Beyond the town of Gettysburg
- Thread starter Lothar
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Chapter 22
Many thanks for the feedback, here we go again! Just finished this one:
Sacrificing the Texas Brigade had saved the right flank of the Army of Northern Virginia at the last minute. While Wright's badly bloodied division was taken from the front line, about 200 mostly wounded Texans in the middle, two of whom were carrying a stretcher with Major General Hood who was unconscious after a head hit by shrapnel, Howe's and Newton's men regrouped to take a well deserved rest afterwards. The Union regiments were disorganized, some of them were running low on ammunition and they urgently needed water before any thought could be given to moving forward again
This respite was all the Confederates needed. Just minutes before noon, Evander M. Law, now acting commander of Hood's Division, could hear marching noises in his rear. It was Longstreet, who, after a heated discussion with A. P. Hill, had prevailed and led the remaining three brigades of Anderson's Division, 3,700 fresh men, on the double to the site of the greatest threat. From left to right or east to west, Ambrose R. Wright's, William Mahone's and the tiny Florida Brigade under Colonel David Lang took up positions. The line was extended by the remains of the two Georgia Brigades from Hood's Division. Since Tige Anderson had been mortally wounded and his brigade was now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William Luffman, Henry L. Benning assumed command of the combined units. Law's old brigade under Colonel James L. Sheffield formed a last reserve, shifted a little to the north.
When Sedgwick's Corps' lead columns made contact with the Confederate position again at about 12:30 p.m., they encountered a solid line of greycoats, who greeted them with a sharp volley. For the remainder of the afternoon, after an impromptu conference with his divisional commanders who advised against a renewed frontal attack, John Sedgwick was content to send out a heavy skirmish line and carry out several mock attacks to keep his opponents in place.
Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson, CSA.
Chapter 22
July 4, 1863
Sacrificing the Texas Brigade had saved the right flank of the Army of Northern Virginia at the last minute. While Wright's badly bloodied division was taken from the front line, about 200 mostly wounded Texans in the middle, two of whom were carrying a stretcher with Major General Hood who was unconscious after a head hit by shrapnel, Howe's and Newton's men regrouped to take a well deserved rest afterwards. The Union regiments were disorganized, some of them were running low on ammunition and they urgently needed water before any thought could be given to moving forward again
This respite was all the Confederates needed. Just minutes before noon, Evander M. Law, now acting commander of Hood's Division, could hear marching noises in his rear. It was Longstreet, who, after a heated discussion with A. P. Hill, had prevailed and led the remaining three brigades of Anderson's Division, 3,700 fresh men, on the double to the site of the greatest threat. From left to right or east to west, Ambrose R. Wright's, William Mahone's and the tiny Florida Brigade under Colonel David Lang took up positions. The line was extended by the remains of the two Georgia Brigades from Hood's Division. Since Tige Anderson had been mortally wounded and his brigade was now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William Luffman, Henry L. Benning assumed command of the combined units. Law's old brigade under Colonel James L. Sheffield formed a last reserve, shifted a little to the north.
When Sedgwick's Corps' lead columns made contact with the Confederate position again at about 12:30 p.m., they encountered a solid line of greycoats, who greeted them with a sharp volley. For the remainder of the afternoon, after an impromptu conference with his divisional commanders who advised against a renewed frontal attack, John Sedgwick was content to send out a heavy skirmish line and carry out several mock attacks to keep his opponents in place.
Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson, CSA.
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I like this timeline. Feels a bit like it's sliding into a super Antietam, with the AoNV trapping itself without many offensive cards to play though.
Whatever style you think helps you, go for it. I usually prefer textbook-type narratives, but I read yours because it's an interesting timeline and because you channel Gingrich when you write.
Chapter 23
Chapter 23
July 4, 1863
Just a few dozen yards north of where James Longstreet was reviewing his corps' performance, the clash between Lafayette McLaws' 6,900 strong division and John Reynolds' corps of 11,200 men was more reminiscent of a boxing match or bar brawl than a line battle. The terrain was densely overgrown with trees and shrubs, so both sides encountered each other more surprisingly than planned. Since Reynolds' numerical superiority was negated by McLaws' higher elevations, the fight was almost balanced. Both commands could score hits, but for some time it did not look like a knock-out would occur.
