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First day of Gettysburg

Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,596 ✭✭✭
edited July 2015 in General Discussion
On this date in 1863, a sleepy hamlet in Pennsylvania witnessed the greatest clash of arms to ever take place in the Western Hemisphere.


Tonight, I'll raise a glass to the sacrifice of the gallant men from both armies. Will anyone join me?

Comments

  • fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    Here Here!!
    To the Patriots,one and all!!
  • use enough gunuse enough gun Member Posts: 1,443 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes I will, Here's to the brave men that fought there on both sides! My great, great, great uncle fought there and lived to tell about it.Dave
  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Today was Lee's best chance to win the war, and it slipped away thanks to General Ewell's decision that taking Cemetery Hill "if practicable," was not.

    After that, the battle was essentially lost and Lee should have heeded Longstreet's advice to withdraw his Army and return to Virginia.
  • discusdaddiscusdad Member Posts: 11,427 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    for the sake of discussion only. gettysburg gets the headlines, but in actuality, didn't Grant's successful campaign to open the Mississippi and create the 2nd front have more to do with the fall of the Confederacy than G-burg? now materials can be rapidly deployed by ship and rail instead of slow marching. what say you?
  • Ditch-RunnerDitch-Runner Member Posts: 25,369 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    here is to all the brave soles on both sides , fighting for what they thought was right and for there fellow man , may they RIP . truly a tragic time in our history . I know I had distant relative's in with the confederate's army .


    after the war and the south lost as a moment of good will the north should have returned all the slaves brought over against there will ( all them per the news ) home to there mother country to be with there families and friends
  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not to trivialize those who fought in the other campaigns, but Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was the force that Lincoln and his generals were most concerned with. The picture of Bobby Lee leading his army into Washington DC was very real in the minds of the Union generals. After Gettysburg, the Confederacy was no longer a threat to the Union, and the war would become one of attrition, which the South could never win.

    In Lee's defense, he had a powerful attacking force, and Lee was at his absolute best while engaged. He was not a set-piece general in the conventional sense. Lee needed to be fighting. That way he could exploit the weaknesses that he would inevitably discover in the opposing forces. When Union General John F. Reynolds was killed on the opening day of the battle and the Union troops were disorganized, this was Lee's best chance. After that opportunity was lost, and the battle became a brutal slugfest with the resulting carnage. Had Lee succeeded and won, the roads were open to Pittsburg, Harrisburg and possibly Philadelphia. Washington DC? Not likely, but Lincoln would have been forced to pull forces from other campaigns to defend the Capital against attack. Lee would have no doubt feinted several attacks and had JEB Stewart's cavalry to do it. Lee might have terrorized all of Pennsylvania, but I don't picture Lee in the mold of Sherman. Lee was too much of a gentleman to resort to that level of warfare, nor do I believe that he honestly hated the United States.

    If Lee's troops could have remained in Pennsylvania for ten months, Lincoln most likely would have lost the nomination in the June, 1864 Republican Party's Convention to Fr?mont and Cochrane, which would have been a decided improvement for the South. A political solution might have been reached and an entirely new America history would have unfolded. I'm not saying it would be better, but it certainly would be different.
  • medic07medic07 Member Posts: 5,222 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Aye...a quiet toast to those in both the Blue and the Grey who suffered and fell on this now sacred ground.

    Smaller engagements that made up the Battle of Gettysburg and brought us names like Little Round Top, Peach Orchard and Devils Den.

    May they all RIP.
  • Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If Ewell was more aggressive and captured Cemetery Hill, what would have that accomplished?

    Lee would have outmaneuvered and smashed a portion of the Federal Army....the same thing he did on the Peninsula, at 2nd Manassas, Fredricksburg, and Chancellorsville. What most people don't realize is that even though Lee ended up commanding the field after all of these engagements, his army almost always suffered higher casualty percentages than did the Federals.

    No matter how many times he beat them, Lee never could destroy the Union Army. He would have been ground down eventually, regardless of what happened at Gettysburg,
  • catgunguycatgunguy Member Posts: 6,089
    edited November -1
    I'll toast with a glass of sweet tea. A lot of good men on both sides suffered and died.
  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    and now that history and honor on both sides is to be rewritten
  • fideaufideau Member Posts: 11,895 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Even with Lee's ability, losing Albert Sydney Johnston and T.J. Jackson was more than he could overcome.
  • pwilliepwillie Member Posts: 20,253 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Rack Ops
    On this date in 1863, a sleepy hamlet in Pennsylvania witnessed the greatest clash of arms to ever take place in the Western Hemisphere.


    Tonight, I'll raise a glass to the sacrifice of the gallant men from both armies. Will anyone join me?
    Yes,unlike our adversaries I will toast the gallant men both North and South , that came together to decide the fate of nations..
  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by catgunguy
    I'll toast with a glass of sweet tea. A lot of good men on both sides suffered and died.


    I'll drink to that, although with something quite a bit stronger
    100_0357_zpsel4rqcea.jpg

    Some rye whiskey distilled in the State of Iowa for those in the Grand Army of the Republic.

    Some fine Tennessee sipping Whisky for the boys in gray.

    Some extraordinary Kentucky bourbon for those in the Border States.

    Frankly, I don't have a clue of anyone from Kentucky was at Gettysburg, but I was looking for an excuse to have some 18 year old bourbon.

