An interactive Gettysburg map 150 years later

[Beerball]

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/A-Cutting-Edge-Second-Look-at-the-Battle-of-Gettysburg.html#

[Just Jack]

My Dad will like this, though he could probably tell you everything without needing a map or reference material.

[DC Tom]

Very cool. Two things missing that should be told (or looked up):

 

1) Joshua Chamberlain's defense of Little Round top, which really won the day (day 2), and won him a well-deserved Medal of Honor. If not for his excellent leadership of the 20th Maine, the Union line would have been flanked on the far left, and the army levered away from it's lines of communications. (General Sickles usually gets the credit for the Union defense on Day 2 - in fact, Sickles was a shockingly inept idiot who almost single-handedly managed to lose the entire battle in a morning).

 

2) Interesting theory about Pickett's charge: it wasn't the main attack, it was a diversion to keep the Union line pinned while Jeb Stuart rode around the deep right flank and took Culp's Hill (and the Union artillery) from behind. It's just a theory, virtually unprovable as neither Lee nor Stuart left anything about it in writing, but there's some decent support for it (the timing and coordination - by cannon signal - of Pickett's charge and Stuart's marches; the Confederate tactics at the cavalry battle about 5 miles east of Gettysburg, where they tried to force through the Union cavalry line in marching order rather than battle order, certain of Lee's reactions and commands after the battle...) It's also the first time in the way Union cavalry managed to stand up to Confederate cavalry and not get their asses kicked by Jeb Stuart (in no small thanks to George Custer's leadership, ironically). It's a shame the interactive map doesn't even show the cavalry battle, as it was pretty important.

[Dante]

Very cool. Two things missing that should be told (or looked up):

 

1) Joshua Chamberlain's defense of Little Round top, which really won the day (day 2), and won him a well-deserved Medal of Honor. If not for his excellent leadership of the 20th Maine, the Union line would have been flanked on the far left, and the army levered away from it's lines of communications. (General Sickles usually gets the credit for the Union defense on Day 2 - in fact, Sickles was a shockingly inept idiot who almost single-handedly managed to lose the entire battle in a morning).

 

2) Interesting theory about Pickett's charge: it wasn't the main attack, it was a diversion to keep the Union line pinned while Jeb Stuart rode around the deep right flank and took Culp's Hill (and the Union artillery) from behind. It's just a theory, virtually unprovable as neither Lee nor Stuart left anything about it in writing, but there's some decent support for it (the timing and coordination - by cannon signal - of Pickett's charge and Stuart's marches; the Confederate tactics at the cavalry battle about 5 miles east of Gettysburg, where they tried to force through the Union cavalry line in marching order rather than battle order, certain of Lee's reactions and commands after the battle...) It's also the first time in the way Union cavalry managed to stand up to Confederate cavalry and not get their asses kicked by Jeb Stuart (in no small thanks to George Custer's leadership, ironically). It's a shame the interactive map doesn't even show the cavalry battle, as it was pretty important.

Damn.

[Chef Jim]

Very cool. Two things missing that should be told (or looked up):

 

1) Joshua Chamberlain's defense of Little Round top, which really won the day (day 2), and won him a well-deserved Medal of Honor. If not for his excellent leadership of the 20th Maine, the Union line would have been flanked on the far left, and the army levered away from it's lines of communications. (General Sickles usually gets the credit for the Union defense on Day 2 - in fact, Sickles was a shockingly inept idiot who almost single-handedly managed to lose the entire battle in a morning).

 

 

The book Killer Angels and the move adaptation of the book Gettysburg does a great job depicting this. I saw the movie first and when I read the book I knew the outcome of Chamberlain's defense but I was still on pins and needles as I read it. Fantastic!

 

Damn.

 

And according to the movie (I know of all people I should not take a movie's word for it) General Longstreet was 100% against "the charge" but had to defer to Lee's command.

