TomPeashey Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 And done with minutes to spare if sources are correct. End of the line held by Col Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine Regiment (a corps name IIRC). Well 150 years ago this evening Lee had tried both ends of the "fishhook". What will he try tomorrow? And what would have happened if Jeb Stuart (aka Lees' eyes) hadn't been delayed by a skirmish with Yankee cavalry (including Col. Custer) on June 30? Little place called....... Hanover. Battle of Hanover absolutely correct... Lee's not having Jeb Stuart and Stonewall Jackson (who had died recently of his battle wounds) was critical to the failure of Robert E Lee at Gettysburg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 very good tom. didn't know you knew your history. i learned about that in grammar school. i was always interested in the civil war and especially getteysburg. and you thought you knew me... secondary ed history major with a minor in music and emphasis on the Civil War studying under Dr. Charles Snyder considered to be one of the foremost Civil War experts of the 20th Century... That was at SUNY Oswego... So I also know a heck of a lot about Dr. Mary Walker of Oswego who not only was one of the first female doctors in the USA, she also was arrested for wearing pants and served the Army of the Potomac as a surgeon and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor... then a few decades later when she took up with a bunch of rabble rousing women called suffregettes and became close friends with Susan B. Anthony - congress took the medal away from her.... some time later it was restored... but who'd a thunk a woman was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Civil War? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish66 Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 (edited) Then you probably know that today July 2, is the 150th anniversary of one of the decisive battles within the 3 day battle which historians agree changed the tide and influenced U.S.A. history for centuries to come... Specifically, Col. Rourke of Rochester NY and his NY volunteers were supposed to and had written orders to lend support to the "Wheatfields" but on his way Col. Rourke saw that a rather famous little rocky hill was about to fall into Confederate hands which would allow them to put cannons on the high ground and take the left flank of the Army of the Potomac... seeing this and recognizing the danger, he ignored his orders and led his men onto "Little Round Top" where they dismounted due to all the rocks and ferociously took the hill back from the rebels in hand to hand combat... while saving the day, Col. Rourke took a musketball to the throat and died... at 26 years of age... He had been #1 in the West Point class of 1861... the same class where the cadet in last place was none other than George Armstrong Custer... It was also the class the saw the head of West Point - General Robert E. Lee - and about half of the class resign and leave NY to join the army of Virginia.... This one skirmish allowed the Union to put cannon on little round top and cover the left flank forcing Robert E. Lee to attack the center strength of the Union lines on July 3rd... as the flanks were well protected now and would have been suicide... because of this, his attack failed and eventually he retreated with what he could salvage and left the northern states never to return north of the mason dixon line... The war was clearly now taken to the South and although it took 2 more years, Gettysburg clearly led to ultimate victory and preservation of the union. For the sake of accuracy, it was P.G.T. Beauregard that was the Superintendant at West Point when the war broke out. R.E. Lee's tenure as Supt. was 1852-1855. It's also believed that Lee may have suffered a heart attack at Gettysburg, a factor that may have influenced his illadvised tactics. All very interesting stuff! I've been to Gettysburg a few times and found the experience to be both somber and facinating. Edited July 3, 2013 by fish66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 For the sake of accuracy, it was P.G.T. Beauregard that was the Superintendant at West Point when the war broke out. R.E. Lee's tenure as Supt. was 1852-1855. It's also believed that Lee may have suffered a heart attack at Gettysburg, a factor that may have influenced his illadvised tactics. All very interesting stuff! I've been to Gettysburg a few times and found the experience to be both somber and facinating. the heart attack had happened a few weeks before. from what i understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 For the sake of accuracy, it was P.G.T. Beauregard that was the Superintendant at West Point when the war broke out. R.E. Lee's tenure as Supt. was 1852-1855. It's also believed that Lee may have suffered a heart attack at Gettysburg, a factor that may have influenced his illadvised tactics. All very interesting stuff! I've been to Gettysburg a few times and found the experience to be both somber and facinating. You guys are incredible ... Dorritie should do a podcast roundtable with all of you on this topic ... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 You guys are incredible ... Dorritie should do a podcast roundtable with all of you on this topic ... :-) They'd need to have a southerner there, to talk about the War of Northern Aggression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 They'd need to have a southerner there, to talk about the War of Northern Aggression. :tongue:/> we could use South Coordinator Vic Kulinski.... no wait... he's from CT ... are there any TRUE southerners left? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 we could use South Coordinator Vic Kulinski.... no wait... he's from CT ... are there any TRUE southerners left? i live in the south but i belong to the NY volunteers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted July 3, 2013 Author Share Posted July 3, 2013 So I also know a heck of a lot about Dr. Mary Walker of Oswego who not only was one of the first female doctors in the USA, she also was arrested for wearing pants and served the Army of the Potomac as a surgeon and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor... then a few decades later when she took up with a bunch of rabble rousing women called suffregettes and became close friends with Susan B. Anthony - congress took the medal away from her.... some time later it was restored... but who'd a thunk a woman was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Civil War? LOL, have a book (offbeat of course) called "Felton and Fowler's Famous Americans You Never Knew Existed", included is Dr Walker. Have heard about Lee possibly having an earlier heart attack and/or angina attacks around the time of the battle. Also possible cause for his orders to Ewell to knock the disorganized Northern troops off of Cemetary Ridge end of the first day. IIRC orders had the words "if you feel it feasible" and Ewell, not have the fight he had at the start of the war, decided not to attack. Gave the North time to regroup and prepare for the rest of the battle. Sorry no pics of any buglers in the local paper but did see by a pic that Jim Getty is still playing Abe Lincoln (runs Abe Lincolns Place in town). Years back my wife and I went to Gettysburg and stopped at a local diner for lunch. Mr Gettys walked in for a lunch break, pretty much dressed (and looking a LOT) like Lincoln. You could tell who the tourists were by the eyes bugging out and the snap of the necks as the heads whipped around. The locals were "Hi Jim".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Priester Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 LOL, have a book (offbeat of course) called "Felton and Fowler's Famous Americans You Never Knew Existed", included is Dr Walker. Have heard about Lee possibly having an earlier heart attack and/or angina attacks around the time of the battle. Also possible cause for his orders to Ewell to knock the disorganized Northern troops off of Cemetary Ridge end of the first day. IIRC orders had the words "if you feel it feasible" and Ewell, not have the fight he had at the start of the war, decided not to attack. Gave the North time to regroup and prepare for the rest of the battle. Sorry no pics of any buglers in the local paper but did see by a pic that Jim Getty is still playing Abe Lincoln (runs Abe Lincolns Place in town). Years back my wife and I went to Gettysburg and stopped at a local diner for lunch. Mr Gettys walked in for a lunch break, pretty much dressed (and looking a LOT) like Lincoln. You could tell who the tourists were by the eyes bugging out and the snap of the necks as the heads whipped around. :w00t:/> The locals were "Hi Jim".... According to the various programs and documentaries this week, Lee's words were "if practicable". Apparently Ewell felt his men were too worn out from the day's fighting that he did not feel it was "practicable". And if Meade had taken the initiative on July 3, he could have possibly overtaken and soundly defeated the Army of Northern Virginia and brought the war to a swifter conclusion than going on for another 2 years. Having visited the battlefield a few times, it becomes very emotional when you consider the carnage that took place in that small cross-roads town. Bruce Caton's "This Hallowed Ground" covers the three day battle in detail and is a great read, along with his 2 trilogies covering the entire war. What a period in our history! Ray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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