This Day In History - Civil War July 2, 1863 The second day of battle at Gettysburg

http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2231 ^

[mainepatsfan]

That question has baffled historians for over a century.

[Shaun_MD]

This is Sam Ward, my great, great, grandfather. He was with the 15th Alabama Infantry. This was taken after he had come to Texas

[EternalVigilance]

Wow. Great pic!

[Lurking in Kansas]

The next time I go I’m planning to go one of those ghost tours.

I’ve been on a couple with my daughter when she was a teen. She enjoyed them. Not really ‘spooky’, but it was fun to walk around Gettysburg at night and listen to the stories.

My favorite was the walking tour of Seminary Ridge after sunset. It was fun walking the Lutheran Seminary grounds and listening to stories –like I said, not very scary. It’s definitely PG, if you have children or grandchildern over 8, they’d love it.

[StoneWall Brigade]

Hood’s boys put up one heck of a fight

[mainepatsfan]

How long do they take?

[mc5cents]

I’ve often wondered, what the hell was General Lee thinking.

Yes, indeed. You don't really get the sense of how foolish it was unless you stand there and look at the expanse that the confederates had to cross against fortified union positions. It is a LONG walk.

[Shaun_MD]

I have a theory as to why, but it’s heresy in the South to say it out loud.

[EternalVigilance]

Pride?

[mainepatsfan]

Talk about some tough terrain to advance through.

[mainepatsfan]

I thought it was heresy just to suggest it was a bad decision.

[Lurking in Kansas]

I’ve often wondered, what the hell was General Lee thinking. Longstreet knew the attack would fail and warned Lee against it.

Actually pretty simple; Lee's overconfidence in his men and underestimating his enemy.

[Shaun_MD]

I think Lee knew the South would eventually lose and I think he wanted to bring the war to a quick conclusion.

“We are awash in a sea of blood and I want it to end”

It’s the only thing that makes sense. I don’t think Lee planned on the high number of deaths, but he had to have known that charging the center of the federal line was doomed to fail.

[Shaun_MD]

I disagree. Lee was a tactical genius. He did not over estimate his enemies and he knew exactly what he was up against.

[EternalVigilance]

Well, I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. I can’t fathom Robert E. Lee losing on purpose.

I’ll stick with my supposition: He was prideful enough to think he couldn’t lose.

Not that he didn’t have some history to back it up.

But, as the scripture says, “Pride goes before destruction.”

[Pistolshot]

Lee had a number of things to consider.
His provisions were slowly being lost.
His supplies of powder and shot was dwindling.
Replacements for what army he had were not going to be coming. The North had good interior lines, able to move men up from washington or anywhere else in hours.
He needed a victory on Northern soil to show the CSA could campaign anywhere, instead of just in their country.
He also had to demonstrate the willingness to attack, when everything else said defense wins in this type of warfare.
There were other things going on on the 3rd day, Stuarts ride to the Confederate left as a demonstration was frustrated by a fair haired boy named Custer and the Michigan cavalry. ('Come on, Wolverines!')
What was left of Ewells corp was attacking again on the right as a demonstration to thin the Union lines.
It wasn't all just about Pickett.

[Shaun_MD]

Very true. It may have been that he knew it was long odds, but he felt like he had no choice. Also remember that the loss of Jackson hit Lee very hard.

[Lurking in Kansas]

How long do they take?

Maybe 2 hours?? My memory is getting bad, LOL.

You start at sunset, so obviously when you finish varies. IIRC we were back to the motel by 10:00 – 10:30.

[Shaun_MD]

Well you have to consider that Lee was a military genius. He was also an extremely religious and humble man, like Thomas Jackson so I’m not sure it was pride. I guess we’ll never know until we get up there and ask him lol.

[Lurking in Kansas]

Lee was a tactical genius.

I agree with you there.

He did not over estimate his enemies and he knew exactly what he was up against.

Not on the afternoon of July 3, 1863.