July 2. 1863 The Defence of Little Round Top at Gettysburg

[Weatherman2020]

Had to stop when in Maine.

 

[Weatherman2020]

I always sympathized with Gen Meade
He had just taken command three days before Gettysburg and suffered massive casualties
No question Grant would have pursued but I can understand regrouping

Grant would have pursued Lee to Richmond and ended the war then.

 

[Weatherman2020]

My ancestors were there....33rd Virginia Inf..

Gettysburg​

Within 15 days, the 33rd had crossed the Potomac and were encamped around Chambersburg when the order came for the Second Corps to converge on the Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg. Arriving late in the evening of 1 July, the brigade spent much of the second day skirmishing on the far Confederate left. It would not be until the next day that the 33rd would see real fighting. At 3:00 a.m. on the morning of the 3rd, the regiment was aroused and marched off with the rest of the brigade towards the enemy position atop Culp's Hill. After daybreak, the regiment advanced in line of battle towards the enemy who was "strongly intrenched in a most advantageous position." The regiment advanced up the slopes of the hill advancing "in intervals" as the men took cover behind rocks and trees as they advanced. Although the regiment exhausted its ammunition within an hour or two, at least part of the 33rd remained engaged for almost five hours, as partial supplies were received upon the field. During this portion of the fighting, Captain Bedinger of the Emerald Guard was killed while advancing towards the enemy. Captain Golladay, in temporary command of the regiment after the battle would write that Bedinger's body had fallen perhaps the closest to the enemy's lines.

Sometime around noon, the regiment was withdrawn from the slopes, reorganized and replenished with ammunition. The regiment was then moved several hundred yards to the right, and another advance was made upon the enemy. The fighting was intense and lasted only a half-hour or so before the regiment was withdrawn again and marched to the rear for a short rest until mid-afternoon. Again, the regiment was aroused, reequipped and marched to a position farther to the right of the line. From this time until nightfall, the regiment was only engaged in skirmishing after which the day's survivors quietly retired. Upon the field were left many whom Golladay considered the "flower of the regiment." Twenty-three percent of the 236 men who fought at Gettysburg were killed, wounded, or missing.

On 3 July, the Stonewall Brigade lost one of its former commanders, Richard B. Garnett, who was killed during the infamous 'Pickett's Charge,' possibly due to an injured leg that caused him to ride a horse into the battle.

As Lee began his long retreat in the rain on 4 July and 5, several members of company E and H, some of whom had been wounded two days before, were captured at Waterloo, Chambersburg, and South Mountain. By the time the 33rd had re-crossed the Potomac and moved into camp around Orange Court House, the regiment numbered only 90 men. With the death of George Bedinger and the only Lieutenant, Patrick Maxwell, absent sick, Captain D. B. Huffman of Co. G, 33rd Virginia Infantry assumed temporary responsibility for the shattered Emerald Guard. On 31 August 1863, the 33rd was again mustered to be paid.

Cool to find that stuff. I assume you’ve walked the turf of your ancestor. Wife’s 5X G-Grandfather was in the 14th Virginia under Washington. Just found exactly where he was within Valley Forge so heading up in a couple of weeks to walk the ground.

 

[Weatherman2020]

A not much talked about fact is that just before the assault on LTR the canteens of the CSA were taken to get refilled. They never were returned until the evening, they couldn’t find a stream. So they made repeated assaults on a hot July day with no water.

The movie makes a faint hint at it when after Chamberlain’s charge the captured CSA officer asks for a drink of water.

 

[1srelluc]

Cool to find that stuff. I assume you’ve walked the turf of your ancestor. Wife’s 5X G-Grandfather was in the 14th Virginia under Washington. Just found exactly where he was within Valley Forge so heading up in a couple of weeks to walk the ground.

Oh yeah, not as daunting as their stand-up fight in The Cornfield/West woods at Antietam but tough going against a fortified position.

 

[Weatherman2020]

What Pickett walked into.

