Gettysburg July 1-1863 Union The Army Of The Potomac

100 Pages·1992·48.73 MB·English

GETTYSBURG
JULY
A
UNI0N:THE ARMY
OF T H E POTOMAC
JAMES ARNOLD
AND ROBEKM WIENER
are US-born fmetanee
writers who haw cmtylbuted
to numerous mllkuy
publiEafiona. James spent
hls lormati- yema In
Eump and amed the
sitae of historlc battlefields.
He has IS published books
to hls credif many of them
campalgns and the American
Clvll War. Roberta Wiener has
co-authored several woks
of history and dlted hlstory
and science books, lncludlng
a chlldrm'a encyclopaedia.
She ako c;lw out a M i l
research on mllftilry
history toplcg.
SERIES EDITOR: JOHN MOORE
GETTYSBURG
JULY 1 1863
UNION: THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
JAMES ARNOLD AND ROBERTA WIENER
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Flrst published in Gmat Britain In 1998 by Osprey Publishing, Elms Court. Series style
i Chapel Ww BW,O hrd OX2 QLP United Mrgdorn
Email: [email protected] The style of presentation adopted In the Order of Balfla Lcde
provide quidtly the rnaxlmurn inlcrmahn for the re-
O 1998 Rsvelln Llmlted
Exclusive publishing rights Osprey Publishing Lirnbd Order of Battle Unk Diagrams - All ' e mU nb in the OWt. W 5 L
present and engaged on the battWeld are drawn in bleclc Tlmse &
All rights resewed. Apart from any fair dealing foribe pulpass of private stm arrhm or those prasent on the bsttleAeld but unengm are
research, criticism or review, ss permitted under the Copyright, Dsslgns and
Patents Act. 1988,n o part of this publication may be nprnduced, stored in a Unlt Data Panels - Simllsrly, thme uni$ which an, present sndw
retrieval system, or transmllted in any form or by any means, dectrnnk prodded wlth company detail^ for Infantry md cavalry bodkand r
electrical, chemical, mechanical, optlml, photwopying, mmngo r pthslwlss. the plews for artlllerg I
, withwt the priw wrlmn permiasion of the copyrlgM owner. Enquiriss should be
I addresd to the Publishers. BsMlsfield Yaps - Unitg engaged ere shown in the reupem mlarrd
armies. Unlh shown as 'shadowed are thorn dsployed far battleldd
I ISBN 1 65532 833 X snpaped at the time. I
Osprey Series Ed'br: hJ ohnson
kmlhS erles Edttor: John Mccre
-arch Co-ordlnator: Dlane Moore
Order of Battle Tlmellnes
Cartography: Chapmmn Bouhrd & AaPoclates, London, United Kingdom
Destgn: !?evelln Umlted, Braoebomugh, Unmlnshlre, United Kiwom
-
OriginaUon by Valhwsn LM, Isl~rthU, nit& Klngdom Battle Page Tlmellnes Each volume eonmrns the Order of Ba* br
Prlnted in China through Worldprint LM armies involved. Rarely are the forms available to a wmmandermrsa4
Into actlon as per his ORBAT. To help the reader fdlow the s e q md
a Tlrndlne Is provided at the bottom d each 'battle' page. Thu Tm
the hllowing Infomuon:
The tcp llne 4ar deflnss the amal time of the aclsobs being
kMIe section.
The Makatlng Manager, Osprey Dlrnet, PO Box 140. Welllngborough. Northanta. 4
NN8 4ZA United Klngdom The middb line shows fhe tlmp eriod oovered by the whole W s
Emall: I~ospreydlreet.m.uk
The bothl ine indicates the page numbers of the her, DAen
The t.4arket.I~M anagsr, Osprey Direct USA, PO Box 130. SWdlng Heightr, MI actlons covered In this book.
48311-0130, USA
Emall: Info@ospreydlW88,wm
Editor's note
Key to Mllltary Serles symbols
Whersver poaslbls primary swrcas have been uasd In mpnlng th%
In thls vciume, Tohl caauaMen noted agalna wlmnte IndWm
numbers kllled, wounded and mlsslraglcsptured during 1311 thm
Oeitysburg.
Order d Bank and detellsd atrenath data was used wlth
ReglmenY Strunfla and hxwa af GeMpbug (Hbhtutwn, N.J.:
Hwm, 1894) by Joho W Busey end David Q. Meltln.
