lelliott19
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Thanks for your post @PeterT . I have seen the alignment shown as it is on your map lots of times before. In fact thats the way its shown on most every map youll see.
The reason Tom and I were so excited about Capt Lemon's account of the alignment is that the brigade "always" went into battle with the 16th Georgia in the center. So it was typically aligned from L-R as Phillip's Legion, Cobbs Legion, 16th GA, 24th GA, and 18th GA - at least that was the typical alignment after it was reorganized.
BUT all these years everyone has based the alignment of the regiments in Wofford's brigade at Gburg off of Batchelder's maps. Having studied the brigade in detail, I questioned that. It wasnt how they typically aligned and I could find no reason why they would have aligned differently here. Terrain? no worse than anywhere else and much better than some. Obstacles? no - well there was some concentration of the enemy to be dealt with, but they were used to that. Absent Brig Gen? No -Wofford was there. Absent Cols? well yes..... but that was pretty common. McMillan of the 24th was OLD and absent on furlough a lot. So no reason I could see to change an alignment that had always worked well for them in the past.
Anyway, along the way I have found a few others (Philip Musket, Jay Jorgensen, etc) who agreed with me - that Batchelder was probably wrong. But with so few primary source materials, it was difficult to prove for sure. Now we know for sure.
I have no idea about the artillery. Thanks for pointing that out. I do know that EP Alexander said there were 18 guns brought forward but as far as whose, I dont know. I will be interested to see what Tom has to say. Maybe we can also convince @Eric Wittenberg to read through the thread and weigh in with his opinion.
The reason Tom and I were so excited about Capt Lemon's account of the alignment is that the brigade "always" went into battle with the 16th Georgia in the center. So it was typically aligned from L-R as Phillip's Legion, Cobbs Legion, 16th GA, 24th GA, and 18th GA - at least that was the typical alignment after it was reorganized.
BUT all these years everyone has based the alignment of the regiments in Wofford's brigade at Gburg off of Batchelder's maps. Having studied the brigade in detail, I questioned that. It wasnt how they typically aligned and I could find no reason why they would have aligned differently here. Terrain? no worse than anywhere else and much better than some. Obstacles? no - well there was some concentration of the enemy to be dealt with, but they were used to that. Absent Brig Gen? No -Wofford was there. Absent Cols? well yes..... but that was pretty common. McMillan of the 24th was OLD and absent on furlough a lot. So no reason I could see to change an alignment that had always worked well for them in the past.
Anyway, along the way I have found a few others (Philip Musket, Jay Jorgensen, etc) who agreed with me - that Batchelder was probably wrong. But with so few primary source materials, it was difficult to prove for sure. Now we know for sure.
I have no idea about the artillery. Thanks for pointing that out. I do know that EP Alexander said there were 18 guns brought forward but as far as whose, I dont know. I will be interested to see what Tom has to say. Maybe we can also convince @Eric Wittenberg to read through the thread and weigh in with his opinion.
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