That Mysterious Spy, Harrison

samgrant

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Ever wondered about this guy? mentioned in most accounts of Gettysburg. Given a prime role in the movie.

This Harrison was allegedly one of Longstreets Spies (or 'scouts' as the were called(?)), who appeared out of nowhere at Confederate Headquarters at Chambersburg to deliver the important information of general Hooker's movements. The AOP had moved north of the Potomac, with Geo. Meade now in command! With JEB Stuart gone missing, Lee had no idea about the Union dispositions.

Where did he come form and where did he go? Did he come back again and then disappear?

Coddington refers to him as James Harrison, an actor and associate of Edwin Booth.

Freeman refers to him as Henry T. Harrison, "a Mississippian of adventurous spirit"

Sears refers to him as Henry Thomas Harrison, but does not elaborate.

Trudeau refers to him as Henry T. Harrison, but does not elaborate.

Here's a few links to info about this truly mysterious fellow:

http://scard.buffnet.net/pages/spy/spy.html

http://members.aol.com/spyharrisn/home/faq.htm

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~harrisonrep/harrbios/htharr.htm

http://members.aol.com/spyharrisn/home/Movie_Gettysburg.htm

http://www.wtv-zone.com/civilwar/hharrison.html

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9076
 
Nothing mysterious-Confederate spies

Spies and scouts had been used by Lee and the Confederates for years.
What is mysterious, is Lee did not apparently have any spies near Leesburg, Virginia to watch for an Army of the Potomac crossing of their namesake river.

Stuart certain had too many duties. He was just finishing up battles with Union cavalry, to protect the gaps through the Blue Ridge Mountains.
When the Union army started crossing the Potomac River, Stuart was some thirty miles south in Virginia, just starting his trip north.
Stuart was further delayed, because the Yankees had something to do with it. Not because Stuart intended it.
 
Whit hit the nail on the head.

Why did Lee not have anyone watching his back?

Well, it was assumed that he did, and that is another one of those controversies (involving Stuart), which is still not resolved.

Stuart was to go around the Union army, as he did, but to leave 2 or 3 cav. brigades to cover Lee. For whatever reason, Stuart kept with him the best of his units and left to Lee those of Jones and Robertson and not Hampton (this decision was one of Longstreet's major criticisms).

Apparently Robertson and Jones sat idle, not fully aware of their purpose and did not observe the crossing of the Potomac by the Union army.

Etc., I'm sure there are others who can better elaborate on these events (I hope).
 
Sam, you've brought up a goodly many mebbe's in that post. The spy or spies are generally ignored, but one might assume that any army's intelligence function involved a few (or am I speculating again). If not at least someone going out and asking questions of the locals. The activities of these "agents" must have been of great importance, but we don't get much mention of their activities.
Ole
 
Lee: Unforeseen Consequences

Robertson, Jones, and Stuart were engaged with Union Cavalry in the Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville area, just days before Stuart's departure date for Pennsylvania. Jones and Robertson were left behind to continue to block the gaps through the Blue Ridge Mountains, at Lee's rear.

None of these cavalry units were in position to detect the crossing of the Potomac River by the Army of the Potomac on June 25. In fact Stuart was just starting east, headed for a gap in the Bull Run Mountains. If Stuart was headed east, there was no way Stuart could detect and notify Lee in the Chambersburg area, before the spy did. The time is too short and the distance too great.

And at no time did Stuart have an opportunity to get between the AoP and Lee in Pennsylvania. It was one of the unattended consequences of leaving Stuart as the last Confederate unit in Virginia. Lee had not foreseen that the AoP would cross the Potomac River so early and head north.

I find no record that Lee ever planned to have cavalry units covering the area south of Chambersburg to the Fredericktown area. Another unforeseen consequence. Apparently there were no spies in the Leesburg area, that would have detected a crossing on June 25. As it was, Harrison notified Longstreet, near Chambersburg, only some three days after the AoP crossed the Potomac River.

Stuart was blocked from taking the direct route and cross near Leesburg by AoP infantry. By going east, Stuart was forced by Union troops blocking access through the Bull Run gaps, to make a move even further east.

Stuart by circumstances of a late move to PA and the blocking action of the AoP infantry, delayed Stuart's arrival in PA by a couple of days. Too late to inform Lee of any information he had acquired in Virginia.

Plus Stuart was never aware that Lee had changed the plans for attack in PA, by drawing Ewell away from the Susquehanna River. Stuart went towards York, because that was where Lee had planned to send Ewell's Corps.

Separate an army and great problems can arise in communication, as they did.
 
Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia
June 23, 1863

Mr President:Reports of movements of the enemy east of the Blue Ridge cause me to believe that he is preparing to cross the Potomac. A pontoon bridge is said to be laid at Edwards Ferry and his army corps that he has advanced to Leesburg...

R.E. Lee
General
***********
No Confederate force was then located near Leesburg, Virginia.
Stuart was not in the area, as he was some distance south of the Potomac River on June 23.

Lee had to be getting information from scouts or spies in the area.

It surprises me how shocked Lee seemed in the movie and the historical accounts, when informed on June 28 by a spy, that the Army of the Potomac had crossed their namesake river.

Stuart, previously protecting Lee's rear did not start his journey north to Pennsylvania until June 25th.

The Army of the Potomac started crossing the Potomac River on June 25. At Edwards Ferry near Leesburg, Virginia, the very place Lee had written of to Jefferson Davis on June 23rd.
 
SpiritofPicket,

I know that boys as young as ten years old were killed in battle. About 500 of them according to Union records.

Sorry, I have no information on an 11-year old being hung during the war. That's not to say it didn't happen, I've just never come across such an incident.

Anybody else got anything?

Unionblue
 
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