Sickles at Gettysburg

[TDMD]

Here's what he said:

Here's something else Alexander said about what he thought of Sickles move. This comes from a point-counterpoint article presented by Scott Hartwig of GNMP:

Finally, no soldier of note in the Army of the Potomac approved of Sickles' advanced position. This included, Hancock, Gibbon, Hunt, Warren, and one of Sickles' division commanders, Andrew A. Humphreys. But the last word on the merit of the line Meade selected comes from a Confederate, Colonel Edward P. Alexander. When Longstreet's assault broke the III Corps line at the Peach Orchard, Alexander thought they had shattered the main enemy line and that "all the rest would be only fun," consisting of shooting at the retreating Federals. But when he arrived at the orchard and had a chance "to take in all the topography, " he was severely disappointed. "It was not the enemy's main line we had broken. That loomed up near 1,000 yards beyond us, a ridge giving good cover behind it & endless fine positions for batteries." Good cover, and endless fine positions for batteries - it was the very ground Meade had ordered Sickles to form on that morning.

The above comes from pages 59 and 60 of North And South Magazine (Volume 8, #4). Hartwig quotes Alexander from Fighting For The Confederacy: The Personal Recollections Of General Edward Porter Alexander, page 240.

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

Dave Powell states in his article in Gettysburg Magazine that Sickles claim that he was told to occupy a spot that was in a very low lying almost swampy area (where his HQ was at the first night). That, however was not where Meade had ordered him to be. He was to be back a bit. Sickles either earnestly believed that was where Meade wanted him, or he lied. The position he was ordered to was some thirty feet lower than the Peach Orchard, but not the deep valley that he claimed. Also, he was supposed to anchor his left on LRT, so that should make up for some of the other terrain.

Not meaning to push my Gettysburg videos on you all, but I do have one shot from the Peach Orchard that shows a 360 degree view as well as some of my commentary. From this vantage point you can see why both sides were drawn to the "high ground".

Greg

 

[TDMD]

Not meaning to push my Gettysburg videos on you all, but I do have one shot from the Peach Orchard that shows a 360 degree view as well as some of my commentary. From this vantage point you can see why both sides were drawn to the "high ground".

Greg

But it is a mirage. It is a magnificent vista (I've been there myself, several times), but it is an easy and prime target for artillery of both sides, from Seminary Ridge and conversely from Cemetery Ridge. It would have been fine as an artillery platform, had Meade adopted the line along the Emmittsburg Road ridge, but he did not. And the reason he did not was because that ridgeline angles off towards the Confederate position. The other strength was as a cavalry outpost (which it was prior to the fighting on July 2), but Buford (whose cavalry division was stationed in the Peach Orchard until about noon on July 2) asked and received permission to refit. He was told to go back to Westminster, MD and watch that area, in case Lee did as Longstreet suggested. So the Union army lost its buffer in the Peach Orchard.