I'd say pretty much every attack in the Civil War was a grim affair with high casualties involved - given the tactics and armament of the time.
You make a good point.... because the "reluctance" is where Longstreet took the hardest hit to his reputation.
I think no matter where Lee ended up... as long as it was on Northern soil, Lincoln would have made Meade attack him. Longstreet actually agreed with Lee on a Northern invasion...and thus put his western plans on hold.
The only saving grace for Lee when it comes to Gettysburg is his masterful retreat.
Whoa, I can actually hear the hounds begin to howl right now because of your last sentence.
Lee was enough of a gentleman so that he would not publicly blame subordinates or engage in backbiting over who was responsible for what. I think Lee was sincere in his offer to Davis to resign his command after Gettysburg because he realized the severity of the defeat and the need for the top commander to accept responsibility. But it is fair to say that Lee's post-war defenders were the ones who gave him a pass.
And, he could have simply been exhausted.
He most probably was, wasn't he already sick when closing in on Gettysburg? But his performance in 1864 was still quite impressive, maybe even better than in 1863?
Piedone that is my understanding from some readings and lectures, that Lee was possibly ill with dysentery at the time. If anything can take away your "A" game that would surely do it. We would all find it fascinating to be able to listen in on the conversations Lee had with Longstreet. Not only to hear what exactly what was discussed but also to capture the tone of the meeting and how forcefully Longstreet may have pushed back on the plans for the July 3rd attacks. Whenever I have stood at the angle on Cemetery Ridge I cannot help but think that there had to be better alternatives than attacking across a mile of wide open land such as they did. But it is easy for me to say with the always huge benefit of hindsight. To answer Pete Longstreet's original post I would say that James Longstreet was right to suggest some other alternative to attacking the Union center on July 3rd and he was in no way treasonous. We must also take into account, perhaps in Lee's defense, that swinging an entire Corps all the way around the Union left was no small undertaking in the presence of the enemy with very long supply trains being exposed to attack. It's doubtful that Lee ever seriously contemplated that maneuver. Interesting thread.
I believe that Lee was thought to have been suffering from angina, a heart condition that grew worse over time and that eventually led to his death in 1870.
I was of the mind that he may have felt Longstreet deserved the promotion, realizing at once he had been out-generaled by Meade and Longstreet's advice as well. But he surely did have a thought toward his health, wouldn't you say?
That is exactly the point. Of course we are all able to come up with more promising plans but this is just armchair-generalling.
Hard to say to what extent Lee's health issues affected his decision making, especially in regard to his offer to resign after Gettysburg. I'm not even sure whether Lee realized the severity of his heart problem, given the lack of medical knowledge of the time. But it certainly could have played a part in his decision.
Right. What if there is no big battle by July 9 or 10, and the news that Vicksburg and Port Hudson have surrendered spreads in the north? At that point does the Army of the Potomac realize that with some hard marching and stiff fighting they might be able to end the war?
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