Gettysburg, 1st Day - Collapse of the Union line

As the Federals retreat to regroup on Cemetery Hill, Lee and Longstreet argue over strategy.

General Ewell later made the controversial decision not to press the attack and halted his advance in the East near Culp's Hill.

From the movie Gettysburg.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• gettysburg
• civil
• war
• battle
• longstreet
• robert
• lee
• union
• confederacy

[noleybo56]

@noleybo56 And accomplished Lee's orders quite handsomely.This turn of events would have meant one of two actions for the Union troops. Attack the Confederate defensive position on Culp's Hill or quit Cemetery Hill thus Lee could have maintain his defensive offensive stratagem in a very strong position. But for some reason unbeknown he over-looked the importance of Culp's Hill. WHY?

[noleybo56]

@lebara sky Yeah, this is the strange assumptions surrounding "Gettysburg".Remember Lee's admonition to General Ewell, "take the hill if practicable but do not bring on a general engagement until the army is up". Now the hill that Lee was referring too was Cemetery Hill which was in the hands of the 1st and 11th corp Union.If Ewell would have disobeyed Lee's discretionary order and attack Culp's Hill he would have with one swoop out manoeuvred the Union troops on Cemetery Hill......

[lebarosky]

@noleybo56 I thought that is what hill he meant. I am not an expert; I am only an avid reader and student. Just finished "A Glorious Army" by Jeffry D. Wert, who is a very competent military historian. What is remarkable about the ANV is that they kept attacking at Lee's behest while taking such high casualties. An amazing group of men. If you go to Gettysburg and stand where Pickett's Charge started you would realize how remarkable it was. Not good ground for attack in 1860s.

[noleybo56]

@lebara sky Why would Lee attack Cemetery Hill while the main feature on that particular part of the battlefield was Culp's Hill which over-looked the former, Besides was there not two Union army corps 1st and 11th dug in on Cemetery Hill.And Old Baldy had an under strength corp. Ewell knew that Culp's Hill was the hill to be taken. In my opinion Lee over-looked this position purposely for what reason?

[lebarosky]

Interesting about Longstreet v Lee. Both agreed that the Army of Northern Virginia should take the strategic offensive. Where they differed was tactics. Lee advocated the tactical offensive, and the Army lost 30 to 40 percent in a series of battles that will live forever in the annals of military history. Longstreet advocated the tactical defensive but Lee thought that the morale of the army required that it attack. The only time Longstreet's method was adopted was at Fredricksburg.

[lebarosky]

Oh well he was a bit too much of a gentleman. He should have told Old Baldy to take the hill or die trying.

[Shafeone]

@Boethius51250 You are arguing a different discussion. My point, and history backs it up, is that Southern slavery most likely would not have just died off making the war unecessary (as many pro-Southern apologists like to claim) but would have lasted well into the 20th century. If your argument is that it would have been better for Blacks to remain slaves (ostensibly because of SA's post-Apartheid difficulties or our own) well, you'll have to ask a Black American that one. Good luck.

[Boethius51250]

@Shafeone And look how the post Apartheid governments have changed things. Look at the state of the "black man" in modern America. Your argument doesn't hold water because the victors of the Civil War exchanged one form of slavery (private) for another form of slavery (public). We are all now slaves of the government and if you have no clue what I'm talking about then I' not even going to bother.

[AUG351]

Pickett's Charge should have never happened, instead of attacking Cemetery Ridge Lee should have renewed his attacks on the flanks where Mead was weakest and flanked around Big Round Top.

[projectbrumaire]

Lee's responses to Longstreet are so stupid...Longstreet understands the Art of War.