Posted on 07/10/2023 6:34:38 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.
Posting history, in reverse order
https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles
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Link to previous New York Times thread
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4166614/posts
The Retreat of Lee: Increased Prospect of Another Great Battle – 2-4
The Mission of Alex. H. Stephens: The Correspondence in Full – 4
Late News from Richmond: Nothing Known on the 6th of the Whereabouts of Lee – 4-5
The War in North Carolina: A Successful Cavalry Raid – 5
Department of the Cumberland: Gen. Bragg’s army Retreats Across the Tennessee River – 5
Movements of Gen. Rosecrans: Details of Events to the 1st of July – 5-6
The Invasion of Indiana: Morgan in the State, with from Six to Eight Thousand Troops – 6-7
The War in Kentucky: Defensive Measures in Louisville – 7
The Riot in Buffalo: Furious Outbreak between the Irish and Negroes – 7
News from Washington: Our Special Washington Dispatches – 7
Local Intelligence: The Draft – 7-8
Editorial: Military Advantages of the Late Invasion – 8
Editorial: The Conscription and the War – 8-9
Editorial: Arkansas and Texas – 9
Editorial: The New “What Is It” – 9
Work for the Women – 9-10
Stonewall Jackson – 10
Generals – 10
Veracious Rebel News – 10
Gen. Dix’s Operations – 10
News from Fortress Monroe – 10
The Prize Steamer Britannia – 10
New-York State Teachers’ Association – 10
Robbed of $20,000 – 10
Lee did manage to cross the Patomac thanks to the inaction of Union forces. Confederate forces reorganized. The war continued to its inexorable end with a horrible loss of life.
Yeah, the draft is popular. It’s well organized. And will happen without incident.
NY Times “gets it right” again. Lol.
Meade was chicken and ponderous. He had all the intel he needed. Fact is both sides lost a lot of life and spent the 4th re-aligning lines for a counterattack from Meade that never occurred. The wire comms between Halleck and Meade are priceless. If Sickles hadn’t disobeyed alignment orders and not been out in the peach orchard when Longstreet’s end run of the union left came— he wouldn’t have been there to block the roll up.
Thus, from Little Round Top all along to Cemetery hill rolled up. Oates found Round Top unoccupied, and had they taken that cut out narrow enfilade field of fire down the Union line (hauling cannons in pieces up the slopes, rebuilding and placing fire), there never would have been the charge of July 3rd— no need for pont a feu of 160 guns that did not hid their line targets.
All this “what if” is child’s play. Intel was the problem for both sides. And the retreat in silence of the rains starting the night of July 4th was brilliant. They got across. And Meade paid hell for it. Either way there was much more cannon fodder in immigrant draftees to make up the Union losses- they had a full corps with Sedgwick in the first place- and still Meade dragged. Lincoln let him know about it. The “arithmetic” gave this to be a victory- but it was wholesale slaughter that was a draw.
Big Roundtop was useless for artillery because of the trees.
Robbed of $20,000 – 10
That’s a New York story (yeah, I know it was in Jersey but it counts). Guy gets robbed and drops his carpetbag which is then stolen by another thief. I guess even in 1863 anything not nailed down is gonna get stolen in New York.
It’s in Oates report- would have taken a couple hours to both haul the pieces up the hill and clear the trees in the way of field of fire. Would have destroyed even what was placed down below on Little Round Top be. Battery of 4, and artillery experts at West Point explored it in classes years after. Rolled up the entire line with Whitworth and Parrott range. But,it was not to be. Col Oates (AL) report is in Longstreets memoir- almost as proof Lee didn’t listen. Lee was having a series of coronary events. The only real Union commander was Hancock who was...”superb”
Others have countered that argument. I read Longstreet’s memoir too. I think it is a counter to the slander from Early about the legendary dawn attack.
The coronary events happened throughout the battle- and continued after Jeb Stuart finally showed up. Lee’s letter of resignation to Davis (see: Shelby Foote) describes his rapidly declining health affecting his judgement. There is also the holdover of Napoleonic/European war fighting tactics. Get Oate’s reports— instead he was ordered down to Little Round Top and faced nearly a division placed there by Gouverner Warren in the delay time. What ifs... again.
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