"Dissing" the Generals

[FZ11]

At times shells were placed next to the cannons, but I don't know if this occurred at Gettysburg. At Port Republic, canister was laid next to the guns of Battery H in anticipation of a charge.
This incident of a battery "dumping shells" and retreating down the Baltimore Pike was explored in "Controversy in the Cemetery" (Gettysburg Magazine). It will be further explored in the upcoming issue of the Gettysburg Magazine.
Gen. Hunt in The Third Day at Gettysburg stated that he went to Meade's Headquarters and was told that Meade was at the Cemetery. Capt. Huntington of Battery H stated that "During my absence General Meade, with his Chief of Artillery came upon the hill...he directed that the fire be greatly slackened..." (True?, False? ) The men of Battery H report that Meade arrived on foot and also on horseback. We know that Gen. Meade rode over Cemetery Hill after the Charge. Does anyone have any evidence that Meade was on foot in the Cemetery (on Cemetery Hill) during the Cannonade?
It is difficult to place exactly when this Meade-Styer event occurred, and certainly if Meade was mounted then it probably did not happen when he rode over Cemetery Hill.

True that Meade and Hunt told the artillerymen to cease fire to lure the Confederates into thinking the Federals were out of Ammo. It worked!

 

[Andy Cardinal]

Very interesting string of posts. I had heard the Meade story before and have always wondered about it. Meade was on Cemetery Hill during the cannonade. I have cut and pasted the following from Double Canister at Ten Yards:

As he passed through the Evergreen Cemetery gate, he called out, "Major Osborn! Where is Maj. Osborn?" The high rate of artillery fire alarmed the army commander, who, according to eyewitnesses, was visibly upset. "Over here, General," Osborn is said to have called out in reply from an area near the gatehouse. Meade rode up to the dismounted major, and asked, "Don't you know that it is against general orders and military regulations to run out of ammunition during a battle?" Stunned, Osborn replied, "I never gave it much thought." This simple answer ignited Meade's famously short temper, "What do you intend to do at this position?" Shot back Meade. "I will hold this position if the infantry supports me," replied Osborn. "I don't think you will hold this position," shot back Meade, "but, since you intend to stay, watch your fire and make every shell count. Call on the reserve if you need ammunition."

 

[Andy Cardinal]

Incidently, Meade's comment to Osborn that "i don't think you will hold this position" seems to indicate he thought the infantry would head for Cemetery Hill not the Copse of Trees?

 

[eBrowne]

That reference about Meade in the Cemetery during the Cannonade from "Double Canister at Ten Yards" is: "The Eleventh Corps Artillery at Gettysburg - The Papers of Major Thomas Ward Osborn" p. 36-7. From that book, one can see that Osborn felt Meade was on Cemetery Hill during the Cannonade.
"While this fire on Cemetery Hill was at its very height, General Meade rode into the batteries at great speed followed by two or three officers." Does anyone else have any evidence that Meade was on Cemetery Hill during the Cannonade? Is Osborn in error?

 

[Tom Elmore]

General Meade himself described his movements on the afternoon of July 3 as follows: From his headquarters at the Leister cottage to 1) "a barn on the opposite side of the Taneytown road, next 2) to Slocum's headquarters on the Baltimore Pike, then he headed 3) back to his headquarters at the Leister cottage (during which the enemy artillery ceased and heavy musketry was heard), and upon 4) learning the charge had been repulsed and hearing heavy firing on Cemetery Hill, he rode there. Afterwards 5) he returned to headquarters at the Leister cottage, and finally 6) rode south along his lines to Little Round Top. [Bachelder Papers, 1:380]

Clearly when Meade reached Cemetery Hill the charge was already defeated, so the guns on the hill must have been firing at the Confederates as they were retreating back across the field to Seminary Ridge.

 

[JohnW.]

Ringlets

Is that like sausage curls??? Those were popular with boys about that time.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Is that like sausage curls??? Those were popular with boys about that time.

Well, with mothers of boys. They also insisted on putting them in dresses. Pickett's ringlets were pretty famous, not just post war. You could get away with it if the rest of you happened to be a fearless officer who loathed Yankees. Also a little over-done in description. His hair must have been curly and allowed to form these ' ringlets ' as it got longer.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Another Pickett sighting on the battlefield, July 2: "McLaw's and Hood's divisions were up, but Pickett's was not. Gen. Pickett himself was present." (Charles W. Squires, "The Last of Lee's Battle Line," The Autobiography of Charles W. Squires of the Confederate States Army and of the National Guard of Missouri, ed. by W. H. T. Squires - Capt. Squires belonged to the Washington Artillery Battalion.)

 

[Tom Elmore]

Three strikes and you're out - a third confirmed Pickett sighting on the battlefield, during the afternoon of July 2.

Extract from the diary of Edward Samuel Duffey, Parker's Virginia battery: "Battalion went into action at 4 p.m. ... Gen. Pickett and staff rode up to Gen. Longstreet before our troops went into line of battle, but his division was not in the fight today."

Wofford's brigade formed in rear of Parker's battery, and the latter may have been as close as 250 feet from the left regiment of Kershaw's brigade when it took its position.