- Joined
- Jan 16, 2015
June 29 - Heth and his staff pitched their tents on the premises of Dr. William C. Stem in Cashtown. Stem had a stone house located on one acre of property along the Chambersburg Pike. He was married to Eliza Watson and they had two children. [Greg Coco, A Vast Sea of Misery, p. 139]
July 1, around noon - Hearing heavy firing on the left, Heth rode to where he had first placed his artillery in position and found there Generals Lee and A. P. Hill. At that time Heth proposed to Lee to advance his two fresh brigades (Pettigrew and Brockenbrough), but Lee demurred for the time being. [The Memoirs of Henry Heth, ed. by James L. Morrison, Greenwood Press, 1974, p. 175] [Comment: Heth is presumed to be referring to Herr’s Ridge. The heavy firing upon his left is believed to be Rodes’ artillery opening fire from Oak Hill, which I estimate occurred around noon. If indeed the case, it fixes Lee’s arrival on the field before noon.]
July 1, around 2:15 p.m. Heth again rode to Lee on Herr’s Ridge to report Federals pushing against Oak Ridge. Lee advised him to, “Wait awhile and I will send you word when to go in.” [Ibid] [Comment: I believe the presence of Robinson’s division of the Union First Corps on the north end of Oak Ridge would not have been apparent to Heth until Iverson’s initial clash, which I estimate occurred about 2:10 p.m. Heth does not mention Hill being present on this occasion, and the implication is that Lee intended to send his attack orders directly to Heth, bypassing Hill. But it may be that Hill was often by Lee's side this day and was fully apprised.]
July 1, around 2:40 p.m. - “Very soon” one of Lee’s aides came to Heth with orders to attack. [Ibid]
July 1, around 3 p.m. – Just after Pettigrew and Brockenbrough began their charge, Heth was struck on the head by a minie ball and “remained insensible for some hours.” [Ibid, pp. 175,176] Heth was carried off the field by A. H. Gibboney, a member of his staff, and placed in an ambulance. [Confederate Veteran magazine, vol. 25, p. 518] It appears Gibboney was a clerk working for Heth’s Assistant Adjutant General. [Gibboney’s Service Record]
July 1, late afternoon - Heth’s wound was treated in Cashtown by Dr. William C. Stem. [Coco, Vast Sea of Misery] [Comment: I suppose a senior member of Heth’s staff recalled the introduction to Dr. Stem two days earlier and had been impressed, which would explain why Heth was taken to a local physician rather than the chief medical officer of his division. However, Heth remained unconscious for up to 23 hours after his wounding.]
July 2, mid-afternoon - When Heth regained consciousness he directed his ambulance driver to take him back to the battlefield, where he found Generals Lee and Hill together; both of these officers seemed nervously awaiting an attack to be made by Longstreet on the extreme right. Longstreet’s artillery opened while Heth was still at that location, and at that moment Heth spoke briefly with Hill, who stood near his ambulance. [Memoirs of Henry Heth, p. 176] [Comment: Since Heth’s driver found Lee and Hill so quickly it suggests they were on the north end of Seminary Ridge, and not far from the Chambersburg Pike.]
July 4? - Heth resumed command of division after July 3. [Ibid, p. 177]
July 1, around noon - Hearing heavy firing on the left, Heth rode to where he had first placed his artillery in position and found there Generals Lee and A. P. Hill. At that time Heth proposed to Lee to advance his two fresh brigades (Pettigrew and Brockenbrough), but Lee demurred for the time being. [The Memoirs of Henry Heth, ed. by James L. Morrison, Greenwood Press, 1974, p. 175] [Comment: Heth is presumed to be referring to Herr’s Ridge. The heavy firing upon his left is believed to be Rodes’ artillery opening fire from Oak Hill, which I estimate occurred around noon. If indeed the case, it fixes Lee’s arrival on the field before noon.]
July 1, around 2:15 p.m. Heth again rode to Lee on Herr’s Ridge to report Federals pushing against Oak Ridge. Lee advised him to, “Wait awhile and I will send you word when to go in.” [Ibid] [Comment: I believe the presence of Robinson’s division of the Union First Corps on the north end of Oak Ridge would not have been apparent to Heth until Iverson’s initial clash, which I estimate occurred about 2:10 p.m. Heth does not mention Hill being present on this occasion, and the implication is that Lee intended to send his attack orders directly to Heth, bypassing Hill. But it may be that Hill was often by Lee's side this day and was fully apprised.]
July 1, around 2:40 p.m. - “Very soon” one of Lee’s aides came to Heth with orders to attack. [Ibid]
July 1, around 3 p.m. – Just after Pettigrew and Brockenbrough began their charge, Heth was struck on the head by a minie ball and “remained insensible for some hours.” [Ibid, pp. 175,176] Heth was carried off the field by A. H. Gibboney, a member of his staff, and placed in an ambulance. [Confederate Veteran magazine, vol. 25, p. 518] It appears Gibboney was a clerk working for Heth’s Assistant Adjutant General. [Gibboney’s Service Record]
July 1, late afternoon - Heth’s wound was treated in Cashtown by Dr. William C. Stem. [Coco, Vast Sea of Misery] [Comment: I suppose a senior member of Heth’s staff recalled the introduction to Dr. Stem two days earlier and had been impressed, which would explain why Heth was taken to a local physician rather than the chief medical officer of his division. However, Heth remained unconscious for up to 23 hours after his wounding.]
July 2, mid-afternoon - When Heth regained consciousness he directed his ambulance driver to take him back to the battlefield, where he found Generals Lee and Hill together; both of these officers seemed nervously awaiting an attack to be made by Longstreet on the extreme right. Longstreet’s artillery opened while Heth was still at that location, and at that moment Heth spoke briefly with Hill, who stood near his ambulance. [Memoirs of Henry Heth, p. 176] [Comment: Since Heth’s driver found Lee and Hill so quickly it suggests they were on the north end of Seminary Ridge, and not far from the Chambersburg Pike.]
July 4? - Heth resumed command of division after July 3. [Ibid, p. 177]