What if Lee decides to attack on one of the flanks on the third day instead of launch pickett's charge, what if he decides to just withdraw?
What if Lee decides to attack on one of the flanks on the third day instead of launch pickett's charge, what if he decides to just withdraw?
Since one flank was based on Culp Hill and the other on Little Round Top, I think a flank attack is a nonstarter.
Pickett's Charge was supposed to coincide with Stuart's attack on their rear.
The better option would be for Lee to order a withdrawal on the evening of July 2. From there it might be possible for him to force the Union army to abandon it's position at Gettysburg and attack the Confederates on ground of their own choosing.
Lee's army actually spent the entire second day of the battle attacking the flanks. As a result, both flanks had been heavily reinforced, and attacks on the flanks would have been even less likely to succeed on the third day than they had been on the previous day.
Indeed, that's why he decided on an attack on the center of the Union line on the third day...he reasoned that the reinforcements which went to the flanks on the 2nd day must have been drawn from the center, so the center would be a weak spot on the third day.
No, Lee's main effort on the second day was an attack in the centre that went badly wrong. On the third day Lee is simply continuing his plan from the second day.
I cannot see any grounds for arguing that this attack was on the center.
No, Lee's main effort on the second day was an attack in the centre that went badly wrong. On the third day Lee is simply continuing his plan from the second day.
Lee's effort was an attack on every side on the 2nd day actually. It's just the attacks were not in concert. The battle was almost won in the center on the second day. I believe a regiment of Minnesota, I forget which one immolated itself against the Confederate advance which had breached the center, but received no reinforcements. That regiment suffered 80 percent wounded or dead iirc.
1st Minnesota, they were handled very badly....
Lee's plan for the second day was two converging oblique attacks against cemetery hill.
yeah, stuart had already signaled to lee that the way to the union rear was clear before being stymied by custer and his michigan cavalry. a good book on this is "Lost Triumph" by tom carhart.Pickett's Charge was supposed to coincide with Stuart's attack on their rear.
They werent handled badly, both they and Hankock that ordered them knew that they were gunfodder. One brigade found the gap between Sickles and the center and went in. Hankock used 1st Minnesota to buy time for reserves to plug the hole.
I dont know why 20th mains efforts on the extreme left got all the glory in the movie Gettysburg, why not shorten that piece a bit and show more about 1st Minnesota.
20th ME got all the glory because the film Gettysburg was based on a book written from the PoV of the 20th ME, based on the exaggerated writings of Col Chamberlain, who wrote a largely ficticious account of the battle (which was only shown to be as such a few years ago when his original after action report was found, when compiling the OR's it appeared the 20th ME's AAR from Gettysburg was missing, so Chamberlain used the opportunity to rewrite history, making it him who ordered the charge etc.).
1st Minnesota, they were handled very badly....