McLaws Moves into Position

[Tom Elmore]

The Federals are alerted to imminent danger when Kershaw's brigade arrives southwest of the Peach Orchard and sends forward skirmishers against the 63rd Pennsylvania. Assistance is sought from DeTrobriand's brigade near the Stony Hill, which will dispatch the 3rd Michigan. Barksdale's brigade follows Kershaw but remains concealed in the woods. Cabell's artillery battalion prepares to take position under the direction of E. P. Alexander, who had earlier scouted out positions for Cabell and his own artillery battalion. Map depicts the situation at 3 p.m.

"At 3 p. m. the head of my column emerged from the woods … I immediately formed line of battle along the stone wall … under cover of my skirmishers, who engaged those of the enemy near the Emmitsburg road" – Brigadier General Joseph B. Kershaw.

"Barksdale … following, came into line on the left of Kershaw … I hurried back to quicken the march of those in the rear and sent orders for my artillery to move to the right and open fire" – Major General Lafayette McLaws.

"At 3 o'clock on the afternoon of July 2nd, the enemy was discovered approaching with a long line of skirmishers, their right extending a half mile or more beyond the Sixty-third's extreme left … when the officer in command of the Union line gave orders to fire and kill the [enemy commander of] … the skirmish line. All fired and he fell dead in his tracks. We held the line in our immediate front, firing at every head that showed above the oats. The rebel skirmish line tried to form a loop around the left of the Union skirmish line" – Captain Robert A. Nesbitt, Company A, 63rd Pennsylvania.

"The enemy … was driving in our pickets" – Lieutenant Colonel Edwin S. Pierce, 3rd Michigan.

"Colonel [E. Porter] Alexander rode up to me and said … that he would ride with me to show me the position he wished Cabell's battalion to occupy … Some skirmishers who were thrown in advance hailed us to say, 'Don't go that way unless you want to be killed.'" – Colonel Henry C. Cabell.

"Three p.m. … the battle opened in earnest" – Member of the 105th Pennsylvania.

Sources:
-Kershaw's Brigade at Gettysburg, by J. B. Kershaw, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, 3:332.
-Account by Gen. Lafayette McLaws, Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. VII, 1879, p. 70.
-Under the Red Patch, Story of the Sixty Third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1864, comp. by Gilbert Adams Hays, Pittsburgh, PA: Regimental Association, 1908, p. 194.
-Official Report of Lt. Col. Edwin S. Pierce.
-Henry Coalter Cabell, Cabell Family Papers, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond.
-105th Pennsylvania, History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-5, by Samuel P. Bates, III:785.

 

[infomanpa]

Interesting. There is essentially no change in the location and number of Union troops depicted since your previous map of 1:15 PM. All along I have been assuming that by 3:00 PM, Sickles had most of his troops in position at the salient of the Peach Orchard. Also, I have believed that by the time that McLaws had reached the position on your map, he was surprised by the large number of Union soldiers located there and forced him to reconsider his orders. Can you help me with this?

 

[Tom Elmore]

Excellent question, and that's kind of what I had thought going into this exercise. The Third Corps would soon move up to the road, although they had already advanced as far as shown, and Humphreys had also advanced to the right rear of Graham (perhaps off the northeastern edge of the map). What I found, however, is that the timing hinges on the initial skirmishing followed by the opening of Cabell's artillery which coincides with Meade's visit to Sickles, as well as the deployment of Ames' battery, etc., which will be presented soon. Meade's visit with Sickles at Burling's brigade was cut short by this Confederate barrage, and on the way to this meeting he had passed in front of Humphreys division. I am aware of the battlefield plaques indicating a forward movement by the Third Corps to the Peach Orchard between 2 and 3 p.m., and there indeed was a partial forward movement, but the sources point to the final movement of infantry forward to the orchard and road occurring in reaction to the Confederate artillery barrage, led off by Graham's brigade of Birney's division, closely followed by Humphreys' division. One of my primary purposes is to present the available sources and I hope to be challenged by additional sources or different interpretations offered by readers. This exercise certainly challenged my own previous notions of how Sickles had conducted this advance and the timing.

 

[infomanpa]

Excellent question, and that's kind of what I had thought going into this exercise. The Third Corps would soon move up to the road, although they had already advanced as far as shown, and Humphreys had also advanced to the right rear of Graham (perhaps off the northeastern edge of the map). What I found, however, is that the timing hinges on the initial skirmishing followed by the opening of Cabell's artillery which coincides with Meade's visit to Sickles, as well as the deployment of Ames' battery, etc., which will be presented soon. Meade's visit with Sickles at Burling's brigade was cut short by this Confederate barrage, and on the way to this meeting he had passed in front of Humphreys division. I am aware of the battlefield plaques indicating a forward movement by the Third Corps to the Peach Orchard between 2 and 3 p.m., and there indeed was a partial forward movement, but the sources point to the final movement of infantry forward to the orchard and road occurring in reaction to the Confederate artillery barrage, led off by Graham's brigade of Birney's division, closely followed by Humphreys' division. One of my primary purposes is to present the available sources and I hope to be challenged by additional sources or different interpretations offered by readers. This exercise certainly challenged my own previous notions of how Sickles had conducted this advance and the timing.

Fascinating stuff. So, my 2 questions are:
1. What did McLaws see and when did he see it?
2. How long after 3 PM did Cabell and Alexander finally arrive?

 

[Tom Elmore]

I am trying now to make sense of the different versions and events involving Carr and Brewster.