Around 9:30 a.m. the Iron Brigade of James Wadsworth's division spearheaded a determined assault in the center of Reynolds' attack formation and managed to break through William Wofford's brigade with a dashing and splendid executed bayonet attack. The scattered Georgians were streaming towards the rear and brigade leader Solomon Meredith was just about to order his regimental commanders to widen the breach when again the shrill rebel yell sounded to their front.
Only seconds later, 1,600 Mississippians with gray-haired and roaring William Barksdale at their head crashed into the ranks of the Midwesterners, their formation broken up by their successful advance. The following ten minutes eclipsed even the close combat around Hood's old brigade. After firing a salvo point blank, the southerners closed the remaining distance and began to beat their opponents like savages with their rifle butts, who paid them back in kind with their bayonets.
The men of the Iron Brigade were slowly but surely pushed back by the disadvantage of the sloping slope in their backs. When finally the freshly gathered Georgians of William Wofford tore up their left flank, Meredith gave the order to retreat with a heavy heart.
To honor the bravery and death defiance of her opponents, Barksdale ordered to cease the firing during the retreat of their foes. He then joined the most senior captured Union officer, Lieutenant Colonel Rufus R. Dawes, who had been overpowered with half of his 6th Wisconsin by the 21st Mississippi, in shaking hands and congratulating him and his men on their accomplishments. The exhausted Dawes returned the gesture and saluted stiffly before he and his men were herded to the rear as prisoners of war.
After a brief respite, the fighting continued without any side gaining a significant advantage. Brigadier General Paul Semmes was hit twice in the shoulder while steadying his Georgians in the face of a renewed assault by Abner Doubleday's division and had to be carried off the field. On the Union side, Brigadier Generals Gabriel Paul and Georg Stannard went down as well. Combat continued to rage well into the afternoon of that bloody July 4, 1863.
Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws, CSA.
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Chapter 24
Chapter 24
July 4, 1863
The centre of the battle between the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac was located west of Cashtown near the entrance to the South Mountain gap with the road leading to Chambersburg. On the Union Army side, Hancock's and Sykes' corps, together just over 21,000 men, advanced, while the gap was defended by Pender's and Heth's divisions of A. P. Hill's corps, nearly 13,000 infantry. As this was the only place within the battle line where the terrain was almost unwooded and very open, the rebels under Lee had also assembled the majority of their artillery there. In addition to the two battalions from Hill's Artillery Reserve under Colonel Reuben Walker, a detached battalion each of Longstreet's and Ewell's corps were also on site. This gave the Confederates a decisive advantage over Hancock's and Sykes' corps artillery.
As soon as the first elements of the northern infantry entered the gap, they were taken under heavy gunfire. Romeyn Ayres' United States Regulars as well as John Caldwell's and parts of John Gibbon's division advanced boldly and steadfastly under good flank protection, while projectiles blew big holes in their ranks. They were adequately received by Confederate brigades under Abner Perrin, Alfred Scales, Johnston Pettigrew and Joseph Davis.
Heavy hand-to-hand combat broke out between Patrick Kelly's Irish Brigade and the 26th North Carolina under Colonel Henry Burgwyn, after both units had initially shot each other to pieces from a distance of less than one hundred yards and Kelly had personally ordered the survivors of his small brigade to attack, taking a regimental flag from the hands of a dying colour guard. The North Carolinians fought where they stood and repulsed the attack. It is remarkable, however, that despite the deep penetration of the Irish into the rebel lines, not a single flag was lost during the retreat.
Alexander Webb fell at the head of his men as the brigade attacked under triple huzzah and were blasted to smithereens by a battery with double canister.
The most significant loss on the Confederate side was brigade commander John Brockenbrough, who was hit in the neck by a stray minie ball and bled to death within minutes.
While the defenders held their ground, Hancock and Sykes were still in good shape and ready for further action when sudden events on their right drastically changed the nature of the conflict.
Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, USA
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Chapter 25
Chapter 25
July 4, 1863
On the left flank of the Confederates, the day began to take a turn for the worse for the rebels after an uneventful morning spent by the Union corps led by Henry Slocum and Oliver Howard with the deployment delayed by the crossing of a river. Although Ewell's corps outnumbered the nearly 18,000 Yankees by about a thousand men, the commander seemed to have lost much of the esprit that had enabled him to capture a full division at Winchester just a few weeks earlier. The fact that there had been fierce fighting to his right since daybreak, and that he could hear the noise all the way to his headquarters, but not a single Yankee appeared before him, caused Ewell to lose his nerve. After one of Rodes' outposts reported that he had spotted Union cavalry in the north, the corps Commander was convinced his position would be flanked. After giving Rodes concurring orders, Ewell rode to his southernmost division, Edward Allegheny Johnson's, to ask him personally to withdraw his left flank. Just then, however, the Union forces had completed their lineup and Edward Muhlenberg's artillery brigade of Slocum's corps began firing on the Confederate lines from some eastern hills. One of the first projectiles fired, a shrapnel charge, exploded right in front of the spot where Ewell and Johnson were debating the realignment of the latter's infantry. While Johnson's right leg was torn off below the knee, a piece of metal hit Ewell right in the mouth. Both generals went down, one of them badly wounded and the other one dead on the spot. This event, the abrupt breakdown of the chain of command, combined with the unnerving sight of two Union Corps advancing as if on parade, put Johnson's division in such disarray that it fell back. There was nothing Robert Rodes could do but follow the backward movement, otherwise he would have run the risk of being worn down.
When the news reached Jubal Early, who commanded the reserve division of Ewell's Corps, only minutes later, every moment counted. Without hesitation, Early ordered his brigade commander John Gordon to take over the division while he set out to regroup the rest of the corps. When he reached Johnson's leaderless men, Early began to rant and curse in his own way. He was so loud and self-confident that first the men around him and soon the entire division stopped retreating. He ordered the first brigadier general he could make out, George Maryland Steuart, to take command of the division and to turn back immediately to regain the lost ground. Rodes was to cooperate with him and Gordon was ordered to lead his men forward as well, except for a brigade to observe the enemy cavalry.
Slocum and Howard were caught completely offguard by the suddenly returning Confederates. Steuart relentlessly drove his men, including the old Stonewall Brigade, forward, crashing like a hammer into the ranks of Alpheus Williams' and John Geary's divisions. But they held their ground for the time being. On the far left Robert Rodes met Oliver Howard. Adolph von Steinwehr's Division fought fiercely and did not yield a single yard of ground. Where the battle raged most fiercely, Colonel Edward O'Neal fell at the head of Rodes old brigade. Carl Schurz's division, the link between Slocum and Howard, also held up surprisingly well. Several attacks by Alfred Iverson's and Junius Daniel's brigades were repelled with heavy losses. Finally Rodes ordered young Stephen Ramseur to lead his reserve unit to attack. The energetic Ramseur broke deep into the Union ranks and caused them to fall back. When Schurz tried to gather his men by his personal example, he was shot off his horse and his division broke apart. Like dominoes, Slocum's divisions were forced to retreat as a result, while Steinwehr steadily fought his way northeast. Gordon's fresh division replaced Rodes and Steuart in the pursuit of the fugitives and took hundreds of prisoners.
Maj. Gen. Jubal Early, CSA
Sort of, sure. Brockenbrough might not be so bad as well. But on the other hand they lost: Pickett, Hood, Johnson, Garnett, Robertson, Tige Anderson, Semmes and O'Neal. All in all that is 1 corps commander, 3 division commanders (of 9) and 6 brigadiers. Seriously disrupting the command structure. On the Union side all corps commanders are in good health and only 3 of 19 division leaders down.
Isaac Trimble is liable to end up with a corps by the time he finally gets a division at this rate.
I think Trimble will be getting back his old division (Johnson's) and Early gets the corps. Both were promoted to Major General on January 17, 1863 but Trimble was ill for a long time and Early reacted just right when Ewell died, so he is the natural choice in my opinion. Hood's and Pickett's commands are out of any offensive action for the rest of the campaign (50 and 40% casualties), so they should be fine being led by brigadiers Law and Armistead and Gordon is an uncontroversial choice for Early's old command.
