What if Sickles didn't advance?

Carronade

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This came up on the "Lee break the line" thread and got me wondering, what would the action on Day 2 have looked like if Sickles had remained in his original position?
 
Sickles 2cd Division spent the night of July 1st marching to the battlefield of Gettysburg. They were headed by Brig. Gen. Andrew Humphreys. He was a man who knew had a mind for fighting and logistics. A solid ,dependable commander. His Division, the White Diamonds, came in from the west on the Millerstown Road passing thru the southern end of Seminary Woods. In doing so they passed into Buford's line. Buford controlled the intersection from there to the south and then west in and arc ending on the south end of Big Round Top. Rolling in after midnight, the 2cd Division camped in the hollow to the east of the Peach Orchard that sat at the intersection of the Emittsburg and the Millerstown/Wheatfield Road(s).
Before dawn Buford and 3rd Corps sent various patrols out. Before long word began to comeback that the enemy is moving to the left. At 10 am Buford was removed from the line. Sickles command took over with operations in the Seminary Woods culminating around noon when 3rd Corps Sharpshooters and supporting infantry tangled with Anderson's Division coming into line in the woods. Confederates in the road below watched the fight. Anderson's Division had been in the rear, had passed McLaw's Division then came abreast of Hood's men in the roadway. Hood's men said that Anderson's men took a left up a farmers road, passed beyond his house and up into the fight in the woods beyond.
Sickles has some 10,000-12,000 men. The confederates are running about 23,000.
The White Diamonds deploy. The line angles back badly on the left around the Peach Orchard. To the right it terminates just shy of the Roger's House. On the other side of that home Hancock has deployed a battery and a brigade. From there the roads merge.
The Red Diamond Division, Phil Kearny's old command, deploys to the left in the Stony Hill woods, a brigade moves back to the west end of Trostle Woods. The line runs along the far edge of the wheatfield from the Stony Hill, and back along a prominent ridge. Reinforcements are needed.
It will take some 3 hours for this line to be broken and thrown back. The Confederates pay a heavy price. Any previous actions by this command, successful actions at that, will be forgotten. In the spring the 3rd Corps will cease to be a command, merged into the 2cd Corps. They will be a fourth division in a new command, their red and white diamonds sewn on top of the new green clover. On June 11th the division will move into a field and as a diversion are shelled by the confederate artillery in the Mule Shoe. That night the command disappears for 3 days before coming back under command.
 
This came up on the "Lee break the line" thread and got me wondering, what would the action on Day 2 have looked like if Sickles had remained in his original position?
The South attacks up the Emmitsburg road toward Cemetary Hill,is decimated by artillery fire,and is then attacked in the right flank and rear by the,unseen,federal troops on Cemetary Ridge.
 
I believe Lee would have gained the access he wanted to the Peach Orchard which would have also given him a terrific artillery platform to support his attack on Cemetery Hill.
 
If Sickles would have been where we think Meade wanted him on the present day Sedgwick Ave his III Corps would have been too far away to make a big difference on Longstreet's advance. However, Longstreet's advance would have met Hancock's II Corps positioned along Cemetery Ridge. If the Confederates had dislodged the II Corps Meade would have been looking for a new headquarters building and his defensive plan would have been disrupted.
 
Hard to say. The Union would have still been able to move troops to a threatened spot quickly. Longstreet may have suffered a bloody repulse, or maybe would have achieved a victory. The Confederates would have still had to deal with a possible counter attack by Sickles powerful Corps. I am not sure anyone could predict the out come because of all the variables. There is always a lot of gray area in all what ifs.



Major Bill

Company of Military Historians
 
If Sickles would have been where we think Meade wanted him on the present day Sedgwick Ave his III Corps would have been too far away to make a big difference on Longstreet's advance. However, Longstreet's advance would have met Hancock's II Corps positioned along Cemetery Ridge. If the Confederates had dislodged the II Corps Meade would have been looking for a new headquarters building and his defensive plan would have been disrupted.
No. Had Sickles been in proper position,the Federal Artillery would have devastated the Confederates as on Day 3. Sickles,advanced position,prevents the Federal artillery from engaging on Day 2 because Sickles is in the line of fire from Cemetary Hill. Look at the map. Further,Sickles,had he followed orders,would,then,be in position to strike the Confederates in flank and rear . Lee doesn't know Meade's line extends South as far as Sickles,assigned position,until Mclaw's and Hood's scouts discover Sickles advanced position. Those facts,and the additional fact that Sickles disobeyed orders were the reasons Meade wanted to Court Martial Sickles.
 
I don't think there's any single way to describe the events of the second day since there are so many factors that played into what transpired. So many units veered from what they were supposed to be doing. Massive confusion. There are those that believe Sickle's move to the Peach Orchard saved the Federals that day. Sickles himself was the biggest proponent of that view.

I think that even if he stayed near Cemetery Ridge it still would have been tough for Hood/McLaws. A lot of people forget that those units marched in grueling conditions for hours. Low on both sleep and water.
 
No. Had Sickles been in proper position,the Federal Artillery would have devastated the Confederates as on Day 3. Sickles,advanced position,prevents the Federal artillery from engaging on Day 2 because Sickles is in the line of fire from Cemetary Hill. Look at the map. Further,Sickles,had he followed orders,would,then,be in position to strike the Confederates in flank and rear . Lee doesn't know Meade's line extends South as far as Sickles,assigned position,until Mclaw's and Hood's scouts discover Sickles advanced position. Those facts,and the additional fact that Sickles disobeyed orders were the reasons Meade wanted to Court Martial Sickles.

Sickles artillery would have overshot any columns traveling down the Emmitsburg Road.
 
Sickles artillery would have overshot any columns traveling down the Emmitsburg Road.
No,about 100 Federal artillery pieces are on Cemetary Hill and the upper Cemetary ridge,just as it was on Day 3,and could not fire because Sickles was in their line of fire from CH and upper CR toward Sickles. Look at the map.
 
I just want to add that a battle line in not a thin snake running due north to Hancock. By the time you start securing ground for the artillery your mosying around Rose Woods. Sickles didn't miss the mark by much.
 
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