Confederate Stuart was a much-admired personality

Public Opinion ^ | 05 October 2002 | CATHY MENTZER

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As commander of the Confederate Cavalry, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart was a larger-than-life figure best known today for his daring raids and reconnaissance missions -- at times in Union territory.

Despite his reputation for flamboyance and derring-do, James Ewell Brown Stuart was also an intelligent, well-educated, faithful husband and father who spent only a small part of his time as the Army of Northern Virginia's chief of cavalry raiding Northern territory, according to historians and students of his life.

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The original JEB, God Bless him!

[thescourged1]

Jeb was good (with the exception of being unaccounted for in the day(s) prior to Gettysburg), but N.B. Forrest was the best. ;)

[henderson field]

That the colored people would malign a noble man like this, and the flag he served, does not speak well of them.

[Polybius]

His two "ride-arounds" of the Union Army -- first in 1862 and again in 1863 -- became the stuff of legend...

The first "ride-around" in the Pennisular Campaign brought him glory, did no harm and brought intelligence back to Lee's positions around Richmond.

However, in 1863, with the Army of Northern Virginia plunging into enemy territory, Stuart's primary duty should have been to stick to Lee like glue and be Lee's "eyes".

Stuart's "ride around" in 1863 was highly irresponsible.

But, then again, he was only 31 years old. At that age, men sometimes have more testosterone than common sense. Now that I have more common sense than testosterone, life is a lot more boring than it used to be. :-)

[Conservababe]

"The Gray Ghost". One of my favorite television programs as a child in the fifties.

[Mike Darancette]

Jeb was good (with the exception of being unaccounted for in the day(s) prior to Gettysburg), but N.B. Forrest was the best. ;)

Had J.E.B. been available at Gettysburg early on to get information about the Union left flank, Lee may have been more disposed to believe Longstreet and shifted his troops in that direction.

N.B. Forrest probably would not have tried to ride around the Union Army (again) and been closer to the battle at all times. But Forrest was not big on gathering intelligence for other Generals. Forrest was a fighter and king of the ambush.

What Lee needed was to have Stonewall Jackson alive and available to attack Little Round Top.

[wardaddy]

Stuart was daring and brave and gave it all. I like him but Bedford was "the man". Lee should have reeled that boy in at some point....before Gettysburg.

[weikel]

His two "ride-arounds" of the Union Army -- first in 1862 and again in 1863 -- became the stuff of legend and in the case of the first raid, helped lead to Gen. George McClellan's removal as commander of the Army of the Potomac, historians believe.

Something that led to the incompetent McClellan's removal had to be a pyrric victory. Nathan Bedford Forest was the best Confederate cavalry commander( and the only man Sherman feared).

[weikel]

You really think Stonewall would have made a diffrence? I don't see what he could have done to make the tactical situation any worse for Chamberlain.

[weikel]

The Union was never really successful in the East till Sherman destroyed all their supplies in the West( though I think Hooker's plan would have worked if he had a more competent colleague then Burnside) I think Forest was more useful to the South where he was( no Im not a neoconfederate I just like military history).

[Mike Darancette]

I don't see what he could have done to make the tactical situation any worse for Chamberlain.

Jackson would have probably noticed that taking Big Round Top not only flanked Little Round Top but the whole Union Army. Stonewall wouldn't have needed Stuart to see that.

Taking Big Round Top would have unhinged the right and center of the Union line.

[thescourged1]

When I visited the Gettysburg battlefield, I took a long and hard look at both the Round Tops. Little RT had a panoramic view of the entire area and was a critical point, to be sure. Big RT I don't perceive as being any better than LRT for the same purpose, plus it's heavily wooded thus getting any significant artillery up there was out of the question. LRT would have blocked the line of sight of BRT to the rest of the Union line, in any case.

[Non-Sequitur]

I don't think that Jackson would have made a difference the second day. The crucial moment arrived when Hood was wounded early in the attack. He had already spotted the flaw in his original orders and was making plans to adjust the brigades. He was carried off the field and Evander Law wasn't privy to Hood's decision. The confusion that followed played a large factor in the southern defeat.

[Non-Sequitur]

Jackson would have probably noticed that taking Big Round Top not only flanked Little Round Top but the whole Union Army.

Lee made the decision on where to attack. You're assuming that Jackson would have had better luck changing Lee's mind that Longstreet did.

[Non-Sequitur]

The Union was never really successful in the East...

The Union wasn't as successful in the East as they could have been until Grant came out to command. After that, the writing was on the wall.

[Non-Sequitur]

The idea that Stuart left Lee blind in Pennsylvania makes for good telling but is hardly true. Lee would not have made such a foolish decision. Almost half of Stuart's cavalry remained with the main body of infantry. But Pennsylvania is a big place and the cavalry couldn't be everywhere.

[Twodees]

That's the photo of JEB that I have in my house.

[Mike Darancette]

Big RT I don't perceive as being any better than LRT for the same purpose, plus it's heavily wooded thus getting any significant artillery up there was out of the question.

Big RT overlooks Little RT the Confederates could have attacked Little RT from two sides.

This will be a point for discussion whenever tactics are talked about. What-If ......

[STONEWALLS]

"Stuart has been criticized for his activities just before the Battle of Gettysburg."
....personally, I think he dawdled....I know when he got to Rockville, MD he and some of his men stopped at a girls school, dismounted and danced with the girls for a while....one of his wings crossed the Patapsco River at Hood's Mill and burned the bridge on the main line of the Baltimore & Ohio RR....they went right past my gggrandfather's farm...my family stood in front yard and watched them.....my gggrandfather gave them a wagonload of grain and the women went in the house and scraped their bedsheets with tableknives to get the lint to pack wounds...then they tore their bedsheets into strips and gave them and the lint to Stuart's men...everybody knew it was going to be a bad fight coming...these stories were told to me as a child in the early 50s...
Good luck to everybody!
Stonewalls