Chancellorsville Chancellorsville, A Recipe For Disaster For The ANV!

[QUOTE="Drew, post: 1403639, member: 7501]"The whole thing was an accident.

Just because you say it three times doesn't make it the truth, no matter how much you might want it to....[/QUOTE]

Where is the plan for a battle at Gettysburg before the fact? I believe you've said yourself Meade wanted Pipe Creek. And we've got Lee sending a third of his Army to Harrisburg. Responding to circumstances is not "a plan."

Anyway, this is a Chancellorsville thread. Not sure how we got sidetracked.
 
Just because you say it three times doesn't make it the truth, no matter how much you might want it to....

Where is the plan for a battle at Gettysburg before the fact? I believe you've said yourself Meade wanted Pipe Creek. And we've got Lee sending a third of his Army to Harrisburg. Responding to circumstances is not "a plan."

Anyway, this is a Chancellorsville thread. Not sure how we got sidetracked.[/QUOTE]

Given that Buford was sent there to hold the town and designed and developed a response, you're just plain wrong. Wrong as wrong can be.
 
[QUOTEGiven that Buford was sent there to hold the town and designed and developed a response, you're just plain wrong. Wrong as wrong can be.][/QUOTE]

With all due respect, this is not an answer to my question. Where was the plan for the Armies to fight at Gettysburg?

Who wrote it and why did Lee issue orders for his Army to concentrate at Chambersburg on June 28th? (Source is Sears, Gettysburg)

Eric, I'm not the Guru here, but I do try to pay attention, read the books some of you guys tell me to read and then I get told they're wrong. It's very frustrating.
 
On June 29th, Lee countermands previous orders to Ewell to advance on Harrisburg (after Jenkins' cavalry reached the shore of the Susquehanna River). He initially orders Johnson's Division to move towards Chambersburg, turning off to march through Fayetteville and cross the Blue Mountains to reach Cashtown. Ewell is ordered to send Rodes (around Carlisle) and Early (around York) to march towards Cashtown and Gettysburg. At the same time, Heth reached Cashtown with Pender and Anderson back towards Fayetteville and Longstreet further back around Chambersburg.

On June 30th, Heth probes towards Gettysburg while Pender and Anderson advance towards Cashtown. Longstreet begins his advance east from Chambersburg. Johnson ends his day around Scotland (about halfway between Shippensburg and Chambersburg), Rodes moves from Carlisle through modern York Springs and camps around Heidlersburg. Early marches through East Berlin and camps a few miles east of Heidlersburg. Hood and McLaws march from Chambersburg through Fayetteville to the base of South Mountain.

Clearly, Lee is concentrating his army in the vicinity of Cashtown and Gettysburg, leaving Chambersburg behind.

Ryan
 
On June 29th, Lee countermands previous orders to Ewell to advance on Harrisburg (after Jenkins' cavalry reached the shore of the Susquehanna River). He initially orders Johnson's Division to move towards Chambersburg, turning off to march through Fayetteville and cross the Blue Mountains to reach Cashtown. Ewell is ordered to send Rodes (around Carlisle) and Early (around York) to march towards Cashtown and Gettysburg. At the same time, Heth reached Cashtown with Pender and Anderson back towards Fayetteville and Longstreet further back around Chambersburg.

On June 30th, Heth probes towards Gettysburg while Pender and Anderson advance towards Cashtown. Longstreet begins his advance east from Chambersburg. Johnson ends his day around Scotland (about halfway between Shippensburg and Chambersburg), Rodes moves from Carlisle through modern York Springs and camps around Heidlersburg. Early marches through East Berlin and camps a few miles east of Heidlersburg. Hood and McLaws march from Chambersburg through Fayetteville to the base of South Mountain.

Clearly, Lee is concentrating his army in the vicinity of Cashtown and Gettysburg, leaving Chambersburg behind.

Ryan

Clearly, Lee is reacting to information as it becomes available to him. My question is not answered, who wrote the plan to fight at Gettysburg, PA? Where is it?

So much for a Chancellorsville thread, though. The majority wants to talk about Gettysburg and that's the way it's going to be, apparently.
 
Clearly, Lee is reacting to information as it becomes available to him. My question is not answered, who wrote the plan to fight at Gettysburg, PA? Where is it?

So much for a Chancellorsville thread, though. The majority wants to talk about Gettysburg and that's the way it's going to be, apparently.

There was no specific plan of battle but it was not an accidental meeting. Buford knew that elements of Lee's army were going to be in the vicinity of Gettysburg and Lee knew that the Army of the Potomac was moving in his direction faster than expected and was possibly nearby.

Ryan
 
I'm just reading Stephen Sears book on Chancellorsville now. Very frustrating to read. The Union army had many faults for sure, but the pure bad luck on top of it all is just maddening. So Sedgwick finally breaks through and captures Marye's Heights, and instead of a good thing, it causes Lee to cancel his attack on the well dug in, well backed up, well covered by artillary Union army near US Ford. Blah!!!
 
There was no specific plan of battle but it was not an accidental meeting. Buford knew that elements of Lee's army were going to be in the vicinity of Gettysburg and Lee knew that the Army of the Potomac was moving in his direction faster than expected and was possibly nearby.

Ryan
Well that was accidental, wasn't it? The plan was looking for some shoes!
 
Well that was accidental, wasn't it? The plan was looking for some shoes!

No, it wasn't. The shoes story came up much later but Heth said he was looking for supplies in his report but it's clear that that was the primary motivation for his advance to Gettysburg.

Heth's advance was a reconnaissance in force to find out what was in front of him and it ultimately took on a life of its own. That's different than an accidental meeting between the two sides.

Ryan
 
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