Malvern Hill

[mt155]

Visited Malvern Hill for the first time and after walking the site for just a few minutes begs the question, "What the hell were the Confederates thinking?" Its all wide open fields of fire for the Federal Batteries atop the hill.

 

[amweiner]

I have to wonder if they were raising $150 on a pair of 2s and hoping the bluff would work.

 

[dlavin]

I thought the Confederates also tried to flank the union position and their cannon were out of range or didn't get there in time.

But the frontal assault had no chance. I agree.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

The Malvern Hill Battlefield is a gem, Mike!

My son and I walked the whole battlefield last spring. One of my all-time favorite ACW venues!

Bill

 

[major bill]

We had a whole bus unload there. We were to walk all the way to the across the filed to the Union cannon to see what it felt like to be a Confederate attacker.. It was hot and after 100 yards I stopped walking and sat in the shade of the woods. I guess I would be a Confederate casualty.

 

[JOHN42768]

I'm trying to figure out where the "Hill" is located. That appears darn near flat land.

 

[redbob]

I'm trying to figure out where the "Hill" is located. That appears darn near flat land.

There actually is one, though it's not that high or steep and after the war an enterprising person made bricks out of the hill's soil and sold them to visitors as souvenirs.

 

[major bill]

It is not a major hill. But it gave Union artillery a clear view of the field the Confederates had to cross. I do wonder if Lee could have flanked the Union position and seen if he could attack during the Union withdraw. I think this is an example of Lee expecting his artillery to do more than was possible.

 

[redbob]

It is not a major hill. But it gave Union artillery a clear view of the field the Confederates had to cross. I do wonder if Lee could have flanked the Union position and seen if he could attack during the Union withdraw. I think this is an example of Lee expecting his artillery to do more than was possible.

I think that in this case, Lee brought a knife to a gunfight; besides the massed Union artillery on the crest, McClellan could also depend on Naval support from the river. Massed troops in the open, an artilleryman's dream.

 

[JOHN42768]

OK, So we are talking a practice drill for Picketts Charge

 

[major bill]

The Confederate artillery in a very piecemeal fashion, would try to set up, out in the open. within in range of the Union artillery. Few Confederate artillery units fired many round before being damaged or forced to withdraw as the Union was able to concentrate many guns on each Confederate artillery unit in turn.

 

[bankerpapaw]

Visited Malvern Hill for the first time and after walking the site for just a few minutes begs the question, "What the hell were the Confederates thinking?" Its all wide open fields of fire for the Federal Batteries atop the hill.

View attachment 143197

Where is the hill and how big is it?

 

[Buckeye Bill]

OK, So we are talking a practice drill for Picketts Charge

When the visitor walks out from the Confederate position in the northern woods and looks southward, the visitor can still hear Confederate soldiers stating, "WTH???" They walked straight into the teeth of Federal artillery. This was a foreshadow of things to come.....

Insane,
Bill

 

[Jimklag]

I'm trying to figure out where the "Hill" is located. That appears darn near flat land.

If you look at most battlefields in that era, there are very few where the defenders took up "impregnable" positions on high, steep slopes. They wanted good ground with clear fields of fire that was defensible but not so formidable that your opponent would not attack. Missionary Ridge is an example of an "impregnable" position and Grant had no intention of taking it on. His men did that on their own initiative.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

Where is the hill and how big is it?

Here is the terrain from Google Maps. It is not very steep but it is high ground compared to the rest of the surrounding terrain.

 

[AUG]

I'm trying to figure out where the "Hill" is located. That appears darn near flat land.

Where is the hill and how big is it?

This map gives a better idea of the terrain. The area that was actually fought over was sort of a plateau in a way, and on that plateau the ground sloped slightly upward to the Federal line. The ground on the flanks was steeper.

 

[kel1985]

I visited there a few years back, afterwards, I wondered why Lee didn't learn from the lesson of Malvern Hill when he ordered Pickett's Charge.

 

[redbob]

This map gives a better idea of the terrain. The area that was actually fought over was sort of a plateau in a way, and on that plateau the ground sloped slightly upward to the Federal line. The ground on the flanks was steeper.

View attachment 143267

Perhaps the most telling thing about the map is the 19 Union reserve artillery batteries shown.

 

[jackt62]

It really isn't much of a hill but gently sloping upwards with clear field of fire.

 

[jackt62]