Who Is Most To Blame For the Confederate Loss At Gettysburg? (Lost Cause Version)

The South lost at Gettysburg? Whose fault was it?

  • Ewell

    Votes: 10 16.9%
  • Stuart

    Votes: 34 57.6%
  • Longstreet

    Votes: 5 8.5%
  • Hill

    Votes: 3 5.1%
  • Some other Confederate (other than Lee)

    Votes: 7 11.9%

  • Total voters
    59
I was referring to the 2nd Day re: Cemetery Hill; depending on how you count it, the Confederates had something like 2-1 superiority in brigades around Cemetery Hill. Early attacked with two brigades against XI Corps forces of the same size, in prepared positions on the high ground, and drove them; Anderson was attacking on that day, but failed to get his left wing brigade commanders' rears in gear after some initial success, and Hill was too sick to make sure the Light Division pressed the attack after Pender was wounded.
Oh I see now. I'd agree about how R.H. Anderson failed in doing his job and Hill's sickness wasn't helping. Perhaps if R.H. Anderson's Division was temporarily assigned to Longstreet, the Confederates could possibly achieve better results (though R.H. Anderson was fairly laissez faire when it came to command).
 
"Lost Cause" edition: Stuart, because he was so late to the battle.
In reality, Lee had 3.5 brigades of cavalry left to him if he wanted "eyes and ears". Further, Lee later gave Stuart a corps of cavalry, so he wasn't too upset with the ol' fop.
 

SsgtC

Banned
Reality: Lee for fighting a major engagement there in the first place. Once he realised the Union Cavalry was fighting a holding action to pin him in place for the infantry, Lee should have disengaged immediately and moved south, forcing Meade (who had literally just assumed command) to follow him on a wild goose chase wearing out his men, then choose his own ground on which to fight and force Meade into an offensive fight verses a defensive one.

Lost Cause version: Heth. He was clearly ordered by Lee not to force a major engagement. Instead of allowing Bufford's Cavalry division to pin him in place, he should have detached no more than a brigade to pin the Union Cavalry in place while he continued with his main mission.
 
Pickett obviously, he failed to take the Union center and hated Lee afterwards. Anybody who blames Lee must be the one at fault. ;)
 

Deleted member 9338

That would be Heth and yes, he didn't do the best job that day. But the story of the shoes has been debunked. The specific orders issued make no mention of shoes. And Jubal Early's boys had passed through Gettysburg a few days before and would surely have scooped up whatever spare footwear was available.
Early did come through I think on the 28th dispersing and than paroling the militia unit there. A future governor and a relation of my first wife were there to take part on the Union side.

I can only assume Heath did not expect any Union activity.
 

SsgtC

Banned
Well, to be fair to Heth, his reports stated that the only forces in Gettysburg were militia. And Bufford did nothing to disabuse him off that fact early on. All his men were dismounted. Heth didn't realize he was fighting Union Cavalry until he was already engaged. And by that point, he figured his infantry division should be able to easily push through a few dismounted cavalry. And he would have too. But Bufford really had an excellent day and held long enough for I Corps to come up in support.

Early did come through I think on the 28th dispersing and than paroling the militia unit there. A future governor and a relation of my first wife were there to take part on the Union side.

I can only assume Heath did not expect any Union activity.
 
Reality: Lee for fighting a major engagement there in the first place. Once he realised the Union Cavalry was fighting a holding action to pin him in place for the infantry, Lee should have disengaged immediately and moved south, forcing Meade (who had literally just assumed command) to follow him on a wild goose chase wearing out his men, then choose his own ground on which to fight and force Meade into an offensive fight verses a defensive one.
South down which roads? The Emmitsburg road? The Baltimore pike? The Taneytown road? All of which could be teeming with Union soldiers for all he knows, not having Stuart on hand.
 

SsgtC

Banned
That is definitely something to consider. But Lee had a reputation as being quite good at feints. He could possibly detach one Corps to draw Meade in at Gettysburg with orders not to engage in a major action and to withdraw once the bulk of the AotP was concentrated. Lee could then withdraw or swing around behind Meade and fight an action on his terms

South down which roads? The Emmitsburg road? The Baltimore pike? The Taneytown road? All of which could be teeming with Union soldiers for all he knows, not having Stuart on hand.
 
Lost Cause answer? Okay:

Longstreet.

Because after the war he fought on the side of ni...erm oppressors against whites...erm...peaceful, law-abiding citizens. And race definitely has nothing to do with it.

Let's be honest that's the reason Longstreet's gets any blame.
 
Lost Cause answer? Okay:

Longstreet.

Because after the war he fought on the side of ni...erm oppressors against whites...erm...peaceful, law-abiding citizens. And race definitely has nothing to do with it.

Let's be honest that's the reason Longstreet's gets any blame.

I thought it was also a factor of him being the most vocal naysayer regarding Lee's plans.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
South down which roads? The Emmitsburg road? The Baltimore pike? The Taneytown road? All of which could be teeming with Union soldiers for all he knows, not having Stuart on hand.

Which might have been a factor in why Lee didn't choose that course of action.
 
Which might have been a factor in why Lee didn't choose that course of action.
Exactly; he's not in some kind of vacuum where he can move freely on the X Y and Z axes. There's an argument to be made that Lee had begun treating his enemy with contempt by Gettysburg, but at least he wasn't trying to move Ewell's corps and his 17 mile wagon train 2.5 miles around the Union position under the very guns of the enemy to follow Longstreet on his march into the blue.
 
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Original most Lost Cause answer?

William N. Pendleton, the Army of Northern Virginia's Chief of Artillery.
For failing to co-ordinate the artillery preparation and support for Pickett's Charge.

(There is actually a theory that the artillery was issued shell fuses manufactured in South Carolina, which burned for longer, about 3 seconds, than those normally used from Richmond. And hence shot high, so blaming poor ordnance works as well)
 
I thought it was also a factor of him being the most vocal naysayer regarding Lee's plans.

That might be part of it, but Longstreet joined the Republicans, and opposed anti-Reconstruction efforts in some instances, making him a traitor, (irony much?) and thus all the blame can be shifted onto him. The Lee worship came later I believe.
 
Lee was a slaver and a traitor. He and several other Confeds should have been hanged.

Oh, I'm sorry. What was the question again?

I blame Armistead for attacking his best friend's position on the high ground and getting one of the Union's best generals badly wound, and whatever asshole got Reynolds killed.

Benjamin
 
Exactly; he's not in some kind of vacuum where he can move freely on the X Y and Z planes. There's an argument to be made that Lee had begun treating his enemy with contempt by Gettysburg, but at least he wasn't trying to move Ewell's corps and his 17 mile wagon train 2.5 miles around the Union position under the very guns of the enemy to follow Longstreet on his march into the blue.

A lot of armchair generals forget that these armies had a traffic jam of vehicles and horses following them around where ever they went. Even Sherman who was foraging extremely aggressively had a hell of a lot of of wagons and draft animals.
 
Jefferson Davis,for even letting Lee go through with that hair brained plan.
The ANV shouldn't have been anywhere near Gettysburg to begin with.
 
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