 

Oh and I have a bunch of interactive maps of the Civil War. They're actually books with maps and they are very informative. I was in heaven when I went to Gettysburg. Well except for all the gaudy monuments. I really got into the battle after I went. Wish I knew as much about the battle when I was there as I do now. Would have made the visit that much better.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Chef Jim

[KD in CA]

 

The book Killer Angels and the move adaptation of the book Gettysburg does a great job depicting this. I saw the movie first and when I read the book I knew the outcome of Chamberlain's defense but I was still on pins and needles as I read it. Fantastic!.

 

Same here; I saw it in the theatre which of course intensified the battle scenes. I enjoyed it so much I immediately read the book.

[Chef Jim]

Same here; I saw it in the theatre which of course intensified the battle scenes. I enjoyed it so much I immediately read the book.

 

The cannon barrage to start Pickett's charge was done so well with the movie. The whole house shakes with I play that scene. The wife hates it. Hmmm she's gone for the day. I think time to load the DVD and crank the surround sound!!

[boyst]

I've been trying this on a tablet. Will have to look at it when I get home

 

Went to Ft Macon yesterday. It was amazing seeing a map of all the coastal and Carolina battles. How the smallest battles made the biggest impacts. Ft Macon was inspected and engineered by Robert E Lee. It was manned by 1 soldier until taken by confederates. The guy gave it up without any attempt to stop them.

[Beerball]

The book Killer Angels and the move adaptation of the book Gettysburg does a great job depicting this. I saw the movie first and when I read the book I knew the outcome of Chamberlain's defense but I was still on pins and needles as I read it. Fantastic!

My 2nd favorite Civil War participant.

[Chandler#81]

Very cool. Two things missing that should be told (or looked up):

 

1) Joshua Chamberlain's defense of Little Round top, which really won the day (day 2), and won him a well-deserved Medal of Honor. If not for his excellent leadership of the 20th Maine, the Union line would have been flanked on the far left, and the army levered away from it's lines of communications. (General Sickles usually gets the credit for the Union defense on Day 2 - in fact, Sickles was a shockingly inept idiot who almost single-handedly managed to lose the entire battle in a morning).

 

2) Interesting theory about Pickett's charge: it wasn't the main attack, it was a diversion to keep the Union line pinned while Jeb Stuart rode around the deep right flank and took Culp's Hill (and the Union artillery) from behind. ... It's also the first time in the way Union cavalry managed to stand up to Confederate cavalry and not get their asses kicked by Jeb Stuart (in no small thanks to George Custer's leadership, ironically). It's a shame the interactive map doesn't even show the cavalry battle, as it was pretty important.

 

Custer's cavalry on this day wasn't even a 10th of Stuart's, but headed them off at the front. Amazing! Even after Picketts charge made the wall, they were looking for Stuart's cavalry coming up to meet them, but they never showed and the Confederates began the retreat. "General Lee, I have no Division!.."

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

 

 

The book Killer Angels and the move adaptation of the book Gettysburg does a great job depicting this. I saw the movie first and when I read the book I knew the outcome of Chamberlain's defense

 

I read the book first.

 

I thought the movie was really weak.

 

if they re-did that movie with a serious moviemaker and cast (ie, Daniele day Lewis quality), could be awesome.

[Kevin]

The cannon barrage to start Pickett's charge was done so well with the movie. The whole house shakes with I play that scene. The wife hates it. Hmmm she's gone for the day. I think time to load the DVD and crank the surround sound!!

 

I get the chills when they form up for Pickett's charge and the drum beat starts. Just imagine what it was like during the battle. The horror but the beauty of seeing all those butternut clad soldiers walking in battle formation towards you. Or being the attackers and watching the barrage then walking up that long field towards history.

[BillsFanNC]

The Killer Angels is a classic work. Cain at Gettysburg might be better. Highly recommended. It correctly labels Sickles for the incompetent politically motivated buffoon that he was and rightly gives Meade the credit he deserves for the Union victory there.

