Orders

[dmahalek]

Today at the conclusion of our Senior Citizens College Monday morning lecture, a gentleman asked the lecturer (my wife) if Lee had issued written orders for Picketts charge or were the orders given orally.
my wife came home and asked me about the orders. I must admit that even though I taught History for many years, I did not know the answer. Can someone help me out?
Thankks

 

[rpkennedy]

I don't recall that Lee gave any orders to Pickett directly. Longstreet definitely gave Pickett orders and briefed him on what was going on.

Ryan

 

[CavRTO]

Today at the conclusion of our Senior Citizens College Monday morning lecture, a gentleman asked the lecturer (my wife) if Lee had issued written orders for Picketts charge or were the orders given orally.
my wife came home and asked me about the orders. I must admit that even though I taught History for many years, I did not know the answer. Can someone help me out?
Thankks

I doubt Lee would have bypassed the chain of command to issue an order directly unless under the most dire of circumstances which this did not at the time.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Chain of command - Lee would not issue orders directly to division commanders, bypassing his corps commanders. I don't recall any written orders on the Confederate side during the battle. From what I have read, while on this battlefield, Lee communicated directly with his three corps commanders, who then briefed subordinates, and so on down the line. A staff officer or courier might also be employed at times, but not to order a major attack, except as notification to initiate an action that was previously briefed.

Signal guns were also used on the right flank, alerting participants to the launch of a specific event, like in connection with McLaws' advance on July 2 or the grand cannonade on July 3. On the right flank on July 2, some brigade commanders were directed to take their cue from the brigade on their right; Barksdale was briefed to charge when Kershaw had reached a certain angle off his right front. Early was briefed by Ewell to have Hays and Avery charge once he heard Johnson's attack being made.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Agree with Tom Elmore. In resolving this, think one needs to remain aware of the distinction between formal written orders issued and field communications conveyed (either orally or via note) for carrying out formal orders.

Believe there is no known record of any written order by Lee to Longstreet for the July 3 attack. Following the day's operations on July 2, Lee merely wrote in his post-battle report ('OR': Vol. XXVII, Part II, at p. 320) , …"Longstreet, re-enforced by Pickett's three brigades, which arrived near the battlefield during the afternoon of the 2d., was ordered to attack the next morning,…"…

It appears that Lee's attack order was communicated verbally.

Found some disparity in the commentary, however, about who might have verbally delivered the order.

In 'Gettysburg', Stephen Sears wrote (at pp 346-47). …"Lee's orders for July 3 reached Longstreet probably around 10 o'clock that Thursday night. The orders themselves are not on record – they were probably delivered verbally."….

More specifically, in 'Lee's Lieutenants', Douglas Freeman indicates that during the night of July 2-3, Lee rode up to Longstreet's field headquarters and delivered the order personally.

There is no mention (or implication) in any of these references, that any formal written order for the charge was issued.

This subject makes me also wonder whether there are any instances during the war of Confederate Corps commanders ever insisting on receiving a formal written order before carrying out a disputed verbal one. (Can vaguely recall at least one instance of a Southern Division commander in the western theater requiring a written order from high command, before joining in a launched attack).