What a difference an hour makes: ECH and Culp's Hill 7:15 PM - 8:15 PM

jameswoods

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Jul 29, 2015
At 7:15 p.m. EST, except for Jones' Confederate brigade at the eastern bank of Rock creek posing the only threat to the Union brigades defending that height, the remaining hour of daylight seemed an unlikely time for the opening of any hostilities at the barbed end of the AOP's fishhook line.

However, all was not how it appeared. Within ten minutes time, Jones' brigade would start to cross Rock creek and Avery's left regiments would start their advance culminating in a left wheel that would bring the North Carolina brigade in line with Hay's Louisiana brigade in a surprise attack on East Cemetery Hill. Hays would delay his regiments forward movement for a half hour to allow Avery to complete his left wheel.

Incredibly, at approximately 7:20 p.m., Lockwood's 12th Corps' brigade had already started to lead most of the Corps' away from Culp's Hill toward Meade's left.

Twenty minutes later, just as Federal skirmishers were starting to fall back toward ECH, General Doubleday finished giving an arousing speech to soldiers of the 13th Vermont as five companies of that regiment were hurried off down the Taneytown road in response to an urgent call for assistance by General Hancock. It was promptly followed by the 14th and 16th Vermont and then by Dana's brigade at approximately 7:50 p. m. , at which time all 12th Corps' brigades except for Greene's had vacated Culp's Hill.

Coulter's and Baxter's brigades (Robinson's Division, 1st Corps) followed quickly after Dana so that by 8:15 p.m., only Biddle's brigade had not moved out of its reserve position (it would do so in less than five minutes time). See attached maps (and legend for color coded brigades) for an appreciation of the change in conditions within that one hour.
 

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  • 715pmECHandCulpsBrigades.pdf
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Lee's echelon attack had two ways of succeeding. Either punch a hole in the line or draw off reserves for II and III Corps troops to rupture the position on cemetery and culps hill. Andrrdon, Pender, Rodes, Early, and Johnson were primed to dislodge Union I and XI Corps from their position.
 
I generally agree with your sequence of events, although not the timing. I have Jones-Williams-Steuart in a line crossing Rock Creek about sunset (7:32 p.m.), so we are nearly in agreement there. The main Federal skirmish line was posted at Rock Creek with some pickets beyond, meaning initial shots were exchanged a few minutes prior (about 7:25), and only Greene was still in the trenches then, having already extended to his right. But if the rest of the Twelfth Corps did not depart the Culp's Hill works until 7:20, they could not have reached the Baltimore Pike before heavy gunfire erupted behind them and, turning around, could have easily made it back to their works ahead of Johnson's Confederates.

In addition, if the five companies of 13th Vermont departed from behind Cemetery Hill at 7:40, they could have arrived due east of the Codori buildings to help repel Lang's Floridians as early as 7:50, but by that time I figure Lang's remnant had already retreated and was back in Spangler woods on Seminary Ridge. Yet I do appreciate your conclusion that events occurred very rapidly in that timeframe.
 
As Tom was saying the sequence doesn't white time right, but the fact is Meade had left his Culps Hill and Cemetery Hill forced dangerously thin.
 
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if the rest of the Twelfth Corps did not depart the Culp's Hill works until 7:20, they could not have reached the Baltimore Pike before heavy gunfire erupted behind them and, turning around, could have easily made it back to their works ahead of Johnson's Confederates.

In addition, if the five companies of 13th Vermont departed from behind Cemetery Hill at 7:40, they could have arrived due east of the Codori buildings to help repel Lang's Floridians as early as 7:50, but by that time I figure Lang's remnant had already retreated and was back in Spangler woods on Seminary Ridge. Yet I do appreciate your conclusion that events occurred very rapidly in that timeframe.

While the 1st Maryland PHG, Lockwood's brigade, reached the Baltimore Pike at approximately 7:20 p.m. EST, the last of the 12 Corps to reach that highway was Kane's three regiments almost a full half hour later, i.e. at 7:48 p.m. That being the case, they would have been able to march a considerable distance down the pike before the escalating sound of musketry caused by Jones' brigade's attack against the 60th New York's breastworks (warranting Howard's dispatch of Von Amsberg's brigade to Culp's Hill at about 7:55 p.m.) might have reached them. Also, Kane was under orders to follow the rest of the Division (right off the battlefield as it turned out) and did not have the authority to deviate from those orders.

I agree that by 7:50 p.m. Lang's three Florida regiments were in retreat but, I believe, were still east of the Emmitsburg road. I have them reaching the shelter of Spangler's woods at about 8:15 p.m. See the attached Cemetery Ridge map for where I estimate the five 13th Vermont companies were at 7:50 p.m. (Col. Randall not yet meeting Gen. Hancock).
 

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  • CemeteryRidge750pm.pdf
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