Gettysburg exaggerations

[MRB1863]

I realize the shoe thing is always said to be mythical but read an account in an era paper that pins down where those shoes could be found. Hang on. I was so surprised I saved it.

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McIllheney's Store? Seems specific.

It does seem to be specific. Remember, this is a newspaper article....now, if it was on the internet we would know for sure it is true...

 

[redbob]

It does seem to be specific. Remember, this is a newspaper article....now, if it was on the internet we would know for sure it is true...

You know that if it's on the interweb it has to be true...And I'm surprised that no one has broached the subject of Chamberlin and Little Round Top.

 

[jackt62]

It's not just Gettysburg. The more I read about differing accounts of ACW battles, I am beginning to wonder who to believe in terms of accurate numbers of casualties, position of regiments, number of assaults on specific positions, etc. etc.

 

[rpkennedy]

I always wondered how they did that Now I know................lol
Ryan I do hope you and your family are all doing well my friend.

Respectfully,
William

One Nation,
Two countries
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We're doing well, my friend. How are you and yours doing?

Ryan

 

[dlofting]

So I've often thought about the "shoes" story and imagined that it may have started like this.

"General Heth why did you engage a division of Yankee cavalry and two corps of infantry, when you had specific orders not to bring on a general engagement."

" Well General Lee...er...er...I'm sorry....it was the shoes....we needed shoes and they were at that store in Gettysburg... couldn't leave without them"

(Hope that keeps the old man happy)

 

[thomas aagaard]

So I've often thought about the "shoes" story and imagined that it may have started like this.

Note that the shoes story is about the movement on the 30th.
The move the 1st was what we today would call a recognizance in force.

It is a detail many miss.

 

[Tom Elmore]

It's difficult for me to understand why Heth would send his men to raid a large shoe store. Whatever inventory the store had in stock, it would not make up for the shoe leather lost by the men on that march. A quartermaster and a few men with an empty wagon would have sufficed. It also does not give much credit to Early's men who passed that same store five days earlier, and a senior Confederate officer should have guessed that valuable merchandise would have been removed to a distant location when word came of the invasion. Incidentally, Gettysburg was well known for making carriages, not shoes. So there must be another motive. Perhaps Heth expected to bag some militia units with a show of overwhelming force, then he could have taken their shoes, like Early did with the 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Militia.

 

[LasPalmas]

Unfortunately, many authors do not do original research: they rely on what another author has written. All too often this leads to simple mistakes being perpetuated as absolute facts.

Amen, brother!
Keep on telling it like it is!

 

[W. Richardson]

We're doing well, my friend. How are you and yours doing?

Ryan

Enjoying the last few days of spring before the hot humid summer arrives. All are doing well here.

Respectfully,
William

One Nation,
Two countries

 

[MRB1863]

Perhaps they did not realize there is a nice "Skechers" outlet along Rt. 15 outside of Gettysburg.