Chapter 26
Battle of Cashtown - Conclusion
When George Meade received news of the setback on his right flank, almost simultaneously with a report from John Sedgwick informing him that a further attack on the left did not seem promising, he gave the order to disengage with a heavy heart. His army had not been routed from the field, Slocum and Howard were also able to regroup their men behind a narrow body of water and give Gordon a bloody nose, but he had not succeeded in driving Lee from his position. The afternoon of the 4th of July was drawing to a close and as he wanted to avoid a night battle in a bad position, only an orderly retreat was left as an option. This manoeuvre was carried out in an exemplary manner, with Sykes' and Hancock's corps, who suffered the lightest losses in comparison, forming the rear guard. By nightfall, the six corps of Meade's army had reached Cemetery Hill east of the town of Gettysburg and took up provisional positions there. Almost immediately, via telegraph Meade ordered Sickles and Kilpatrick to rejoin the main army.
The Battle of Cashtown on July 4, 1863 would mark the bloodiest day in American history, outperforming the Battle of Antietam less than a year ago. Almost 29,000 men were killed, wounded or missing that day. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia lost 11,000 men, with Longstreet's two divisions taking the heaviest percentage of losses. Hood's division was basically fought out at the end of the battle. Not only had it lost its commander and two out of four brigadiers, but also just under 50% of its men. Only 400 wounded, some lightly, some seriously, were able to answer the Texas Brigade's roll call next morning. The Army of the Potomac suffered 17,700 casualties, the hardest hit being John Sedgwick's Corps, which lost more than a third of its men.
Lee's command structure had suffered far more than George Meade's, having lost one of his three corps commanders and three of nine division leaders. His men, who had to fight off superior numbers all day long, were completely exhausted and in no condition to initiate a pursuit. By the early morning of July 5th, Lee kept himself informed of the status of his units and made decisions regarding the allocation of vacant positions. Only then did he, like his men, allow himself a whole day of physical and mental relaxation. Tactically, the Battle of Cashtown was a draw, but strategically the Confederates had achieved success with their sovereign defense on northern soil. Still, Meade's army remained intact and the road to Washington was blocked. Much now depended on the subsequent decisions of both commanders.
Together with the losses from Monterey Pass, Lee’s army had been reduced to 54,500 effectives. His order of battle had changed as follows.
Army of Northern Virginia, General Robert E. Lee, 54,500
Longstreet’s Corps, LTG James Longstreet, 11,700
Law’s Division, BG Evander Law, 3,500
Sheffield’s Brigade, Col James Sheffield, 1,100
Texas Brigade, Maj Frederick Bass, 400
Luffman’s Brigade, LTC William Luffman, 900
Benning’s Brigade, BG Henry Benning, 1,100
McLaws‘ Division, MG Lafayette McLaws, 4,900
Kershaw’s Brigade, BG Joseph Kershaw, 1,700
Barksdale’s Brigade, BG William Barksdale, 1,100
Bryan’s Brigade, Col Goode Bryan, 1,000
Wofford’s Brigade, BG William Wofford, 1,100
Armistead’s Division, BG Lewis Armistead, 3,300
Hunton’s Brigade, Col Eppa Hunton, 900
Kemper’s Brigade, BG James Kemper, 1,100
Aylett’s Brigade, Col William Aylett, 1,300
Early’s Corps, MG Jubal Early, 16,100
Rodes‘ Division, MG Robert Rodes, 6,600
Daniel’s Brigade, BG Junius Daniel, 1,900
Doles‘ Brigade, BG George Doles, 1,100
Iverson’s Brigade, BG Alfred Iverson, 1,200
Ramseur’s Brigade, BG Stephen Ramseur, 900
Battle’s Brigade, Col Cullen Battle, 1,500
Trimble’s Division, MG Isaac Trimble, 5,000
