Current consensus about if Ewell should have taken Cemetery Hill on July 1st.

One of the major problems with assaulting Cemetery Hill from the north is that the town is so close to the hill. Any attacking force has to first clear the town and then deploy in the more open fields south of Gettysburg and that is within clear line of sight and in easy range of all of those guns.

Ryan
 
Ewell takes a lot of heat, I think that comes from "if Jackson was there he would have taken Cemetery Hill". If Ewell took Cemetery Hill, then Meade would most likely have retreated to Pipe Creek, another solid defensive position. Ewell learned from the Battle of Winchester, that Lee gave his subordinates much more discretion than Jackson. Lee allowed his subordinates to use their own judgment and adapt as situations began to unfold.

Although probably not Ewell's best performance, I think part of the criticism is another way to keep Lee's image intact. Ewell takes the blame for July 1st and Longstreet for the 2nd and 3rd.
 
Ewell takes a lot of heat, I think that comes from "if Jackson was there he would have taken Cemetery Hill". If Ewell took Cemetery Hill, then Meade would most likely have retreated to Pipe Creek, another solid defensive position. Ewell learned from the Battle of Winchester, that Lee gave his subordinates much more discretion than Jackson. Lee allowed his subordinates to use their own judgment and adapt as situations began to unfold.

Although probably not Ewell's best performance, I think part of the criticism is another way to keep Lee's image intact. Ewell takes the blame for July 1st and Longstreet for the 2nd and 3rd.
And Lee remains lily white in the eyes of Some while the entire debacle was, in his own words, “my fault”.
 
He may have tried but there is no guarantee he would have been successful.

I think Stonewall probably does try to attack, but agree it's unlikely that he succeeds.

There's also the matter that a live Stonewall means likely different reorganization (or no reorganization) before Gettysburg. Thus there is likely no alternate timeline where Stonewall is alive and facing Cemetery Hill late on July 1.

As has been shown with many of the above comments an attack with the troops on hand would have likely been a disaster. Had Jackson been alive and attacked the evening of July 1 its more likely we’d be discussing how Jackson blundered and destroyed the ANV at Gettysburg than some fantastical southern victory.

I doubt it would have been disastrous, but it probably does enough cause enough Confederate casualties to preclude an attack against Cemetery or Culps Hills on July 2.
 
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Ewell had Stonewall's old corps now renamed the Second Corps at Gettysburg. Ewell was nowhere near capable of commanding the crack troops he inherited.

I would argue that he did very well during the Gettysburg Campaign. He destroyed Robert Milroy's force in the Shenandoah Valley at Second Winchester and came awfully close to being able to cross over the Susquehanna River before turning back towards Gettysburg. On July 1, five of his brigades flanked and devastated the Eleventh Corps, driving them through the town. The only problem was that the Yankees had a dominating and semi-fortified position to fall back on and it was one that was difficult to attack and he made the wise choice to wait for Johnson's Division to come onto the field. It was really just bad luck that his scouts ran into a handful of Union skirmishers on Culp's Hill on the evening of July 1 which caused Ewell to wait until the next day before making a more robust effort.

In addition, Ewell did well during the retreat back into Virginia and in the fall campaigns. It really wasn't until Spotsylvania when a third of his corps was eliminated that he broke and was ultimately relieved. All in all, he was a fine corps commander in 1863.

Ryan
 
Ewell takes a lot of heat, I think that comes from "if Jackson was there he would have taken Cemetery Hill". If Ewell took Cemetery Hill, then Meade would most likely have retreated to Pipe Creek, another solid defensive position. Ewell learned from the Battle of Winchester, that Lee gave his subordinates much more discretion than Jackson. Lee allowed his subordinates to use their own judgment and adapt as situations began to unfold.

Although probably not Ewell's best performance, I think part of the criticism is another way to keep Lee's image intact. Ewell takes the blame for July 1st and Longstreet for the 2nd and 3rd.

The thing with Jackson is that he died before the South's fortunes turned in the East and so his reputation is cleaner than those who survived longer than he did. Since he is unsullied by what happened in 1863-65, those of a mind can look at Gettysburg and say, "If only Jackson were there..." But, as has been pointed out, Jackson was really rather average tactically with some pretty serious ups and downs in the field.

Ryan
 
The thing with Jackson is that he died before the South's fortunes turned in the East and so his reputation is cleaner than those who survived longer than he did. Since he is unsullied by what happened in 1863-65, those of a mind can look at Gettysburg and say, "If only Jackson were there..." But, as has been pointed out, Jackson was really rather average tactically with some pretty serious ups and downs in the field.