CONTENTS
INVASION FROM THE SOUTH
I U.S. CORPS
Is t Division
2nd Dlvlslon
3rd Dlvlslon
I CORPS' BATTLES - The Iron Brigade ~ o e isn
Throw Down Your Muskets'
The Defence of Seminary Ridge
I1 CORPS
1st Dlvlsion
2nd Dlvlslon
3rd Dlvlslon
Ill U.S. CORPS
1st Dlvislon
2nd ~ivision
V U.S. CORPS
1s t Dlvlslon
2nd Dlvlsion
3rd Division
VI U.S. CORPS
Is t Division
2nd Division
3rd Division
XI U.S. CORPS
Is t Division
2nd Division
3rd Division
XI CORPS' BATTLES - Disaster at BloehePs Knoll
Flanked!
X1I U.S. CORPS
1st Division
2nd Division
THE CAVALRY CORPS
1s t Dlvislon
2nd Dlvlslon
3rd Dlvlslon
Horse Artillery
THE CAVALRY BATTLE -
Delaying Action
THE ARTILLERY ,RESERVE
WARGAMING GETTYSBURG - DAY I
BIBLIOGRAPHY
i THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
L
Invasion from the South
ay 7, 1863 found the Army of the Potomac ARMY HEADQUARTERS
safely on the north side of the Rapidan River. 50 Staff and Field Ofiicers
Safe, but deeply demoralised. It had just lost
some 17,000 men at the Battle of Chancellorsville. It Orderlies and Escort
I Co. Oneida New York Cavalry
Major-General George Captain Daniel P. Mann
Gordon Meade, an 42 troops present for duty equipped
elderly 47, was a West
Point graduate who Provost Marshal General
never expected to be Brigadier-General Marsena R. Patrick
given an army to 8 Staff and Field Offleers
command. The gentle-
manly Pennsylvanian 93rd Regiment New York State
was a cool and Volunteers (Northern Sharpshooters)
fearless battlefield Colonel John S. Crocker
leader but had a 148 troops present for duty equipped
hot-temper in the face (not present at Gettysburg)
of his subordinate's 4 Cos.
incompetence.
8th United States Infantry Regiment
had been a humiIiating defeat. The rank and file Iooked Captain Edwin W.H. Read
at themselves and could only wonder why. When given 401 troops present for duty equipped
a fighting chance, they had performed bravely. Yet (not present at Gettysburg)
once again they had been bested by Lee's seemingly Cos. A thru G and I.
invincible men.
In addition, the army was haemorrheging trained men 2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment
as the terms of enlistment of those who had volun- Colonel Richard Butler Price
teered for two years came to an end. Between the end 489 troops present for duty equipped
of April and the middle of June, some 23,000 veterans Cos. A thru M.
left the army. This 20% reduction was in addition to the
12% loss caused by the Battle of Chancellorsville itself. 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment
The departure of so many trained soldiers necessitat- Captain James Sfarr
489 troops present for duty equipped
Flag of Company I, Cos. E and I.
9th Pennsylvania
Cavalry Regiment, Unlted States Regular Cavalry
one of the units 15 troops present for duty equipped
which provided an
escort for the Army of Detachments from Ist, Znd, 5th and 6th Cavalry
the Potomac's Regiments.
headquarters.
USA Organisation at Gettysburg
hgineers INFANTRY
(not present at Gettysburg)
Brigadier-General Henry W. Benham
4 Staff and Field Officers CORPS
(20,800-26,700 men)
15th New York State Volunteer 3 Infantry Divisions
Engineer Regiment + Corps Reserve Artillery
Major Walter L. Cassin DIVISION
126 troops present for duty equipped (5,400-7,300 men)
. 3-4 Infantry Brigades
Cos. A, B and C.
+ Divisional Artillery Brigade
50th New York State Voluntee~ BRIGADE
Engineer Rogiment (3,470-5,250 men)
Colonel William H. Pettes 3-6 Infantry RegimentslBattalions
479 troops present for duty equipped REGIMENT
f
Cos. A thru K. (13 5-660 men)
Normally 10-12 Companies
Jnited States Enalneer Battalion COMPANY
-
Captain ~ e o rH~. Mie nde (3540 men)
337 troops present for duty equlppea
Cos. A thru D.