Steuart’s Brigade, BG George Steuart, 1,800
Stonewall Brigade, BG James Walker, 1,100
Williams‘ Brigade, Col Jesse Williams, 900
Jones‘ Brigade, BG John Jones, 1,200
Gordon’s Division, BG John Gordon, 4,500
Hays‘ Brigade, BG Harry Hays, 1,100
Smith’s Brigade, BG William Smith, 700
Avery’s Brigade, Col Isaac Avery, 1,100
Evans‘ Brigade, Col Clement Evans, 1,600
Hill’s Corps, LTG Ambrose Hill, 16,700
Anderson’s Division, MG Richard Anderson, 6,600
Wilcox‘ Brigade, BG Cadmus Wilcox, 1,700
Lang’s Brigade, Col David Lang, 700
Mahone’s Brigade, BG William Mahone, 1,600
Posey’s Brigade, BG Carnot Posey, 1,200
Wright’s Brigade, BG Ambrose Wright, 1,400
Heth’s Division, MG Henry Heth, 5,300
Archer’s Brigade, BG James Archer, 1,000
Davis‘ Brigade, BG Joseph Davis, 1,700
Mayo’s Brigade, Col Robert Mayo, 900
Pettigrew’s Brigade, BG Johnston Pettigrew, 1,700
Pender’s Division, MG William Pender, 4,800
Perrin’s Brigade, Col Abner Perrin, 1,500
Lane’s Brigade, BG James Lane, 1,300
Thomas‘ Brigade, BG Edward Thomas, 1,000
Scales‘ Brigade, BG Alfred Scales, 1,000
Stuart’s Cavalry Division, MG JEB Stuart, 6,100
Hampton’s Division, BG Wade Hampton, 1,700
Fitz Lee’s Brigade, BG Fitzhugh Lee, 1,900
Chambliss‘ Brigade, Col John Chambliss, 1,200
Jenkins‘ Brigade, BG Albert Jenkins, 1,300
Unattached Cavalry, 3,900
Imboden’s Brigade, BG John Imboden, 1,000
Robertson’s Brigade, BG Beverly Robertson, 1,000
Jones‘ Brigade. BG William Jones, 1,900
George Meade’s army had all in all been reduced to 60,000 effectives. His order of battle had changed as follows.
Army of the Potomac, MG George Meade, 60,000
I. Corps, MG John Reynolds, 7,800
First Division, BG James Wadsworth, 2,500
Second Division, BG John Robinson, 2,500
Third Division, MG Abner Doubleday, 2,800
II. Corps, MG Winfield Scott Hancock, 8,600
First Division, BG John Caldwell, 2,600
Second Division, BG William Harrow, 3,000
Third Division, BG Alexander Hays, 3,000
III. Corps, MG Daniel Sickles, 6,000
First Division, BG Hobart Ward, 3,000
Second Division, BG Andrew Humphreys, 3,000
V. Corps, MG George Sykes, 8,600
First Division, BG James Barnes, 3,000
Second Division, BG Romeyn Ayres, 3,000
Third Division, BG Samuel Crawford, 2,600
VI. Corps, MG John Sedgwick, 8,200
First Division, BG Horatio Wright, 2,800
Second Division, BG Albion Howe, 2,800
Third Division, MG John Newton, 2,600
XI. Corps, MG Oliver Howard, 5,600
First Division, BG Francis Barlow, 2,000
Second Division, BG Adolph von Steinwehr, 2,000
Third Division, BG Alexander Schimmelfennig, 1,600
XII. Corps, MG Henry Slocum, 6,100
First Division, BG Alpheus Williams, 3,000
Second Division, BG John Geary, 3,100
Cavalry Corps, MG Alfred Pleasonton, 9,100
First Division, BG John Buford, 4,300
Second Division, BG David Gregg, 2,900
Third Division, BG Judson Kilpatrick, 1,900
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Wow, it doesn't really feel like a Confederate defeat. The best move Lee could make is like in Gingrich's Gettysburg, I think, but then we'd just be reading Gingrich's Gettysburg, and we already have a Gingrich's Gettysburg.
I don't know if Lee's men are in a position to do a sweeping flank march here Gingrich had them peel off on the second day instead of attacking the Little Round top. Here the AoNVa had marched had and fought a major engagement, best news Ewell ate one for the team, I believe that Early will be a good commander of 2nd corps, maybe give some of the aggressive command style that the army lost with Jackson; he did well with his command late in the war. A move back into VA would most likely be the smartest strategic option but its a political non-starter. Like you said maybe try and swing in between Meade and DC like Gingrich has him do. we will have to wait and see where Lothar has this go, and enjoy the ride.