    I'll be in a damned fine mood in about an hour, and may reenact Pickett's Charge!
  • Aspen79seAspen79se Member Posts: 4,707
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian
    quote:Originally posted by catgunguy
    I'll toast with a glass of sweet tea. A lot of good men on both sides suffered and died.


    I'll drink to that, although with something quite a bit stronger
    100_0357_zpsel4rqcea.jpg

    Some rye whiskey distilled in the State of Iowa for those in the Grand Army of the Republic.

    Some fine Tennessee sipping Whisky for the boys in gray.

    Some extraordinary Kentucky bourbon for those in the Border States.

    Frankly, I don't have a clue of anyone from Kentucky was at Gettysburg, but I was looking for an excuse to have some 18 year old bourbon.

    I'll be in a damned fine mood in about an hour, and may reenact Pickett's Charge!


    I don't see any Pappy there. [:D]

    Virtually unobtainable here. The only person I know with a bottle (actually he has a few) is kristov. Frankly, it wasn't all that great.
  • Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian

    Frankly, I don't have a clue of anyone from Kentucky was at Gettysburg, but I was looking for an excuse to have some 18 year old bourbon.


    No Kentucky regiments that I am aware of, but the Bluegrass state was represented.

    John Buford, the Union Cavalry commander who held the Confederates at bay on the first day of battle and John Bell Hood were both native Kentuckians.
  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Rack Ops
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian

    Frankly, I don't have a clue of anyone from Kentucky was at Gettysburg, but I was looking for an excuse to have some 18 year old bourbon.


    No Kentucky regiments that I am aware of, but the Bluegrass state was represented.

    John Buford, the Union Cavalry commander who held the Confederates at bay on the first day of battle and John Bell Hood were both native Kentuckians.


    Thank you very much Sir! I may just have another in honor of the pair...If you don't see me on the boards again tonight, you'll know why [;)]
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,623 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had family on both sides. Sad day in our history.
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sad day in history, Rack.
    What's next?
  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,344 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    When will the next Civil War happen?
  • milesmiles Member Posts: 2,548 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian
    quote:Originally posted by catgunguy
    I'll toast with a glass of sweet tea. A lot of good men on both sides suffered and died.


    I'll drink to that, although with something quite a bit stronger
    100_0357_zpsel4rqcea.jpg

    Some rye whiskey distilled in the State of Iowa for those in the Grand Army of the Republic.

    Some fine Tennessee sipping Whisky for the boys in gray.

    Some extraordinary Kentucky bourbon for those in the Border States.

    Frankly, I don't have a clue of anyone from Kentucky was at Gettysburg, but I was looking for an excuse to have some 18 year old bourbon.

    I'll be in a damned fine mood in about an hour, and may reenact Pickett's Charge!



    Templeton has been caught (And is being sued) doing what a lot of other brand name whiskey bottlers are doing and that's advertising that they distill their own rye whiskey but got caught buying the rye from MGP in Lawrenceburg Indiana.

    George Dickel and other"Craft Makers" buy from MGP and fudge on who made the whiskey.

    "Pappy" Van Winkle is distilled at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

    Bottom line,unless one does a lot of digging and fact finding, it's hard to pin down who makes the specality/craft whiskey and bourbon.

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/28/your-craft-whiskey-is-probably-from-a-factory-distillery-in-indiana.html
  • XXCrossXXCross Member Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Damn straight ! I'll raise a glass or two with or without ya !
  • mogley98mogley98 Member Posts: 18,291 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    When my Father was living he had probably read every book written that was worth reading regarding the War between the States.

    He could name off any of even the most obscure Generals and battles and their positive and negative deeds.

    He took us kids to Gettysburg several times and we toured the battle fields in the late 60's and early 70's. My favorite part was buying fake money and real bullets and climbing on the rocks near the battle field.
    We eventually lived right on the battlefields of Spotsylvania where we often found mini balls while digging around the house.
    Why don't we go to school and work on the weekends and take the week off!
  • shilowarshilowar Member Posts: 38,811 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian
    Today was Lee's best chance to win the war, and it slipped away thanks to General Ewell's decision that taking Cemetery Hill "if practicable," was not.

    After that, the battle was essentially lost and Lee should have heeded Longstreet's advice to withdraw his Army and return to Virginia.


    Another perspective, you may or may not+ find interesting.

    "While this is an interesting story - and one that has been repeated again and again in many books about the War of Northern Aggression - it is also a lie that libels Ewell. The story was concocted by Lee's apologists in a postwar attempt to shift the blame for losing the battle from their hero onto Ewell. In truth, Lee sent no definitive orders directing Ewell to pursue the enemy when the Union lines broke at Gettysburg, and Ewell was not benumbed by indecision when he should have been chasing the Federals to prevent them from establishing an impregnable position on top of Cemetery Hill."

    http://www.historynet.com/did-lt-gen-richard-ewell-lose-the-battle-of-gettysburg.htm
  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,623 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Another biggie was J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry getting cut off by Brigadier General David McM. Gregg and George Armstrong Custer's men as they tried to circle around and get into the Union's rear during Pickett's Charge. That was a major blunder on the Confederate side.

    I believe that was the biggest turning point in the war.
  • Irish 8802Irish 8802 Member Posts: 1,301 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Smitty500mag
    Another biggie was J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry getting cut off by Brigadier General David McM. Gregg and George Armstrong Custer's men as they tried to circle around and get into the Union's rear during Pickett's Charge. That was a major blunder on the Confederate side.

    I believe that was the biggest turning point in the war.


    I was wondering if anyone would mention this.I agree also.
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