Reynolds in Command

[weasel]

Not to compare the awful waste of life in war to sports but I think the what-ifs helps your analysis of an event. ESPN and others have created a billion dollar industry on sports analysis.

...and if one never touches might-have-beens at all then it becomes purely academic and we should all just be memorizing data with no need to discuss it.

 

[Mango Hill]

As the Commander of the Army of the Potomac? You don't lead the whole army from the front. It's not practical. I seriously doubt that he would have been killed. Does anyone know of an example of an army commander who was killed in action during the Civil War?

Would Nathaniel Lyon qualify as an Army commander when he was killed at Wilson's Creek. First General to die in battle and (according to his short bio in Boatner's CW Dictionary) the Union's first military hero.

 

[rpkennedy]

I can only imagine how Doubleday would of treated those first few hours. Reynolds drove his men to relieve Buford. Saw to their disposition and pretty much delayed the Confederates enough that they weren't able to take the heights.

Now put Doubleday in that exact situation... I just don't know.

In fairness to Doubleday, July 1 at Gettysburg was his finest hour of the war. A normally solid but average officer, he took charge and fought the First Corps as well as anyone could have.

Ryan

 

[MackCW]

In fairness to Doubleday, July 1 at Gettysburg was his finest hour of the war. A normally solid but average officer, he took charge and fought the First Corps as well as anyone could have.

Ryan

Agreed. I was referring to how he would react to Buford's couriers the day before which is to say... I really don't have an answer to that.

 

[treebie2000]

"Would Reynolds have acted similarly to Meade in terms of dumping the rest of the army into Gettysburg in support of I Corps or told them to fall back?"
All conjecture of course....
But I think if Reynolds had been running the AOP, it should have depended on who was giving him the intel on the developing situation, and who was in command of his lead subordinate units that would first make contact in support of Buford.

Meade had darn good reasons for having Reynolds commanding his left wing.
He knew Reynolds would give him reliable intel.
He knew that wing would most likely be the one to contact the ANV first.
He knew Reynolds was a fighter, yet smart enough to make a solid decision on fight or yield.
He knew Reynolds could analyze terrain in order to place the rest of the army on sound ground.

For all Reynolds knew, he was throwing his 1st Corps (and the rest of the left wing) into the face of the entire ANV. Yeah, my gut says that this Pennsylvanian was going to bring on a fight sooner than later, whether he was leading the 1st Corps, the left wing, or the entire AOP.

 

[infomanpa]

Would Nathaniel Lyon qualify as an Army commander when he was killed at Wilson's Creek. First General to die in battle and (according to his short bio in Boatner's CW Dictionary) the Union's first military hero.

No. He was never a commanding officer of a formal organizational unit, "army."

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Now put Doubleday in that exact situation... I just don't know.

Given the chance I'm sure his performance would have been a home run.

If it had been, say, Slocum (who apparently ignored calls for help) or Sickles, or Howard or most anyone else besides Hancock, it's highly debatable whether Buford would have chosen to stand and fight. He knew good and well that his horsemen couldn't stand up to a full corps of the ANV. He only did it because he knew Reynolds had his back.

Buford didn't know how much infantry he was facing. I think he fights regardless. Without infantry support he certainly has to fall back though.

But if them black hat fellas don't get there as fast does Hill commit more support for Heth? Henry is just facing some cavalry which, though they're putting up a good fight, are being pushed back. No need to rush support. No "general engagement" until later in the day. Maybe by then Lee has stopped by to check on Hill and orders him not to commit more men?

 

[weasel]

Even though he technically wasn't an army commander you can add General Zollicoffer's death at Mill Springs to that list. His death pretty much demoralized the Confederate forces during the battle.

I'd always thought of Zollicoffer as being an army commander, was it technically not an army or was he technically not its commander?

 

[weasel]

In fairness to Doubleday, July 1 at Gettysburg was his finest hour of the war. A normally solid but average officer, he took charge and fought the First Corps as well as anyone could have.

Ryan

The first essay in (I can never remember the name) "Battles & Leaders", I think it was is an interesting read, written by Doubleday about the time immediately before Fort Sumter fell.

If all you ever know is that there was a Fort Sumter and it was fired upon it really expands on that. For example, I had no idea that John B. Floyd was up in Washington at the time essentially embezzling money and supplies so that they would be in a position for the South to take them once the fighting started.

 

[weasel]

But if them black hat fellas don't get there as fast does Hill commit more support for Heth? Henry is just facing some cavalry which, though they're putting up a good fight, are being pushed back. No need to rush support. No "general engagement" until later in the day. Maybe by then Lee has stopped by to check on Hill and orders him not to commit more men?

I wouldn't think so, I think the general feeling on the Confederate side was that they had the situation well in hand, and Ewell was on the way. Not only was he bringing more men, but if the XI Corps hadn't arrived where it did he still would have been in a spectacular position to join the fight against I Corps if that's all there was on the field.

 

[MackCW]

I'd always thought of Zollicoffer as being an army commander, was it technically not an army or was he technically not its commander?

Technically not an army in the strictest sense.

 

[Irishtom29]

I'd always thought of Zollicoffer as being an army commander, was it technically not an army or was he technically not its commander?

According to my dictionary he commanded an army--a large body of persons trained and armed for war.