Battle of Gettysburg - Turning Point in Civil War

American Minute ^ | July 3, 2019 | Bill Federer

[Swanks]

Jubal Early was a prime participant in this

Yes Gen. Early was fighting the war, unrepentant to the very end. He did to speak and/or visit with Lee though (who would calm him down on occasion, when he'd write Lee, going CRAZY about something he read, or something someone said). Lee was an incredibly mature individual who saw the big picture; telling him they (Confederates) have to suffer in silence now, so the next generation will not.

[Swanks]

We have no way of knowing if Jackson would have arrived at Gettysburg

Henry Kyd Douglas was a staff officer for Gen Jackson, who kept a concise journal, over his campaign. A nephew published it well after the war - it is used today as THE accurate source of much of the Shenadoah campaign.

In fact it was used (by actor Steven Lang) who did a great job here; in a very historical-factual 'goodbye' when Jackson was promoted upstairs from the VA First Brigade General. There was, more he said, but this condensed version was quite accurate, and almost exactly from Henry Kyd Douglas' notes.

If I screw it up - someone pls fix the HTML;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29HFaG9aOqo

[Swanks]

I cannot in good conscience argue with that logic. Could you provide more information on this writing? I would like to read this

I believe this was from a talk at Washington and Lee University, in Lee Chapel. Find it on C-Span or Youtube. In the Q&A session after his talk.

[TADSLOS]

Yep.

Game Changer.

Big Time.

[jmacusa]

And suffered a defeat so resounding and horrific “Pickett’s Charge’’ has become a noun in military terms to proceed with a strategy or attack that is doomed to failure from the start.

[jmacusa]

Indeed it was. It split the Confederacy in two geographically and gave the North control of the Mississippi River. Folks in Vicksburg were so pissed off about that for some eighty years after the war they didn’t celebrate The Fourth Of July.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

From what I read, he was trying to accomplish a repeat of his famous “ride around the Union Army of 1862”.
His boys had some raids and a handful of skirmishes with Union Cavalry under Judson Kilpatrick - but nothing significant.

He was worthless for the battle from a Southern perspective.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Dowdey’s critique is harsh and unnecessary.
He didn’t ride or march the thousands of miles that the General did. He didn’t have to keep his composure in front of thousands of men as they are cut to pieces by shrapnel and bullets.

Quite frankly his comments come across as your typical Monday morning quarterbacking, no different from a sports analyst who never put on a set of pads.

Some of us who’ve never experienced war possibly think of it as fantasy and that’s why it romanticized a lot by writers and students (yours truly). It’s quite possibly the most horrific experience a human being could ever go through, save for being put in a death camp of some sorts. War & it’s effects messes with the human mind. We humans were never created to have to endure this type of trauma or violence.

Dowdey never went to war from what I’ve read of him (too young for WWI and too old for WWII).

FWIW, I think Longstreet cared a hell of a lot more about his men than did Lee (yes I’ve got my flame suit on for that one). He suffered greatly for carrying out those orders.

What Lee did on July 3rd was nothing short of murder IMO. His attack was as vain as Grant’s attack on Cold Harbor or Burnside’s on Fredericksburg. No strategy whatsoever and completely arrogant to think that only 15,000 men or so could split the Union line.

I have no idea why Lee is literally worshiped in historian circles. His fights in 1862 were grand and I think Chancellorsville was his greatest moment, but after that he was just hanging on hoping for some type of armistice or political solution.

[Bull Snipe]

but part of the fault also lies with Lee, who, in his courtly manner of speaking, told Ewell to attack Cemetery Hill “if practicable.”

agree with you about lee. You forgot the second part of Lee’s order to Ewell. “But do not bring about a general engagement.” Lee’s thinking was if Ewell could take the hill with a brigade or two, well and good. But don’t send two divisions to take the hill. Lee didn’t want to get into major fight later on the first day.