This Day in Civil War History July 3rd, 1863 Third Day of the batle of Gettysburg

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pickett-leads-his-infamous-charge-at-gettysburg ^

[mainepatsfan]

July 3rd, 1863

Pickett leads his infamous charge at Gettysburg

Troops under Confederate General George Pickett begin a massive attack against the center of the Union lines at Gettysburg on the climactic third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest engagement of the war. General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia encountered George Meade's Army of the Potomac in Pennsylvania and battered the Yankees for two days. The day before Pickett's charge, the Confederates had hammered each flank of the Union line but could not break through.

Now, on July 3, Lee decided to attack the Union center, stationed on Cemetery Ridge, after making another unsuccessful attempt on the Union right flank at Culp's Hill in the morning. The majority of the force consisted of Pickett's division, but there were other units represented among the 15,000 attackers.

[Kenny Bunk]

Nowadays, it would be Grierson who got the MSM!

Before the war, played in and led a popular band, Joins up as a clerk, Afraid of horses; Made Cavalry General in a year or so, Heroic raids, Winner of Major Battles, after the war, Friend of the Indians and the African-American soldiers.

Think Mick Jagger becoming George Patton, overnight. BTW, while no one should ever sell the Confederate Cavalry short, after some OJT, and the introduction of the Spencer, the Union Cavalry wasn't exactly a pushover, as General Grierson amply demonstrated. Not to mention, Custer's rough-up of JEB Stuart behind Gettysburg, and the heroic stand of the Union Cavalry against an entire Confederate Corps before Gettysburg.

[mick]

A good read that changed my mind that Pickett's Charge was an illconceived attempt to break the Union line...had not Custer turned back Stuart the ending of the assult may have been different. From The book review:

THE CAVALRY BATTLE THAT SAVED THE UNION: Custer vs. Stuart at Gettysburg, Paul D. Walker, Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, LA, 2002, 155 pages, $18.95.

"Most historians consider Confederate General George Pickett's infantry charge at Gettysburg to be the final, desperate act of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. In The Cavalry Battle that Saved the Union: Custer vs. Stuart at Gettysburg, Paul D. Walker reveals the apparent genius behind the plan: Confederate General Robert E. Lee's grand scheme was to attack with infantry from the front while Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry swept into the rear of the Union formations."

"In an engagement rarely mentioned in histories of the battle, Union Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer--outnumbered and at a decided disadvantage--counterattacked with 5,000 Union cavalrymen. As Confederate forces massed opposite Cemetery Ridge for the decisive assault, four brigades of rebel cavalry and artillery attacked from the rear, with the outcome of the Civil War at stake......"

[PzLdr]

To borrow a phrase, his blood was up. And hubris doesn’t only strike down ancient Greeks.

[rockrr]

Sure anyone can be inflamed to passion over reason, but Lee was a strategist. He was The Man with the Plan. With so much at stake why “take his eye off the ball” over Heth’s minor skirmish?

[Nuc 1.1]

True enough. But the south was loosing on all fronts, the success of Lee's army aside. I believe that Lee's invasion was a strategic gamble aimed only at breaking the north's will to fight. I do not believe it would have been successful. The north's military position was far too strong overall. Only a fool would have capitulated at that point, and Lincoln was no fool. I respectfully suggest that Lee's army would have been attrited to oblivion if he had won the battle at Gettysburg and thus would have lost all in the end.

[Maine Mariner]

And don’t forget the impact of the blocade of Southern ports by the Union Navy. Also, the CSA had no allies; I believe there was some chance early on in the war for Britain to recognize the CSA as an independent nation.

[beckysueb]

Sorry about the crappy spelling. I am just tired to the bone and having one of those days.

[Non-Sequitur]

The 18th NC Infantry was as responsible for the defeat as either Lee or Stuart, IMO.

Ah the 18th North Carolina. One of my favorite rebel regiments.

[Non-Sequitur]

Union Troll

And proud of it.

[Non-Sequitur]

His initial plan, as I understand it, was to obtain war supplies from northern garrisons.

There were no Northern garrisons. Lee was on a raid basically. He stripped the countryside of everything of any use to the army in order to help supply it in the months to come. Civilians bore the brunt of the requisitioning.

The smart move would be to obtain the supplies or destroy DC.

DC was the most heavily fortified city on the continent. Lee could not lay siege to the city with the Union army in his rear.

[Non-Sequitur]

The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution without being able to see into the future but they just knew. I guess the southern people just knew what was coming in the future from the federal government, too.

Of course they did.

[Non-Sequitur]

The South could have easily won the war.

One president and several million Yankee soldiers said otherwise.

[Non-Sequitur]

From what evidence we have,General Lee made a horrible mistake; a long march into cannon fire is suicidal or homicidal depending on if you are doing the marching or ordered the marching.

It wasn't like Lee didn't know what the outcome was most likely going to be. He'd massacred a good number of his soldiers on Malvern Hill just over a year before, and had watched Burnside slaughter his troops on Marye's Heights less than six months earlier.

[PzLdr]

Lee’s ‘invasion’ of the North was at best a raid, to feed his Army at northern expense while Virginia’s farms got a season off. The only objective for it I’ve ever read about was a railroad bridge. It clearly wasn’t designed to bring the Army of the Potomac to battle. First, Lee’s army was too spread out for that [Pickett’s division wasn’t on the battlefield until the night of July 2d], and second, Lee had no idea where the Union Army was.

IMHO, Lee’s invasion was about one thing only. There was talk in Richmond of sending Lee, and two-thirds of his Army to the Western theater, and Lee, with his parochial view about Virginia didn’t want to go. So instead he went north.

I disagree with you that Lee was a strategist. Able tactician yes. Good at the operational level, yes. But strategist, no.

[matginzac]

Good point but I do think switching to Egyptian cotton may have helped because of the need to keep the brit factories going. I agree too with the characterization of the political use of the E.P. - Lincoln may have said it was a “principaled” move but we can see how political it was too.

[matginzac]

I believe Lee conceded that fact right at the retreat from the field - he told the surviving troops as much...not many commanding generals would.

[matginzac]

Thanks for the recommendation, tn -
we lived in Carlisle, PA for two yrs - one for husband attending War College and one while he was at other schools - lived in Mt. Holly Springs and went to Gettysburg often. My son reinacted (?) at a recent anniversary of the battle - on the reb side - that’s my boy!
Will get this book for the 150th anniversary...
thanks again...

[matginzac]

Yo, as previously mentioned, read about Lt Gen Wade Hampton, Hampton’s Legion, SC, who took over after Suart was killed...read about the Beefsteak Raid when all, as NUC 1.1 preordained, was lost! Now THAT’S a story!!!!!!
Also, how, at Johnston’s surrender to Sherman in NC, he still picked a fight outside the house with a yank general...
whata guy!

[matginzac]

Good point - mine made in previous posts...

[matginzac]

Oh Wilson went to a yankee school, thus surrendering ANY affiliation to southern affinities...