BRT

[MikeyB]

Why was Lee so against going up or around BRT? Put artillery on and enfilade the entire Union position, outflank the left or force the Union to thin out its line even further to meet you? Doesn't that seem like a better option than going through the Devil's Den?

 

[ErnieMac]

Two reasons immediately come to mind.
1.) Lack of cavalry for scouting and screening.
2.) Time - it took Longstreet 5+ hours to get into position to carry out Lee's planned attack. How much longer to get around Big Round Top?

 

[MikeyB]

Two reasons immediately come to mind.
1.) Lack of cavalry for scouting and screening.
2.) Time - it took Longstreet 5+ hours to get into position to carry out Lee's planned attack. How much longer to get around Big Round Top?

Were supplies in that short supply for the ANV that one more day wasted, for a potentially better outcome, was NOT an acceptable tradeoff?

 

[ErnieMac]

You are presuming that Meade will sit in his lines doing nothing while waiting for Lee to develop his attack? As of the time Longstreet launched his attack on Sickles on July 2 neither the Fifth or Sixth Corps had taken position on the battle lines. On the morning of July 3 two full divisions of the Sixth Corps were position behind Round Top blocking the Taneytown Road.

 

[MikeyB]

You are presuming that Meade will sit in his lines doing nothing while waiting for Lee to develop his attack? As of the time Longstreet launched his attack on Sickles on July 2 neither the Fifth or Sixth Corps had taken position on the battle lines. On the morning of July 3 two full divisions of the Sixth Corps were position behind Round Top blocking the Taneytown Road.

I am indeed, but given the tactical situation on July 2nd, isn't this a safe assumption? Federals digging in all night and have the high ground. I'd think if I wanted the extra day to try to flank around BRT, Meade wasn't going to spoil that with an attack on my positions.

 

[rpkennedy]

Why was Lee so against going up or around BRT? Put artillery on and enfilade the entire Union position, outflank the left or force the Union to thin out its line even further to meet you? Doesn't that seem like a better option than going through the Devil's Den?

BRT was too heavily wooded (and steep, and stony) to be an effective artillery platform. Even guns on LRT had trouble targeting anything east of the Emmitsburg Road when facing north (only 2 of Rittenhouse's guns were able to fire at Pickett's Division on July 3).

That all said, going through Devil's Den was never the plan. The plan was for Hood's Division to swing north and, with McLaws, attack along the axis of the Emmitsburg Road against what was thought to be the Union flank around the Peach Orchard. The plan fell apart when two things occured: elements of the 2nd United States Sharpshooters drew some of Hood's troops further east than intended and Hood's wounding which took out the attack's leadership when a steady hand was needed. When Hood went down, he could no longer direct his brigades and his men kept on their easterly course rather than turning north northeast.

Ryan