Buford cavalry at Gettysburg WI

I was watching Gettysburg today on Youtube(full movie avalible, directors cut) and Buford decided to hold the high ground against Heath.

But what if: He takes his two brigades and move behind Heath and then attack Heath from the rear in a hit and run action, then as Heath turns around to face him other troops from the brigade attack from the other direction in a hit and run. Think mongols with carbines instead of bow and arrow.

How soon before Heaths men start to panick and route.
 
3rd corps

I only see one problem with that, the rest of A.P. Hill's 3rd corps was right behind Heth's division. That's two more divisions of Pender and Anderson. Buford only had about 2500 men, A.P. Hill's corps outnumbered Buford's Calvary by 9 to 1.
 
But what if: He takes his two brigades and move behind Heath and then attack Heath from the rear in a hit and run action, then as Heath turns around to face him other troops from the brigade attack from the other direction in a hit and run. Think mongols with carbines instead of bow and arrow.

You have a greatly exaggerated idea of the effectiveness of cavalry.

To begin with, it isn't all that much more mobile than infantry, at a tactical level. There are places where men can go that horses can't. Woods block cavalry more than infantry, because mounted men can't duck under branches.

Even on open ground, cavalry doesn't move that much faster. For Buford 's men to "move behind" Heth (not Heath), they have to travel a good many miles through rough terrain (Heth's Division occupies the nice open road). Meanwhile Heth marches into Gettysburg unopposed.

If they're lucky, they reach the rear of Heth's Division while there is a gap between Heth and the next division of Hill's Corps. They can try to attack Heth's rear, but that's if they find it. Bear in mind that they have to move out of contact, and then try to move back in without knowing where the Confederates have moved to.

As for trying to coordinate attacks from opposite sides; this is 1863. There are no radios.
 
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