I blame Jeb Stuart
> I blame Jeb Stuart <
Or be thankful for his reckless behavior. I suppose it depended on which side you were on. 🙂
When Stuart finally showed up at Gettysburg, Lee said “Well, General, you are here at last.” It was a rebuke, and it was so understood by Stuart.
(from Wikipedia)
Custer stopped JEB Stewart. Stewart was supposed to attack from the rear as Pickett conducted his charge.
People like to trash him since the 1960s. But he pretty much saved the union that day.
Grant literally gave him the table the Appomattox surrender was signed on.
And Pickett was a decent man. That disaster at Gettysburg broke him. He never truly recovered.
Jeb’s ego certainly got the best of him but Lee was equally guilty for giving him very vague orders, just like he gave Ewell on the first day. More than one general said of Grant “You could never read his orders without knowing exactly what he wanted you to do.”
“I blame Jeb Stuart”
He left Lee blind. Many have stated that Jeb Stuart’s failures there led to the loss. Being realistic, Stuart did: 1) Leave Lee Blind prior to the battle. 2) not disrupt or take the Union Right and lost or left the field to Union Calvary. 3)Did not successfully flank the Union to draw away troops from the heights or re-enforcements. This is true, but probably inconsequential.
Lee didn’t have to fight at Gettysburg, he could have moved and forced the battle on ground of his choosing. Lee didn’t have to order Pickett’s charge on the third day of battle. Lee, even if Pickett’s charge had been successful, lacked the resources to ever take Washington D.C. at the time. So those decisions by Lee made Stuart’s actions inconsequential by the time Pickett’s charge was ordered.
Longstreet knew it, he suffered from not wanting to pass the order to Pickett to charge that day. Pickett’s quote “Sir, I have no Division” sums up the giant waste of men for goal, even if achieved, would not had led to a Confederate Victory. Nearly the same moment the Gettysburg battle was progressing, Grant was nearing completion of his successful siege on Vicksburg. Gettysburg, in my mind, was never as consequential as Grant taking Vicksburg. From then on, the south was split by the Mississippi river, and soon to be split again after the Fall of Atlanta and march to the sea.
In the end, the Western armies of the Union, and Western Generals, really decided the war. The rural troops were the difference makers.
JEB Stuart commanded seven brigades of cavalry, he left four of them with Lee. This video is great discussing how Lee's biases, and the refusal of those brigade commanders to work together, left Lee "blind." (fast forward to 24:25)
Yes he contributed
Bedford would have known butter
I blame Jeff Davis.