In addition to McLaws, Kershaw also recalled seeing a lot of troops in about the Peach Orchard. Then we have Private John Cox of Company B, 2nd South Carolina, who has proven to be a reliable reporter. Soon after taking position, he and several others walked to the left "about 100 yards" to observe the soon-to-be-famous peach orchard. He wrote: "The light skirmishing was going on in the peach orchard, which was so densely green that couldn't see the men of either party. We were sharply called back to the ranks and cautioned not to expose ourselves to the view of the enemy." Hood was just passing behind them, which time I judge to be 3 p.m. (Confederate Veteran, vol. 21 (1913), p. 433)

Cabell's batteries took position soon after Kershaw was in position and by my estimate opened fire at 3:30 p.m. Cabell was waiting until receiving word from Alexander that the latter was in position, at least 10 minutes but I think closer to 15, meaning he was ready by 3:15 or 3:20. In fact, one of Sickles staff officers counted 11 guns in position to the left front (where Cabell was posted), which led Sickles to order forward Graham's brigade to the Peach Orchard. It appears Alexander's guns were kept hidden in the woods and not moved up to the edge of the woods until Cabell opened. Alexander writes that he then moved his battalion forward into position to help Cabell out and opened fire, which I figure was about 10 minutes later, or 3:40 p.m. That neatly corresponds with Captain Ames' (G/1 NY) account, who received what must have been Cabell's fire just before taking a position in the peach orchard, and not long after taking that position was surprised by a flank fire from Gilbert's battery (of Alexander's battalion).

Besides these links, we also have Hunt's account. He arrived in the orchard prior to 3:30 p.m. and then saw Meade and Sickles meeting at some distance (presumably also marked by their respective flags). Hunt visited Ames when he was already under fire, but departed just before Gilbert opened, meaning between 3:30 and 3:40 p.m. That also dovetails nicely with Hunt's visit to Smith's battery in Devil's Den around 4 p.m.

Finally we have an account by a member of the 6th New Jersey of Burling, whose brigade moved out of the woods. Sickles rode up, then Meade rode up, and then the artillery (presumably Cabell) opened up, which put an end to the meeting about 3:35 p.m. It all fits quite nicely, which is not to say that it is the ultimate truth, but everything does go neatly into place in this puzzle. Incidentally, as I noted, Meade had passed in front of Humphrey's division (Carr and Brewster) on his way to see Sickles (according to staff officer Cavada), which suggests to me that Carr and Brewster were still east of a line drawn northward from the Trostle buildings, yet some accounts place them 300 yards from the Emmitsburg road at that time. So that takes me back to my first sentence.

By the way, that reminds me of another small piece of this interconnecting puzzle. Sickles had ordered Clark's B/1 NJ to fire a few shots at Confederates crossing the Emmitsburg road 1,400 yards to the south. That must be Hood's men moving into position, and the time would be 3:20 by the above calculations. Soon after, Clark drew up behind the peach orchard and witnessed Ames being smacked by Cabell as Ames was passing the spot that Clark had recently occupied, which would be at 3:30 p.m. Again a very snug fit with the above narrative.

 

[FZ11]

The Federals are alerted to imminent danger when Kershaw's brigade arrives southwest of the Peach Orchard and sends forward skirmishers against the 63rd Pennsylvania. Assistance is sought from DeTrobriand's brigade near the Stony Hill, which will dispatch the 3rd Michigan. Barksdale's brigade follows Kershaw but remains concealed in the woods. Cabell's artillery battalion prepares to take position under the direction of E. P. Alexander, who had earlier scouted out positions for Cabell and his own artillery battalion. Map depicts the situation at 3 p.m.

"At 3 p. m. the head of my column emerged from the woods … I immediately formed line of battle along the stone wall … under cover of my skirmishers, who engaged those of the enemy near the Emmitsburg road" – Brigadier General Joseph B. Kershaw.

"Barksdale … following, came into line on the left of Kershaw … I hurried back to quicken the march of those in the rear and sent orders for my artillery to move to the right and open fire" – Major General Lafayette McLaws.

"At 3 o'clock on the afternoon of July 2nd, the enemy was discovered approaching with a long line of skirmishers, their right extending a half mile or more beyond the Sixty-third's extreme left … when the officer in command of the Union line gave orders to fire and kill the [enemy commander of] … the skirmish line. All fired and he fell dead in his tracks. We held the line in our immediate front, firing at every head that showed above the oats. The rebel skirmish line tried to form a loop around the left of the Union skirmish line" – Captain Robert A. Nesbitt, Company A, 63rd Pennsylvania.

"The enemy … was driving in our pickets" – Lieutenant Colonel Edwin S. Pierce, 3rd Michigan.

"Colonel [E. Porter] Alexander rode up to me and said … that he would ride with me to show me the position he wished Cabell's battalion to occupy … Some skirmishers who were thrown in advance hailed us to say, 'Don't go that way unless you want to be killed.'" – Colonel Henry C. Cabell.

"Three p.m. … the battle opened in earnest" – Member of the 105th Pennsylvania.

Sources:
-Kershaw's Brigade at Gettysburg, by J. B. Kershaw, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, 3:332.
-Account by Gen. Lafayette McLaws, Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. VII, 1879, p. 70.
-Under the Red Patch, Story of the Sixty Third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1864, comp. by Gilbert Adams Hays, Pittsburgh, PA: Regimental Association, 1908, p. 194.
-Official Report of Lt. Col. Edwin S. Pierce.
-Henry Coalter Cabell, Cabell Family Papers, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond.
-105th Pennsylvania, History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-5, by Samuel P. Bates, III:785.

Great post. Thanks!