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Chapter 3
July 1, 1863, 11:30 a.m.
Cashtown Hotel
Cashtown, Pennsylvania
The buttermilk served in a stone jug was cool and tasty. General Robert Edward Lee almost half-emptied the vessel in one go and allowed himself a quiet, contended sigh. He had reached the place a few minutes ago with his staff, and Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill had suggested a remote room in the central hotel as a meeting space. The window curtains were drawn to keep the heat out and there was only muffled noise from the street to be heard.
“So the Army of the Potomac is definitely here, General Hill?”, Lee asked his short subordinate who wore his characteristic red battleshirt.
“Yes, this fact is confirmed by now. General Heth reports he has taken prisoners from Wadsworth's division, Reynolds' corps. While Archer refrained from attacking due to the confusing terrain, Davis was a little less reluctant. According to the report, he pretty much demolished a Union brigade and took over two hundred prisoners. However, when he noticed that Archer was not advancing in agreement with him, he stopped further aggressive movements.”
“Reluctance has never been Joseph Davis' strength”, Lee smirked. “This confidence seems to go hand in hand with being related to the president. In order not do to him any injustice, however, especially his Mississippians are a rough and undisciplined bunch. All in all, we can therefore be satisfied with his performance. He was not tempted to let himself be lured into a general engagement and General Archer acted according to my orders. I would have felt very uncomfortable to slug it out with an army I do not know the dispositions of.”
“That means you still haven't heard from Stuart, sir?”
“Not a word yet. The fact that those people are now occupying the railroad junction near Gettysburg poses the question of what our next steps will be. Without our eyes and ears, an attack is completely out of the question for me. We have to concentrate our forces.”
“If i could make a suggestion, General Lee...?”
“Go ahead, General Hill.”
“If I am properly informed, General Ewell should have crossed the mountains coming from Carlisle by now. General Longstreet's corps is still on its way north in the direction of Chambersburg. This makes the region around Cashtown where we are currently located a good gathering point.”
“Elaborate further, please.”
Lieutenant General Hill walked over to a mapping table and began to explain.
“Just a little west of Cashtown is a ridge that runs from Arendtsville in the north to the Caledonia Cold Springs Hotel in the south. The heights command the Chambersburg Pike in the middle of the line. The left flank as well as the left rear is covered by Conewago Creek, which makes any attack from the north extremely difficult. There are also a number of smaller bodies of water in the south that offer protection.“
“This looks like a solid position to await the arrival of General Stuart“, Lee observed. He pondered for a few moments, then continued with determination in his voice. “General Hill, this is the place. I want you to countermarch Heth's and Pender's divisions immediately. Those divisions shall be the center of our defensive line. When Anderson comes up, he is to be held in reserve. As soon as your men arrive, they are to begin constructing field works. I am going to order General Ewell to join us via Middletown. His corps will file in to your left. When Longstreet comes up from Chambersburg, he is going to form our right flank.“
“With all due respect, sir, what are your plans for the near future?“, Hill asked excitedly.
“Until I hear from General Stuart, I do not want to commit. We are as far north as never before and the wires from Washington will heat up with orders for General Meade to do something. Here we can receive him and give him a bloody nose. And we will know how to use the resulting opportunities, as we have always done so far. In addition, we will pursue our secondary goals and stock up with as many supplies as we can find. Virginia agriculture must be relieved this summer.“
Gen. Robert E. Lee and Lieut. Gen. Ambrose P. Hill meet in Cashtown.
View attachment 570987
Hill's plan for a defensive position.
Chapter 3
July 1, 1863, 11:30 a.m.
Cashtown Hotel
Cashtown, Pennsylvania
The buttermilk served in a stone jug was cool and tasty. General Robert Edward Lee almost half-emptied the vessel in one go and allowed himself a quiet, contended sigh. He had reached the place a few minutes ago with his staff, and Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill had suggested a remote room in the central hotel as a meeting space. The window curtains were drawn to keep the heat out and there was only muffled noise from the street to be heard.
“So the Army of the Potomac is definitely here, General Hill?”, Lee asked his short subordinate who wore his characteristic red battleshirt.
“Yes, this fact is confirmed by now. General Heth reports he has taken prisoners from Wadsworth's division, Reynolds' corps. While Archer refrained from attacking due to the confusing terrain, Davis was a little less reluctant. According to the report, he pretty much demolished a Union brigade and took over two hundred prisoners. However, when he noticed that Archer was not advancing in agreement with him, he stopped further aggressive movements.”
“Reluctance has never been Joseph Davis' strength”, Lee smirked. “This confidence seems to go hand in hand with being related to the president. In order not do to him any injustice, however, especially his Mississippians are a rough and undisciplined bunch. All in all, we can therefore be satisfied with his performance. He was not tempted to let himself be lured into a general engagement and General Archer acted according to my orders. I would have felt very uncomfortable to slug it out with an army I do not know the dispositions of.”
“That means you still haven't heard from Stuart, sir?”
“Not a word yet. The fact that those people are now occupying the railroad junction near Gettysburg poses the question of what our next steps will be. Without our eyes and ears, an attack is completely out of the question for me. We have to concentrate our forces.”
“If i could make a suggestion, General Lee...?”
“Go ahead, General Hill.”
“If I am properly informed, General Ewell should have crossed the mountains coming from Carlisle by now. General Longstreet's corps is still on its way north in the direction of Chambersburg. This makes the region around Cashtown where we are currently located a good gathering point.”
“Elaborate further, please.”
Lieutenant General Hill walked over to a mapping table and began to explain.
“Just a little west of Cashtown is a ridge that runs from Arendtsville in the north to the Caledonia Cold Springs Hotel in the south. The heights command the Chambersburg Pike in the middle of the line. The left flank as well as the left rear is covered by Conewago Creek, which makes any attack from the north extremely difficult. There are also a number of smaller bodies of water in the south that offer protection.“
“This looks like a solid position to await the arrival of General Stuart“, Lee observed. He pondered for a few moments, then continued with determination in his voice. “General Hill, this is the place. I want you to countermarch Heth's and Pender's divisions immediately. Those divisions shall be the center of our defensive line. When Anderson comes up, he is to be held in reserve. As soon as your men arrive, they are to begin constructing field works. I am going to order General Ewell to join us via Middletown. His corps will file in to your left. When Longstreet comes up from Chambersburg, he is going to form our right flank.“
“With all due respect, sir, what are your plans for the near future?“, Hill asked excitedly.
“Until I hear from General Stuart, I do not want to commit. We are as far north as never before and the wires from Washington will heat up with orders for General Meade to do something. Here we can receive him and give him a bloody nose. And we will know how to use the resulting opportunities, as we have always done so far. In addition, we will pursue our secondary goals and stock up with as many supplies as we can find. Virginia agriculture must be relieved this summer.“
Gen. Robert E. Lee and Lieut. Gen. Ambrose P. Hill meet in Cashtown.
View attachment 570987
Hill's plan for a defensive position.
- Lothar
- Word Count: 730