Movements of Generals - Longstreet and McLaws with Barksdale and Wofford late on July 2

Tom Elmore

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Estimated date/time: July 2, about 6:15 p.m.: “We were lying behind [Captain] Moody’s battery, just under a little hill, when General Longstreet and McLaws rode up and gave our Brigadier [Barksdale] his instructions, that when Hood’s division had driven them until his line was at an angle of 45 degrees, then we were to advance.” [Journal of William M. Abernathy, Co. B, 17th Mississippi]

Comment: These instructions appear to have been followed, but involved Brig. Gen. Kershaw’s brigade, not Hood’s men. Indeed, when Kershaw’s brigade neared the Emmitsburg Road, at about a 45 degree angle from Barksdale’s men, Kershaw later recorded that he heard Barksdale’s drummers beat the assembly, moments before they advanced.

Estimated date/time: July 2, about 6:40 to 6:50 p.m.: “Gen’l Longstreet, accompanied by Gen’l McLaws, rode near us and spoke briefly with Gen’l Wofford, who saluted smartly, turned his horse and galloped to the front of his brigade. … Moving out of the woods into the open … Genl’s McLaws and Longstreet had ridden, to our surprise, most recklessly out ahead of our advancing brigade, but had determined it necessary in order to see our proper line of advance. … When almost to the Emmitsburg Road, we reached and passed Genl’s Longstreet and McLaws, who had wisely halted and allowed us to pass by. We greeted them with a cheer, to which both Genl’s doffed their hats in salute. Longstreet called out, ‘Cheer less boys and fight more. Your work is up ahead – give them the steel!’ Our feelings slightly injured at this mild rebuke, and heedless of his advice we nevertheless answered with another cheer.” [Feed them the Steel!, Wartime Recollections of Captain James L. Lemon, Co. A, 18th Georgia]

Comment: Others recorded this same event:

“Barksdale’s Brigade made its advance, and was soon followed by Wofford’s, which Longstreet also accompanied in person.” [Military Memoirs of a Confederate, by Gen. E. P. Alexander, p. 399]

“Today Longstreet led a Georgia regiment in a charge against a battery, hat in hand, and in front of everybody.” [Sir Arthur Fremantle]

“General Longstreet threw himself in front of one of our Georgia regiments and with three cheers for him they dashed on irresistibly.” [Edwin Taliaferro, Letter, July 9, 1863, Papers, Virginia Historical Society; Taliaferro served on McLaws’ staff]

“At the commencement of the charge, General Longstreet went some distance forward with Wofford’s brigade, urging them on by voice and his personal example to the most earnest efforts. The troops needed no outside impulse, but his conduct was gallant and inspiring.” [Lafayette McLaws, Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. 7, p. 74]

“Just as we rode from the timber into the open … I noticed that we were riding in front of Wofford’s men. I called General Longstreet’s attention to this … He checked his horse and held him until Wofford’s men had gotten in front of us. … General Longstreet from the minute he came into the open where [he] could see Round Top, had field glasses constantly upon that eminence … deeply interested in Hood’s efforts. [William Youngblood, courier to Longstreet, Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. 38, p. 312]

Comment: Longstreet’s focus on the action in the direction of the Round Tops was also recorded by Frank Moran, a Federal soldier in the 73rd New York, who was wounded and captured by Barksdale’s men just east of the Sherfy buildings, and slowly made his way to the rear of the Confederate lines.

Estimated date/time: July 2, about 7:05 p.m.: “Just after passing Sherfy’s barn I met General Longstreet riding, unattended, to the front … The General, seeing me wounded, politely bowed and passed on without remark. He was looking attentively toward Round Top, although the heaviest firing at that time was directly in his front and across the Emmitsburg Road [from Barksdale’s attack]. Finally he put the spurs to his horse and disappeared in the direction of the Peach Orchard … [Account of Frank Moran, America’s Civil War, July 2003]
 
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By chance I have just found this "Unwritten History of the Gettysburg Campaign" by a certain William Youngblood.
It is the recollection of a courier in Longstreet's Corps and from what I read up to now, a gripping read. @lelliott19 , you might like to read it because Wofford's Brigade and its actions is described in detail.

Was Longstreet trying to coordinate the main attack from the front?

Maybe this little clip helps answer your question... and where I found this, there's more...

"Just as we rode from the timber into the open, which brought us face to face with the Union army, I noticed that we were riding in front of Wofford's men. I called General Longstreet's attention to this, and suggested the danger of being shot down by our own troops. He checked his horse andheld him until Wofford's men had gotten in front of us. The Union army was found between our people and the peach orchard upon a road along which they had piled rails and whatever else they could get that would aid in making a breastworks, and were lying behind these rails awaiting our attack. The peach orchard was on Wofford's left and Barksdale's right. General Longstreet from the minute he came into the open where could see Round Top, had his field glasses constantly upon that end of his line, deeply interested in Hood's efforts. Upon approaching the peach orchard the Union forces had fallen back beyond the orchard; our people were driving them, but General Barksdale's Brigade had halted behind the small breastworks which the enemy had abandoned, while Wofford's men had gone on. I called General Longstreet's attention to this, and said, "Do you want General Barksdale to halt?" He turned his head and said, "No; go tell him to retake his position in the line." I turned my horse and dashed to Barksdale's, jumping a fence to do so, when I fell, pulling myself back into the saddle by my horse's neck. I found General Barksdale on his horse standing behind a brick milkhouse, and giving him the order from General Longstreet he put spurs to his horse, dashed a little ways along his line, giving the order to charge at double-quick, when I distinctly heard a shot strike him and saw him fall from his horse. I went back to General Longstreet, who was guiding his horse into the peach orchard, told him of Barksdale's fall; when he said, "Go on beyond this orchard and tell General Alexander to advance his artillery, and to keep in touch with Wofford's left. I hunted my way to this battery. The smoke, noise of shells, thunder of cannon, the hissing of balls so thick and so great that one of the artillerymen led my horse to General Alexander, whom I found a few feet in front of his own guns, his glasses to his eyes, standing the bravest of the brave. I gave the order; he pointed and said, "Tell General Longstreet that as soon as I drive back this column of advancing enemy I will advance." This column was coming into the vacuum caused by Barksdale's halt."

Read more here:
https://www.ancestry.com/boards/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=1920&p=surnames.youngblood

Edit: Link does not work anymore. Please google the title and author, "Unwritten history of Gettysburg Youngblood" . First hit will be the above story, just scroll down a bit to read it. Sorry for that!
 
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Thanks so much @FarawayFriend !!! Ill definitely read the rest.
EDIT TO ADD: The link above did not work for me. Could you post it again please?

And @Tom Elmore Seems to me that all the accounts of Longstreet & McLaws riding forward with, and even in advance of Wofford's brigade, should pretty much eliminate any previous notion that the direction of Wofford's advance (straight ahead rather then angling left and following Barksdale) was an independent decision, made by Wofford. I'd like to finally eliminate that notion - once and for all. :D

Seems to me that if Longstreet and/or McLaws had wanted to make adjustments in the alignment or direction, they certainly had every opportunity to do so. It seems clear to me that Wofford's straight ahead advance was the intended direction - or at least Longstreet, McLaws, and Wofford were all on the same page about the intended direction.
 
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EDIT TO ADD: The link above did not work for me. Could you post it again please?

So sorry, Laura, now it does not work for me anymore either! But you can find it if you just google "Unwritten history of Gettysburg Youngblood". First hit is the story, just scroll down a bit to see it.

Sorry again, seems to be an issue on ancestry.com.
 
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