Was Gettysburg Lee's objective ?

klongstreet

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Many thanks to those who answered my last question, as a new member it does give a start and helps one feel at home. My question now is about GEN Lee's objective in invading the north. I have read that his main target was Harrisburg, and he had in fact sent Gen Jenkins cavalry leading Gen Ewell's troops to Carlisle in June. J.E.B Stuart was meanwhile setting off on his adventure gallivanting around the union army, eventually arriving at Carlisle. As a fan of Gen Longstreet this would make sense if the aim was to sever the main link between the unions main supply route and to take the well defensive heights that resembled Fredericksburg. Why else would Ewell be so separated and have to march back to Gettysburg?. I may be wrong but would enjoy reading your views.
Many thanks
Klongstreet
 
Many thanks to those who answered my last question, as a new member it does give a start and helps one feel at home. My question now is about GEN Lee's objective in invading the north. I have read that his main target was Harrisburg, and he had in fact sent Gen Jenkins cavalry leading Gen Ewell's troops to Carlisle in June. J.E.B Stuart was meanwhile setting off on his adventure gallivanting around the union army, eventually arriving at Carlisle. As a fan of Gen Longstreet this would make sense if the aim was to sever the main link between the unions main supply route and to take the well defensive heights that resembled Fredericksburg. Why else would Ewell be so separated and have to march back to Gettysburg?. I may be wrong but would enjoy reading your views.
Many thanks
Klongstreet
In my opinion the main reason is just for plunder and confidence. Lee knew that The Army of The Potomac's primary objective would be to stay between his army and DC/Baltimore. This gave him a good deal of freedom in dividing his force. In fact because Stuart had been out of touch for so long, Lee didn't know The Army of The Potomac was even in Pennsylvania until right before the battle! He assumed they were holed up in Frederick. Ewell was to gather supplies from the army since Virginia had been so war torn and the ANV was undersupplied, and if possible capture Harrisburg to increase Support for ending the war in The North. Ewell actually did extremely well, he was right on the cusp of Harrisburg when he was ordered to reconvene at Cashtown/Gettysburg, and he got thousands of dollars worth of plunder for the Army when he went through York and Carlisle, giving The Army of Northern Virginia the first steady supplies it had enjoyed for a while and giving Darius Couch and The Pennsylvania Home Guard a good scare.
 
In my opinion the main reason is just for plunder and confidence. Lee knew that The Army of The Potomac's primary objective would be to stay between his army and DC/Baltimore. This gave him a good deal of freedom in dividing his force. In fact because Stuart had been out of touch for so long, Lee didn't know The Army of The Potomac was even in Pennsylvania until right before the battle! He assumed they were holed up in Frederick. Ewell was to gather supplies from the army since Virginia had been so war torn and the ANV was undersupplied, and if possible capture Harrisburg to increase Support for ending the war in The North. Ewell actually did extremely well, he was right on the cusp of Harrisburg when he was ordered to reconvene at Cashtown/Gettysburg, and he got thousands of dollars worth of plunder for the Army when he went through York and Carlisle, giving The Army of Northern Virginia the first steady supplies it had enjoyed for a while and giving Darius Couch and The Pennsylvania Home Guard a good scare.
 
Plunder and confidence works for me, however with such a gain as Harrisburg, Lee could have had it all, my understanding is that the union army on the 28th June were a full two days march away, Could not Lee have consolidated his army at Harrisburg and had time to dig in at Washington Heights? I have taken this after reading

The Gettysburg Campaign???? by C.L.Mohm
 
Plunder and confidence works for me, however with such a gain as Harrisburg, Lee could have had it all, my understanding is that the union army on the 28th June were a full two days march away, Could not Lee have consolidated his army at Harrisburg and had time to dig in at Washington Heights? I have taken this after reading

The Gettysburg Campaign???? by C.L.Mohm
Well Lee has motives for staying near Chambersburg. His supply line runs all the way back to Winchester VA. That's his lifeline and he needs to keep it intact lest he should run out of ammunition. In fact it is a report that Slocum's XII Corps is to Lee's South and could very well disrupt his supply line that helps to give Lee the motivation to consolidate east of The Blue Ridge to threaten Meade into pulling his own forces together. Lee can't afford to break off his supply lines and be caught alone in enemy territory. This is only my interpretation after reading Sears' Gettysburg though.
 
I think Lee's real objective was the AotP..........His desire was to pull it out of Virginia, away from the protection of Washington D.C., ( Lee had noted that each time the AotP was defeated it retreated back into the protection of Washington D.C. and reorganized), meet it and defeat it and then pursue it while doing it much harm. Gettysburg was not the objective and I do not think Harrisburg was either. Lee had stated that if Harrisburg came within Ewell's/Early's grasp he was to take it.

