Buford's shattered division

[MikeyB]

In the epilogue to everyone's favourite film Gettysburg, they say that Buford's shattered division was assigned to guard wagon trains for the rest of the battle.

Just how "shattered" was his division? I always thought the heavy fighting didn't happen until the I and XI effectively took over control of the battle. How severe were his casualties?

Also, another question I realized I don't know the answer to. Where did Buford and Gamble go after the I and XI took position? Did they continue to fight on the line?

 

[johncla]

My memory is that
...during the afternoon fighting Buford's division (Gamble and Devin's brigades) anchored the left end of the union line on Seminary Ridge, and they played a role in disrupting the left wing of AP Hill's attack on the 1st corps.
...that evening they moved further south on Cemetery Ridge, then around mid-day on the second day, before the fighting started, they were sent away by Gen. Pleasonton.

There is some controversy about whether the intent was to replace them with another cavalry unit (Gregg or Kirkpatrick?). The replacement did not happen, and the lack of cavalry on the afternoon of the 2nd day seemed to be a problem.

 

[infomanpa]

Just how "shattered" was his division? I always thought the heavy fighting didn't happen until the I and XI effectively took over control of the battle. How severe were his casualties?

The total casualty count for Buford's 1st and 2nd brigades was about 4%. I wouldn't call that "shattered."

 

[Gibbon]

While the casualties in the two brigades were rather light Burfords brigades lacked forage horses and needed refitting. They were sent to Westminster for this. The witless Pleasanton didn't assign anyone to replace them. Bufords action was a defence in depth rather than the action shown in the movie Gettysburg.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

The total casualty count for Buford's 1st and 2nd brigades was about 4%. I wouldn't call that "shattered."

That's correct. Buford's Cavalry Division at Gettysburg suffered total casualties of 176 men or 4% of his total force.

(Of Total Strength of 4,074: 22 killed, 88 wounded, & 66 missing).

That's a very low casualty count for a major engagement.

 

[Tom Elmore]

After the First and Eleventh Corps took position, it seems Buford's two brigades took a position between the town and the Lutheran Seminary, although Gamble's 8th Illinois Cavalry remained actively engaged to the west. The rest of Gamble's brigade was deployed along Seminary Ridge about 3 p.m., anchoring the Federal left until the collapse of the First Corps position on Seminary Ridge an hour later. From there, I think Buford moved to the fields west and southwest of Cemetery Hill and there kept a close eye beyond the Federal left as it reestablished itself around Cemetery Hill and in Ziegler Grove early that evening. When elements of the Union Third Corps came up that night along the Emmitsburg road, past the Peach Orchard, it appears Buford was deployed just to the west of the Emmitsburg road. In the dim light a Third Corps soldier thought they were the enemy who just watched them march by without disputing their passage. Clearly they were not overly considerate Confederates, therefore they must have been Buford's troopers. They were still there the next morning, and somehow two separate Confederate reconnaissance groups (under Pendleton and Johnston) managed to avoid them. However, one of Pendleton's staff (Coupland Page) did, by a ruse, capture two of Buford's troopers who were apparently visiting the Samuel Pitzer farmhouse (to the west), perhaps for a free breakfast, and presented them to Colonel Walter Taylor on Lee's staff (Lee being absent on a visit to Ewell). With the deployment of Sickles' skirmishers at the Peach Orchard, Buford was no longer needed.

 

[Poorlaggedman]

They lost more men at Brandy Station than Gettysburg, I think. The main issue was just hard campaigning, probably. Each branch / unit has their own cheerleaders and unfortunately Buford's "stand" has been made into something it wasn't in the slightest regard to the point it's almost historical malpractice. I believe the 3rd Indiana took multiple KIA against either Davis' brigade or a later effort but South of the road fighting through Herbst Woods and the McPherson property, those two regiments (8th NY and 8th ILL) lost a combined 1 KIA for the entire battle.

Meanwhile the infantry regiments relieving them suffered a hundred or more KIA within 20 minutes. That wasn't the role of cavalry to stand and fight, they don't sit there and trade volleys with infantry (it never happened). Their cavalry carbines were of no advantage either. I am utterly convinced that the cavalry companies in Herbst woods at Willoughby's Run fired literally one volley at the advancing rebel infantry and then ran for it (as they should have). Absolutely nothing substantiates the idea of a stand up fight between cavalry and infantry, only a delaying action. The matchup of cavalry troopers vs veteran infantry is like the Pennsylvania State Troopers vs the United States Marines.

 

[PatW]

It is my understanding that Buford's division was pulled back not because of combat casualties. Buford's division had been through a period of hard service. If you push horses too long, you will ruin or kill them. The division was pulled back because their horses needed some rest and fodder. With the rapid advance up to Gettysburg, the Army of the Potomac outran its supply lines. Horses require fodder and grain daily. And there was not much of either available.

 

[OpnCoronet]

I agree, except I think Buford pulled back out of the battle, because he was relieved by the arrival of Union infantry, who took the cavalry's place in the line of battle. He took position around the Round Tops, I believe, to guard the flank of the Union infantry and later was pulled back to refresh his mounts.

During the battle of Gettysburg Union cavalry , including Buford's, was active and aggressive(even if sometimes inexpertly commanded) all around the battlefield.

Never trust Television or Hollywood History under any circumstances.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

Buford's division had been constantly marching and fighting with almost no breaks from May 1 through July 14, 1863. During that time, the division had significant losses of men, but more importantly, major losses of horses due to overuse. Until the Cavalry Bureau came on line at the end of July, there was no good system for providing re-mounts. The issue wasn't so much loss of manpower as it was loss of horses and the inability to provide re-mounts. A cavalryman without a horse is not much use to the army.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

That's correct. Buford's Cavalry Division at Gettysburg suffered total casualties of 176 men or 4% of his total force.

(Of Total Strength of 4,074: 22 killed, 88 wounded, & 66 missing).

That's a very low casualty count for a major engagement.

And it's also not indicative of much of anything.

The job was to delay the advance of the enemy long enough for the infantry to arrive. It was not to take major losses. These statistics are deceptive and prove substantially less than nothing.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

And it's also not indicative of much of anything.

The job was to delay the advance of the enemy long enough for the infantry to arrive. It was not to take major losses. These statistics are deceptive and prove substantially less than nothing.

No disputing the role nor the statistics.

As to what's meant by 'shattered' is a matter of semantics.

 

[Yankeedave]

In the afternoon of the day one fight Burford is pulled south to where a road passes thru the same woods. At 10 a.m the of day 2 he is releived by the infantry.