates did not do any further action to exploit their success, the PPT CHarge would just leave the ANV with about 10,000 isolated PPT troops positioned on Cemetary RIdge in between the great masses of Federal troops on Cemetary Hill, Culp's Hill, and Little Round Top.
A Civil War buff I once knew told me that if the PPT Charge succeeded, Lee's plan was for the PPT troops to roll the retreating Union Second Corps up towards Cemetary Hill. Lee's plan was also for JEB Stuart's cavalry to assist rolling the Union Second Corps up towards Cemetary Hill. This Civil War buff I knew said that the Union artillery would not be able to fire at the PPT TRoops because the PPT troops would be too close to the retreating Union Second Corps. The Union artillery would not be able to fire at the PPT troops because the Union artillery might accidentally hit the Union Second Corps. THe CIvil War buff I knew said that Lee's plan was for the PPT Troops to attack Cemetary Hill once the PPT Troops got to Cemetary Hill. The other Confederate troops near Cemetary Hill would attack the Union troops at Cemetary Hill at the same time. This could also endanger the Union troops on Culp's Hill. If the PPT troops and other Confederate troops could take Cemetary Hill like this, this would amount to defeating the entire AoP rather than just a minor, isolated victory against the Union Second Corps.
However, I have researched the Battle of Gettysburg extensively, and I have never seen any book about the Battle of Gettysburg say that Lee's plan after the PPT troops drove the Union Second Corps off Cemetary Hill was for the PPT troops to help take Cemetary Hill.
Was the Civil War buff who told me that Lee's plan after Pickett's Charge succeeded was for the PPT troops to immediately march towards Cemetary Hill and attack the Union troops on Cemetary Hill? If so, what is your source for this?
It just occurred to me that some people might say that the fact that Lee sent JEB Stuart's cavalry to exploit the retreat means that Lee intended for the PPT Troops to attack Cemetary Hill, but that fact alone does not prove that Lee intended for the PPT Troops to immediately attack Cemetary Hill after taking Cemetary Ridge. Lee could have had JEB Stuart's troops assigned to exploit the retreat without an attempt to take Cemetary Hill. Lee could have had JEB Stuart's troops exploit the retreat just to ensure that the Union Second Corps stayed disorganized and to ensure that the Union Second Corps did not rally again to retake Cemetary Ridge.
If the Civil War buff who told me that was incorrect, can you cite any evidence from any source about what Lee's plan was if Pickett's CHarge succeeded? If so, what is your source?
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Edited to add this: By the way, I am aware of the fact that Meade had about 13,000 reserves from the Sixth Corps that arrived right after Pickett's Charge was repulsed. I'm aware of the fact that if the PPT Troops drove the Union Second Corps from Cemetary Ridge, the PPT Charge would have been repulsed by the Sixth Corps reserves which alone outnumbered the PPT Troops. When Lee ordered Pickett's Charge, Lee did not know about the 13,000 reserves Meade had. This thread is about what Lee's plan was, not about the chances of the success of the PPT Charge. Therefore, let's not digress into discussions about how the PPT could never have succeeded.
If Meade had a million reserves readily accessible to Cemetary Ridge that Lee did not know about, it would not change what Lee's plan was since Lee was not aware of Meade's reserves.