Respectfully,

William
 
I think Ewells objective was to capture an intact bridge across the Susquehanna River from which if Lee could cross his ANV he would have many options such as threating (besides Harrisburg) Baltimore (@80 miles away) then Washington (@120 miles) or Philiadelphia @ 100 miles or New York City 170 miles distant.
Harrisburg was/is the Penn. state capital & major industrial & RR center & would be a real plum for Lee to capture. As it turned out Lee was fortunate to get the remains of his army back across the Potomac river & into Virgina.
I don't think anything past Harrisburg would be realistic to capture for Lee but capturing a Northern state capital & scarring the heck out of those other cities would probably be sufficient for England & France to intervene on the CSA behalf. At least enuf to for those countries to recognize the CSA as a legimate Goverment.
 
His Corps were quite scattered. Mead brought him to fight there, so he did. It was not something he did intentionally.
 
If we can beleive Lee's second in command the goal was to meet the AOP in battle in an advantageous position so that the ANV would have a victory on northern soil. With the possible advantages of strengthening the Copperhead peace movement, European recognition (and possible intervention), along with putting fear into the hearts of a lot of stay at home yankies. Not to mention the advantages of gathering supplies in the farmlands and manufacturing areas of Pennsylvania. Along with disrupting ther apparrant Federal batttle plan of anothe summer of "on to Richmond" campaigning. Lee and Long street agreed that if Confederate forces conducted a defensive war they would loose due to lack of manpower, and resourses to cover the border with the US.
J H Harker Chaplain 4th OVI
 
If we can beleive Lee's second in command the goal was to meet the AOP in battle in an advantageous position so that the ANV would have a victory on northern soil. With the possible advantages of strengthening the Copperhead peace movement, European recognition (and possible intervention), along with putting fear into the hearts of a lot of stay at home yankies. Not to mention the advantages of gathering supplies in the farmlands and manufacturing areas of Pennsylvania. Along with disrupting ther apparrant Federal batttle plan of anothe summer of "on to Richmond" campaigning. Lee and Long street agreed that if Confederate forces conducted a defensive war they would loose due to lack of manpower, and resourses to cover the border with the US.
J H Harker Chaplain 4th OVI
I believe this to be the best explanation for Lee's actions during the summer of 1863. I also believe that had he the opportunity, Lee would have moved all through Pennsylvania, possibly all the way to the Atlantic. I don't know why I believe this, I just do. I believe that is what Lee may have considered to be necessary to achieve what jharold587 describes above.
 
Lee chose Gettysburg, because with its roadnet, it was best position to concentrate his army, when he discovered, for the first time, that the AoP, had a new commander(Meade) and that it was moving North of the Potomac.
Without Stuart, Lee had no idea of the positions of the various parts of the AoP, where precisely they were headed nor (most importantly) how fast.
The first order of business was to concentrate his scattered army, and the best place to do that was Gettysburg.
 
If we can beleive Lee's second in command the goal was to meet the AOP in battle in an advantageous position so that the ANV would have a victory on northern soil. With the possible advantages of strengthening the Copperhead peace movement, European recognition (and possible intervention), along with putting fear into the hearts of a lot of stay at home yankies. Not to mention the advantages of gathering supplies in the farmlands and manufacturing areas of Pennsylvania. Along with disrupting ther apparrant Federal batttle plan of anothe summer of "on to Richmond" campaigning. Lee and Long street agreed that if Confederate forces conducted a defensive war they would loose due to lack of manpower, and resourses to cover the border with the US.
J H Harker Chaplain 4th OVI

I think Ewells objective was to capture an intact bridge across the Susquehanna River from which if Lee could cross his ANV he would have many options such as threating (besides Harrisburg) Baltimore (@80 miles away) then Washington (@120 miles) or Philiadelphia @ 100 miles or New York City 170 miles distant.
Harrisburg was/is the Penn. state capital & major industrial & RR center & would be a real plum for Lee to capture. As it turned out Lee was fortunate to get the remains of his army back across the Potomac river & into Virgina.
I don't think anything past Harrisburg would be realistic to capture for Lee but capturing a Northern state capital & scarring the heck out of those other cities would probably be sufficient for England & France to intervene on the CSA behalf. At least enuf to for those countries to recognize the CSA as a legimate Goverment.

This is the point I am making, take Harrisburg and the union could do nothing, Lee would have cut off most of the unions supply line, could have dug in and fought on the ground of his own choice.
 
No disrespect but I am quoting others who may or may not think that Stuart was following Lee's orders.

If you could talk to Stuart's horse, he'd tell you the same thing. Do I need to pile into this one? Check out any of the 3,653 threads on this topic and you'll see the same thing.
 
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