Mike, what a great post again! I missed your input a LOT!!
That is a myth. JEB Stuart was by no means AWOL, but on the contrary, he was executing Lee's orders, which were, as was Lee's habit, not the most detailed ones. I recommend reading the following thread, started by our own
@Eric Wittenberg for enlightenment:
Col. Charles C. Marshall Wartime Artwork, Artist unknown, PD image Submitted for your consideration... These are the three orders given to Jeb Stuart on June 22 and 23, 1863. They constitute the operational orders for what became his expedition. They are as clear as mud. The person responsible...
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Lee himself never criticized Stuart. That scene in the movie "Gettysburg" was dramatic, but it was fiction. There is another thread started by
@War Horse where Lee's reaction to Stuart was discussed:
I've been reading material on this subject when it occurred to me. Lee was indeed disappointed that Stuart intelligence and arrival were delayed or abesent all together at Gettysburg. I have never read a word that Lee himself felt Stuart actions were irresponsible. By all accounts Lee's anxiety...
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