Posted on 06/29/2013 6:49:03 AM PDT by Michael.SF.
GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — On the second day of fighting at Gettysburg, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee listened to scouting reports, scanned the battlefield and ordered his second-in-command, James Longstreet, to attack the Union Army's left flank.
It was a fateful decision, one that led to one of the most desperate clashes of the entire Civil War — the fight for a piece of ground called Little Round Top. The Union's defense of the boulder-strewn promontory helped send Lee to defeat at Gettysburg, and he never again ventured into Northern territory.
Why did the shrewd and canny Lee choose to attack, especially in the face of the Union's superior numbers?
Our analysis shows that he had a very poor understanding of how many forces he was up against, which made him bolder," said Middlebury College professor Anne Knowles, whose team produced the most faithful re-creation of the Gettysburg battlefield to date, using software called GIS, or geographic information systems.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Agreed on Custer.
I’ve never seen believable evidence of a Union trap for Stuarts cavalry at Gettysburg. Custer was out screening the Union right flank when he ran into Stuart (ok, really Fitzhugh Lee and Wade Hampton). Custer wanted a fight, charged in impetuously (not unheard of for him. /sarc) and managed to break up Stuarts advance.
If there was any real planning for what happened at East Cavalry Field it was solely on the Confederate side. And the planning went right out the window when an insane, glory seeking blonde Union Cavalry commander came charging across the field at them.
Agreed on Custer.
I’ve never seen believable evidence of a Union trap for Stuarts cavalry at Gettysburg. Custer was out screening the Union right flank when he ran into Stuart (ok, really Fitzhugh Lee and Wade Hampton). Custer wanted a fight, charged in impetuously (not unheard of for him. /sarc) and managed to break up Stuarts advance.
If there was any real planning for what happened at East Cavalry Field it was solely on the Confederate side. And the planning went right out the window when an insane, glory seeking blonde Union Cavalry commander came charging across the field at them.
I have Buchanan’s book, read it years ago, thoroughly disagree.
This is not the thread for it, but we have discussed it on other threads.
Imho, 100% of Buchanan’s view on this comes fom the following: he is Irish-American and can’t resist poking the Brits... ;-)
Custer’s actions during the entire Civil War are amazing.
He was extremely brave. It is amazing that he came through the entire war without any serious injury.
His leadership during the Civil War helped the Union win the war.
I think they said he made the cover of Harpers five times.
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