 

[August West]

Oh yeah, not as daunting as their stand-up fight in The Cornfield/West woods at Antietam but tough going against a fortified position.

Fredericksburg is another horror story with 9 waves of uphill attacks against troops protected by a stone wall. The weapons had changed but the tactics were the same as they were during the days of Napoleon.

 

[Weatherman2020]

Fredericksburg is another horror story with 9 waves of uphill attacks against troops protected by a stone wall. The weapons had changed but the tactics were the same as they were during the days of Napoleon.

And two years later Lee is doing the same thing at Gettysburg. Frontal assault on bad terrain.

 

[martybegan]

And two years later Lee is doing the same thing at Gettysburg. Frontal assault on bad terrain.

To me Lee was forced into two choices, head back to Virginia or attack Meade where Meade was. Any type of flanking attack around the Union position would result in Lee being cut off from any safe retreat back to Confederate territory if things went South. The Union Position had far too much flexibility as a sally point for any army trying to go around it.

Of course Lee could have headed West, but to where?

 

[1srelluc]

To me Lee was forced into two choices, head back to Virginia or attack Meade where Meade was. Any type of flanking attack around the Union position would result in Lee being cut off from any safe retreat back to Confederate territory if things went South. The Union Position had far too much flexibility as a sally point for any army trying to go around it.

Of course Lee could have headed West, but to where?

The battle was "lost" on the first day when the Union formed their "Fishhook" position on superior ground..

 

[martybegan]

The battle was "lost" on the first day when the Union formed their "Fishhook" position on superior ground..

They still could have pulled it off if a few things went their way, the problem is none of them did.

The round tops held long enough. The Confederate artillery was shit on Pickett's Charge. Those are the two big ones.

Of course the skirmish/cavalry action that allowed Meade to take the high ground leads to your correct conclusion as well.

 

[Weatherman2020]

To me Lee was forced into two choices, head back to Virginia or attack Meade where Meade was. Any type of flanking attack around the Union position would result in Lee being cut off from any safe retreat back to Confederate territory if things went South. The Union Position had far too much flexibility as a sally point for any army trying to go around it.

Of course Lee could have headed West, but to where?

Lee was good at outflanking to win battles, but that was it.

 

[martybegan]

Lee was good at outflanking to win battles, but that was it.

He was also a good organizer, and manager of other men. He kept the Army of Northern Virginia in operation far longer than I think anyone else would have.

In the end, the Union found a man that was Lee's Kryptonite.

 

[Zincwarrior]

They still could have pulled it off if a few things went their way, the problem is none of them did.

The round tops held long enough. The Confederate artillery was shit on Pickett's Charge. Those are the two big ones.

Of course the skirmish/cavalry action that allowed Meade to take the high ground leads to your correct conclusion as well.

The entire northern part of the hook was attacked all day, and badly bloodied by the Union defenders.

One interesting scenario is if the Union gets the jump on the morning of Day 3 and launches a general attack on all axis.

 

[martybegan]

The entire northern part of the hook was attacked all day, and badly bloodied by the Union defenders.

One interesting scenario is if the Union gets the jump on the morning of Day 3 and launches a general attack on all axis.

Lee would have probably retreated in good order, and that would have exposed the Union flanks, giving him a chance to at least get a draw out of Gettysburg.

 

[Weatherman2020]

Found this at an estate sale for $5. 1870 book on Gettysburg by John Bachelder, who’s credited with being the guy behind why Gettysburg is so well documented. He arrived on July 5 and spent 3 months interviewing the wounded to learn who did what and where. He then followed the Union Army to interview more who were there. He created numerous maps and this book explains one of the maps.

 

[Weatherman2020]

 

[Boo Radley]

I`m a member of the Gettysburg Foundation

You're on the board of directors?

 

[August West]

You're on the board of directors?

No. If I am, they haven`t told me about it.

 

[August West]

Culps Hill was just as important on the other flank

After the battle, Culps Hill was the most visited place on the battlefield due to all of the visible wreckage of the woods.