When the rebel army began moving north, Hooker
acquitted himself very well. He interposed his army
1 between Lee and Washington and kept it fairly mn-
45 Staff and Signallers centrated, ready for battle. However his performanee
did not alter Lincoln's loss of faith. When Hooker gave
him an opportunity, the President decided to replace
Flag of the 15th New him with Major-General George Meade.
York State Volunteer Meade was far from the army's brightest star. He
Engineer Regiment. began his Civil War service as a Brigadier-General of
This unit was part of
the organisation of the USA Organisation at Gettysburg
Army of the Potomac
but no Engineer units CAVALRY
were present at -
Gettysburg.
DIVISION
:
HI considerable internal reorganisation. The bonds of (6,400 men)
: friendship within units, and efficient cooperation among 6 Brigades
I the combat elements were degraded by the exodus of + I Horse Artillery Battalion
veteran soldierr. + 1 Independent Command
1 After Chancellorsville, President Abraham Lincoln BRIGADE
j summoned Major-General John Reynolds to the White - (900-1,900 men)
i House for a conference. Lincoln offered Reynolds 2 6 Cavalry RegimentslBattalions
i command of the army. Reynolds replied that he would REGIMENT
1I accept only on the condition that he not be fettered by (200-600 men)
orders from Washington. This was far too radical. It Normally 10 ComganieslTroops
1
would totally disrupt Lincoln's high command. COMPANYRROOP
Reluctantly, the President decided to retain Hooker for (60 men)
the time being.
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THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC INFANTRY -GETITSBURG July 1
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MEADE
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General Meade and his Staff: General George B. months. The majority of the army knew little about
Meade was suddenly thrust into command of the Meade. His modesty made him an undistinguished,
Army of the Potomac when he replaced General drab figure among the rank and file. "Who is he?" was
Hooker three days before the battle of Gettysburg. the response of more than one soldier upon learning
The fate of the Union hung in the balance. that Meade was now in command. They did not know
him as did his friend and staff officer Colonel Theodore
Volunteers at the head of adivision raised in his home Lyman. Lyman called Meade a "thorough soldier, and
state of Pennsylvania. He served in the Peninsula a mighty clear-headed man."
Campaign and received a wound at White Oak Meade's strategic instructions included the para
Swamp. Inthe army's subsequent battles he acquired mount necessity of defending the nation's capital.
increasing distinction as a competent leader. Notably, Federal manpower in the East was at its lowest ebb.
his division was the only unit toachieve any success at The Army's 'Chief of Staff', Major-General Henry
the Battle of Fredericksburg. Halleck had stripped the Washington defences to rein
Elevated to corps command, he participated in the force the field army. Meade would have to manoeuvre
Chancellorsville Campaign. At first impressed by cautiously to ensure Washington's safety and to
Hooker's fine flank manoeuvre, he railed against defend Baltimore. Halleck wrote, "Should General Lee
Hooker's decision to halt his advance and go on the move upon either of these places, it is expected that
defensive. you will either anticipate him or arrive with him so as to
Meade did not think he had any chance for the top give him abattle." Outside ofthe considerable restraint
job. Unlike other officers inthis highly politicised army, of defending these two cities, Meade was "free to act"
he lacked friends in high places. He was a modest as he saw fit.
man. In a letter written shortly before his elevation, he The most significant command authority that Meade
stated, "I have not the vanity to think my capacity so acquired was the power to promote officers which he
pre-eminent" as to have a chance at the highest com considered worthy without having to clear his decisions
mand. Consequently, when a staff officer awakened with the authorities in Washington.
him at 0300 hours on June 28, and said he was the By June 30, Meade could reflect that he had already
bearer of 'trouble', Meade groggily figured he must be achieved some important results. He wrote, "All is
under arrest for some error or about to be relieved of going on well. I think I have relieved Harrisburg and
command. Instead, two days before what has widely Philadelphia, and that Lee has now come to the con
been considered as the war's decisive battle, George clusion that he must attend to other matters."
Meade learned that he was incommand ofthe Army of And General Leewould dojust that as the two armies
the Potomac. marched north toward the small Pennsylvania town of
It was the army's fourth command change in eight Gettysburg. 7
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Meade's March North in Search of
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