Edwin Vose Sumner

IMHO, four things contributed to the disaster that overtook Sedgewick in the West Woods.

1) Intel. Sumner knew very little about his mission. Hooker was down. Mansfield was dead. Greene was not available for a briefing. Sumner concluded that the Conferderates were fought out and all he had to do was clear the woods, execute a left wheel and roll up the flank. Why he drew that conclusion is something of a mystery to me.

2) Deployment. Sumner was an experienced cavalry commander who used this formation on the plains where there was good visibility and that was effective for horse soldiers. In the West Woods, Sedgewick was advancing into an unknown situation in a formation uniquely vulnerable to a flank attack.

3) Command and control. While it seems clear that the command was for French to form on Sedgewick's left, control to make sure that French was moving and obeying that command was nonexistent. Could his staff have handled that job? Maybe. But despite the facts that the trailing unit was comprised mostly of green troops and under the command of a less than reliable Division commander like French, Sumner appears to have assumed all was well and made no effort to make sure that was the case. If the Division order were reversed with French leading and Sedgewick behind, Sumner's action would have made more sense. As it was, French had a case of the slows, formed on Geeene's troops instead and wandered off to the left starting a fight at the Sunken Road which neither side was prepared expected to occur.

4) McLaws and Early. Of course, much credit goes to McLaws and especially Early. Early engaged to buy time as did the gun line on Hauser's Ridge and McLaws hit Sedgewick hard in the flank and rear. I do not think it was a deliberate ambush. Instead it was timing and quick recognition of the opportunity that led to the success. Had Sumner made sure French was up, the opportunity would not have presented itself.

That's my two cents worth.
 
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