Gettysburg Reb cavalry WI

This video makes a couple of interesting points about how Stuart deployed his cavalry brigades at Gettysburg. He left two of Regulars (Jones & Robertson) guarding his LOC, & gave two of Irregualars (Jenkins & somebody else) to Lee, who didn't trust them (& so didn't use them).

WI, instead, Lee had asked the obvious question about why Jones & Robertson were guarding LOCs, instead of the Irregulars (who had less combat experience, & so were better suited to this). This would (it seems clear) have forced a switch, leaving two Regular brigades with Lee.

It seems likely having Regular cav would have given Lee some eyes on the Federals, even with Stuart on his "ride around".

How much actual difference would it have made?

One other thing. On that "ride around", Stuart captured a large number of wagons & mules. He didn't detach a couple of companies to escort the prize back to the AoNV. Why not? Was that not standard practise? Would it have been a good idea if he had?
 
This video makes a couple of interesting points about how Stuart deployed his cavalry brigades at Gettysburg. He left two of Regulars (Jones & Robertson) guarding his LOC, & gave two of Irregualars (Jenkins & somebody else) to Lee, who didn't trust them (& so didn't use them).

WI, instead, Lee had asked the obvious question about why Jones & Robertson were guarding LOCs, instead of the Irregulars (who had less combat experience, & so were better suited to this). This would (it seems clear) have forced a switch, leaving two Regular brigades with Lee.
Umm... Jones’ and Robertson’s role was not just LOC protection but to also watch the Army of the Potomac as it crossed the Potomac River in pursuit of Lee. Lee and Robertson must be blamed for not making much use of this detachment. The former relied too much on Stuart to deliver information and neglected to call on Robertson to report the movements of the Army of the Potomac even though Robertson was perfectly capable of communicating with Confederate high command daily; and the latter was negligent in keeping watch of the Army of the Potomac.

The irregulars you mentioned are Jenkins’ and Imboden’s brigades. Though these two brigades performed fairly well in the Gettysburg Campaign, this was their first “regular” mission and thus Lee did not trust them. Imboden was sent to raid the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to forestall any reinforcements from the West while Jenkins was used by Ewell for reconnaissance.

In hindsight, we can say that swapping the regulars with the irregulars might have been beneficial. Imboden and Jenkins were far better officers than Robertson and might have made a better effort to watch the Army of the Potomac.

One other thing. On that "ride around", Stuart captured a large number of wagons & mules. He didn't detach a couple of companies to escort the prize back to the AoNV. Why not? Was that not standard practise? Would it have been a good idea if he had?
It’s a good idea if Stuart decided to return the wagons to the Yankees with some interest in the form of prisoners. Do you expect that a few cavalry companies burdened with 125 wagons and hundreds of mules could have slipped past the Army of the Potomac? Besides, those wagons were vital for Stuart to comply with Lee’s orders to strip provisions from Pennsylvanian farmers.
 
Jones’ and Robertson’s role was not just LOC protection but to also watch the Army of the Potomac as it crossed the Potomac River in pursuit of Lee. Lee and Robertson must be blamed for not making much use of this detachment. The former relied too much on Stuart to deliver information and neglected to call on Robertson to report the movements of the Army of the Potomac even though Robertson was perfectly capable of communicating with Confederate high command daily; and the latter was negligent in keeping watch of the Army of the Potomac.
That I did not know. (The video in question was making a point about Robertso & Jones getting along poorly {to put it mildly} with Stuart.)
The irregulars you mentioned are Jenkins’ and Imboden’s brigades.
Thx. He mentions Imboden, but I couldn't make out the name.:oops:
In hindsight, we can say that swapping the regulars with the irregulars might have been beneficial. Imboden and Jenkins were far better officers than Robertson and might have made a better effort to watch the Army of the Potomac.
:cool:
It’s a good idea if Stuart decided to return the wagons to the Yankees with some interest in the form of prisoners. Do you expect that a few cavalry companies burdened with 125 wagons and hundreds of mules could have slipped past the Army of the Potomac? Besides, those wagons were vital for Stuart to comply with Lee’s orders to strip provisions from Pennsylvanian farmers.
As noted, I had no real idea of the scale of the problem. (I was thinking in AMC terms: put a prize crew aboard & send 'em home.) I was also ignorant of Lee's orders to capture & return supplies.

These things being true, my suggestion is clearly a bad one.:oops:

I maintain a question offering a bad idea is preferable to remainig ignorant, however.;)
 
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