Third Corps and the PCC

[Scott Brown]

A question for the esteemed group.

In his book Four Years With The Army of the Potomac, Regis De Trobriand wrote the following (see pg. 484)

"Now we come to the first of July. We started our march early in the morning [essentially from the east side of Emmitsburg] but there was a delay of some hours. Then it was announced that we were to fall back on Middleburg, and the troops began to move in that direction when the movement was suddenly stopped by the arrival of a despatch (De Trobriand goes on to describe the 1:30 message from Howard "Reynolds is dead. For God's sake, come up").

I've never come across any other accounts that point to or even suggest actual retrograde troop movements as outlined in the PCC (Middleburg was designated as the Third Corps position in the event the PCC was implemented).

Any thoughts? Based especially on Sickles' JCCW testimony that he received the PCC while still at Emmitsburg?

 

[Tom Elmore]

I've just reviewed the march routes of the Third Corps brigades and find no mention of a retrograde movement among the primary sources. The Third Corps halted near Emmitsburg to give First Corps units precedence on the march to Gettysburg, with the brigades of DeTrobriand and Burling being left behind until very early the next morning to guard a nearby mountain pass.

 

[Scott Brown]

I've just reviewed the march routes of the Third Corps brigades and find no mention of a retrograde movement among the primary sources. The Third Corps halted near Emmitsburg to give First Corps units precedence on the march to Gettysburg, with the brigades of DeTrobriand and Burling being left behind until very early the next morning to guard a nearby mountain pass.

Thanks, Tom. I haven't found anything to corroborate such a move either, except Sickles' JCCW testimony (indirectly).

Do you think De Trobriand's memory on this was faulty, then? And that the mention of Middleburg was coincidental?

 

[LibertyAndUnion]

It's possible De T's memory failed him. A key point to remember about the Pipe Creek Circular: Meade's original order on the plan was not a call to retreat there. He left open the possibility of an attack, and Reynolds clearly had the discretion to move forward as he saw fit. There's no justification from the historical record to say the 3rd Corps (or any other) was ordered to the Pipe Creek line in the original circular. I doubt Reynolds ever read it, anyway. Destiny pushed him in another direction.

 

[Scott Brown]

I'm totally with you on the PCC, and I don't believe Reynolds ever saw it. I think if Sickes was being truthful about receiving it while at Emmitsburg, then he completely misunderstood the conditional nature of the circular.

But again, if we're going to chalk this up to faulty memory all those years later, we've got to accept that his specific mention of Middleburg is sheer coincidence, don't we?

That's the part I'm struggling with.

 

[Crazy Delawares]

Was DeTrobriand a supporter of Sickles, Meade or neither? Or could this have been a case of faulty memory like everyone has suggested?

 

[Scott Brown]

Was DeTrobriand a supporter of Sickles, Meade or neither? Or could this have been a case of faulty memory like everyone has suggested?

Great question. Personally, I think he was "neutral" by the time he was writing this. As an aside, check out his opinion of the "line on the spine" versus the Stony Hill position.

 

[Crazy Delawares]

Great question. Personally, I think he was "neutral" by the time he was writing this. As an aside, check out his opinion of the "line on the spine" versus the Stony Hill position.

I believe I shall! Thank you!

 

[Saint Jude]

I think if Sickes was being truthful about receiving it while at Emmitsburg, then he completely misunderstood the conditional nature of the circular.

He probably wasn't the only one who considered the PPC a fixed order. Others who seemed to have believed that were Slocum and Hancock.

 

[Scott Brown]

That's probably fair. When you get a message on the march that reads "stop where this finds you", that doesn't leave much room for interpretation.

As for Hancock and his "Reynolds was a mask" testimony, that was essentially the plan , but only if the PCC was implemented. Additionally, the decision was intended to be made by the commander being attacked, not by the commanding general several miles away.