Ryan
I’ve heard it said and have to agree that “the best thing that ever happened for Jackson’s reputation is that he died early in the war”... he could become that martyr that folks cling to and the ultimate “what if”. The same can be said of some Union commanders, Reynolds, Lyons, & Reno come to mind but not nearly to the same extent as deification of leaders seems to be more of a Lost Cause remembrance trait. The only northern figure who has ever achieved the type of sainthood bestowed on southern commanders is Lincoln.
 
The question is mostly of Jackson's propensity to take Cemetery Hill. I wonder what would have happened different west and north of Gettysburg earlier on July 1st? I'm sure it has been debated, but I have not seen it.
 
I would argue that he did very well during the Gettysburg Campaign. He destroyed Robert Milroy's force in the Shenandoah Valley at Second Winchester and came awfully close to being able to cross over the Susquehanna River before turning back towards Gettysburg. On July 1, five of his brigades flanked and devastated the Eleventh Corps, driving them through the town. The only problem was that the Yankees had a dominating and semi-fortified position to fall back on and it was one that was difficult to attack and he made the wise choice to wait for Johnson's Division to come onto the field. It was really just bad luck that his scouts ran into a handful of Union skirmishers on Culp's Hill on the evening of July 1 which caused Ewell to wait until the next day before making a more robust effort.

In addition, Ewell did well during the retreat back into Virginia and in the fall campaigns. It really wasn't until Spotsylvania when a third of his corps was eliminated that he broke and was ultimately relieved. All in all, he was a fine corps commander in 1863.

Ryan
I think this is a very solid overall assessment. And I'll refrain from yet another post regarding my deep skepticism of the "If Only Stonewall" hypothetical, which is riddled with defects, but, again, I think Ewell made a very sound decision that was fully compliant with both the order and the existing facts.
 
I’ve heard it said and have to agree that “the best thing that ever happened for Jackson’s reputation is that he died early in the war”... he could become that martyr that folks cling to and the ultimate “what if”. The same can be said of some Union commanders, Reynolds, Lyons, & Reno come to mind but not nearly to the same extent as deification of leaders seems to be more of a Lost Cause remembrance trait. The only northern figure who has ever achieved the type of sainthood bestowed on southern commanders is Lincoln.
To win the war, all the CSA needed in 1864 was Stonewall and Albert Sydney Johnston, against whom Lee and everybody else pales in comparison. 😎
 
I would argue that he did very well during the Gettysburg Campaign. He destroyed Robert Milroy's force in the Shenandoah Valley at Second Winchester and came awfully close to being able to cross over the Susquehanna River before turning back towards Gettysburg. On July 1, five of his brigades flanked and devastated the Eleventh Corps, driving them through the town. The only problem was that the Yankees had a dominating and semi-fortified position to fall back on and it was one that was difficult to attack and he made the wise choice to wait for Johnson's Division to come onto the field. It was really just bad luck that his scouts ran into a handful of Union skirmishers on Culp's Hill on the evening of July 1 which caused Ewell to wait until the next day before making a more robust effort.

In addition, Ewell did well during the retreat back into Virginia and in the fall campaigns. It really wasn't until Spotsylvania when a third of his corps was eliminated that he broke and was ultimately relieved. All in all, he was a fine corps commander in 1863.

Ryan
Good point. Ewell, like the rest of the Army, was operating in the unknown without Stuart. Lee has to take some responsibility with the "if practicable" order. Lee should have been more clear with Ewell and Hill... realizing it was not Jackson and Longstreet who were commanding his corps.

Ewell later explained why he felt he was unable to act in regards to Lee's order:

"the inability to bring artillery to bear on Cemetery Hill"

"the troops with me were jaded by twelve hours fighting and marching."
 
The thing with Jackson is that he died before the South's fortunes turned in the East and so his reputation is cleaner than those who survived longer than he did. Since he is unsullied by what happened in 1863-65, those of a mind can look at Gettysburg and say, "If only Jackson were there..." But, as has been pointed out, Jackson was really rather average tactically with some pretty serious ups and downs in the field.

Ryan
Very true. Ewell should be getting more credit for his role in carrying out Jackson's successful 1862 Shenandoah campaign. Even after a lengthy wound recuperation that put him out of action for about 6 months, he took over Jackson's old Corps and led it capably in the Gettysburg campaign from the advance through the Shenandoah to the rout of the XI Corps. So all this flak about what Jackson would have done or that Ewell should have assaulted Cemetery Hill is very unfair to Ewell, the result of which is to shift the historical conversation about that officer in a meaningless direction.
 
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