Lee's Plan, Day Three: What Do You Think?

Lee

Even the best laid plans in war go awry in the actual execution. Many were the failures, in communications, in leadership and faults in the initial strategy. In no way am I saying that the battle was lost because of Stuart. It was lost for a multitude of reasons, many outlined by M.E Wolf in his excellent post. What I am interested in is, Lee's initial strategy. The strategy that allowed that brilliant man to think he would be successful. I have to believe that Stuart was a vital part of that strategy.

After the battle, Stuart said he was to protect Ewels flank, which he did. This rings hollow to my ear. Stuart had just been reprimanded by Lee, which must have stung his inflated ego. He would not allow a failure to follow on the heels of that rebuke, mild as it was. In C.L. Symonds book "Gettysburg" he states "Stuart......afterward he claimed that his only objective was to guard the left flank.... almost certainly his real purpose was to strike at the enemy from the rear in conjunction with the infantry charge against its front". After the fact it was common for officers to justify their mistakes and attempt to change history to their own advantage. Certainly Sickles spent the rest of his life claiming to have saved the day. Had Stuart lived to the end of the war I have no doubt he would have a story about that day that would have bathed him in Glory. McClellan who rode with Stuart may have been just spouting the message that also kept him from admitting failure.

Stuart, from a hilltop, Cress Ridge, fired one of his artillery pieces four times, it was the signal Lee was waiting for, to let him know Stuart was in position and to start the artillery barage and begin the attack. Although Stuart was in position, the position he was in was in no way helpful to the battle. Custer and Gregg made sure of that. Latter Stuart claimed victory in that skirmish, but we all know that he made a strategic retreat, quickly.
 
Lee's Plan, Day Three; What do you think?

I dunno, Stuart outnumbered Gregg's force and allowed himself to be checkmated a little too easily, if he had been an integral part of Lee's assault plan.
 
Lee

Stuart had over 5000 mounted men. It is true that they were fatigued. They had only one nights rest, Stuart however was eager to go. He initialy was going to have the men remain mounted throughout the night, but was convinced by his subordinates that the men and horses needed some rest, food and water. He agreed and the horses were unsaddled and the men "almost imediatly went to sleep." If he had fresh troops and horses he might have faired better. "Stuarts plan relied heavily on catching his Federal counterparts by surprise, his chances of of success were significantly reduced, almost from the beginning."(Symonds) Stuart had enough ammunition for an attack against the Federal rear but he used most of it in the battle with Gregg and Custer. He then decided to "Guard" the flank.

Why would Lee send over 5000 mounted Cavalry to perform Guard duty? With that asset Lee would surely have included them in the battle strategy. Stuart was eager to redeem himself from the previous days humiliation and was anxious to join the fray.
 
Lee

Perhaps one of the big mistakes of that day was Stuart's signal (of cannon fire) to let Lee know that he was in position. Would Lee have ordered the attack if he had not heard that signal? It seems Lee was waiting for some sign, the men and officers were impatient to start the attack and could not understand the delay, it was afternoon by now. The attack started upon the signal from Stuart.
 
Lee's Plan, Day Three; What do you think?

The delays were caused by Longstreet's reluctance to initiate the attack, weren't they?
 
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