- Joined
- May 27, 2008
The position that Sickles complained about was not really the position that Meade ordered him to. Dave Powell mentions that in his Gettysburg Magazine (issue #28). Sickles managed to convey that post-battle. His HQ on the night of July 1/2 was in the low swale that he complained about. Meade ordered him to be slightly east of that swale on higher ground.
I posted this about a year ago....
Much has been written about Sickles's advance to high ground from Cemetery Ridge on the 2nd day. Leaving an ordered position which seemed to put his Corps in a poor position were his artillery was ineffective and his infantry was vulnerable. Meade may have been toying with the idea of leaving the field altogether. Some say that Sickles's sacrifice of his Corps saved the Army and Gettysburg. Here is a good argument.
http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=3864