 

I'm reading Ralph Peters' second Civil War novel "Hell or Richmond" now and it's quite good too.

[DC Tom]

I get the chills when they form up for Pickett's charge and the drum beat starts. Just imagine what it was like during the battle. The horror but the beauty of seeing all those butternut clad soldiers walking in battle formation towards you. Or being the attackers and watching the barrage then walking up that long field towards history.

 

And don't forget, that field they crossed was the previous day's battlefield, with all the blood and **** and gore that entails...

[Beerball]

Interactive timeline here.

 

 

I disagree with the statement about the retreat, Meade could have done a lot of damage before Lee slipped across the river.

[DC Tom]

Interactive timeline here.

 

 

I disagree with the statement about the retreat, Meade could have done a lot of damage before Lee slipped across the river.

 

Meade had just taken over the Army of the Potomac from Hooker (so recently that Meade's campaign plan was more Hooker's doing than Meade's at the time Gettysburg was fought). He didn't even know where most of his army was at the start of the battle, fed reinforcements in piecemeal so that corps were hopelessly intermingled (except for Sickle's III corps, which simply ceased to exist. The man was a damn fool), and had a good number of new subordinate commanders besides (between the command reshuffling after Hooker's release, and the surprising number of generals lost at Gettysburg.) And Meade's supply train was a day's march from Gettysburg - well-placed for fighting in-place, but poorly located to support an advance. AND...it rained relentlessly the week after the battle.

 

Bottom line: the Army of the Potomac was in absolutely no position to pursue effectively after Gettysburg. Meade had almost no command and control, the only unit with enough strength to pursue (VI Corps) was scattered across the battlefield, and the only unit cohesive enough to pursue (V Corps) was nonetheless in bad need of rest and refit after taking the brunt of the fighting in the center, and neither could move or be resupplied effectively in the weather (Lee, while having to march through the same weather, was at least falling back on his supply base.)

[RuntheDamnBall]

Hey, as someone who knows jack sh--, thank you BB for sharing this, and thanks to the rest of you for keeping this thread interesting and informative.

[DC Tom]

Hey, as someone who knows jack sh--, thank you BB for sharing this, and thanks to the rest of you for keeping this thread interesting and informative.

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gettysburg-stephen-w-sears/1100623699?ean=9780618485383

 

Lots of books on Gettysburg, enough that opinions will vary widely on which is the best. Personally, I prefer Stephen Sears. His book on Chancellorsville is excellent, too.

[Beerball]

Meade had just taken over the Army of the Potomac from Hooker (so recently that Meade's campaign plan was more Hooker's doing than Meade's at the time Gettysburg was fought). He didn't even know where most of his army was at the start of the battle, fed reinforcements in piecemeal so that corps were hopelessly intermingled (except for Sickle's III corps, which simply ceased to exist. The man was a damn fool), and had a good number of new subordinate commanders besides (between the command reshuffling after Hooker's release, and the surprising number of generals lost at Gettysburg.) And Meade's supply train was a day's march from Gettysburg - well-placed for fighting in-place, but poorly located to support an advance. AND...it rained relentlessly the week after the battle.

 

Bottom line: the Army of the Potomac was in absolutely no position to pursue effectively after Gettysburg. Meade had almost no command and control, the only unit with enough strength to pursue (VI Corps) was scattered across the battlefield, and the only unit cohesive enough to pursue (V Corps) was nonetheless in bad need of rest and refit after taking the brunt of the fighting in the center, and neither could move or be resupplied effectively in the weather (Lee, while having to march through the same weather, was at least falling back on his supply base.)

I'll side with the tall bearded guy on this one.

[mead107]

Wife and I did Gettysburg on our honeymoon. One thing I remember on the tour was that the south was minutes away from the Norths supply wagons. Had they keep going that night the out come would have been different.