Have been to Gettysburg on 3 occasions over the years. It is absolutely chilling to walk that ground and imagine the carnage, no matter your birthplace or heritage. The reenactors add another dimension in this telling. Thank you.
Very true. I've only been once (I'm British) but to stand where Pickett's charge started and look over the ground to Cemetery Ridge is as moving as to stand near The Copses on the left hand end of the British attack on 1st July in the Battle of the Somme where the 31st Division attacked and were cut to pieces. Maybe the only real difference is that on The Somme is that the cemeteries where many of the dead lie are there as well. "There was a death torn broken mile of ground to cross/With a low stone wall at the end./And behind that wall the men of the Second Corps/And behind them another force,/Fresh troops who had not yet fought./They began to cross the ground. The guns began to tear at them." John Brown's Body by Stephen Vincent Benet
The greatest sacrifice of the War was made by the 1st Minnesota who gave their lives and future at a terrible cost in the Wheatfield. Their courage in the face of overwhelming odds saved the Union and should never be forgotten.
@@lambo58 You are correct, my mention of the Wheatfield was in error. The heroic stand by the 1st Minnesota prevented the Confederates from driving the Union forces off Cemetery Ridge.
One bone to pick. Stuart out joy riding is a myth. Meade figured out fairly quickly what Stuart was up to and issued march orders to try and isolate and capture him if possible. Meade for the most part managed to get between Lee and Stuart for several days.
@@manilajohn0182 Stuart's cavalry was supposed to attack the Union center from the rear but they were stopped at Hanover...some guy named Custer largely responsible for that......
There was no shoe factory in Gettysburg. The rebels of Johnson's brigade had captured a large group of local Pennsylvania militia in the week before Gettysburg battle, they ended up letting them go instead of taking them along as prisoners...but before they left them walking, they confiscated their boots, and gear. That is the only instance of rebel shoe acquisition that I know about, during the Gettysburg campaign. Jubal Early blew through Gettysburg on the 26th of June. If there was a supply of shoes in town, they would have discovered that on their 'shopping spree'.
There's a well known stereoslide of William Waud, one of the newspaper artists who covered the battle. His family came from South Wales and I've met one of his distant relatives who lived in Barry, near Cardiff, and introced himself when I was doing a talk about the battle. I thought this was a great video of the battle.
For all individuals who try to erase the history of this great country. Blame your own ancestors for their brothers and sisters journey. Then realize many,many thousands of our ancestors died for them.
The problem is your country is very confused about honouring the history but some still want the heroes of the defeated South and it's bad cause to receive the same stature as Union Generals. Grant and others made America. Lee and others did not. Btw your SC is as bad now as it was in the run up to the war.
Everyone talks about Lee‘s tactical miscalculations at Gettysburg but it‘s just as important to note just how badly his invasion strategy had backfired and proven to be either completely naive or poorly executed. Let‘s consider what this Invasion of Pennsylvania was supposed to accomplish: take the fight to the enemy and force the Federals into an engagement on Lee‘s terms where he had the advantage and could whip them the way he did at Fredericksburg, or failing that, at least put them onto the defensive for as long as possible while being able to live off the land and making the Union suffer without taking too many losses of their own. That was the thinking, as far as I can tell, behind Lee‘s invasion. But in reality, the opposite of all of that happened, pretty much immediately: within less than 3 Weeks, Lee was brought to bay by the pursuing Army of the Potomac and brought to a general engagement *on Meade‘s terms* in which he himself had no tactical advantage and which cost him almost a third of his army. He then retreated without gaining any other success to show for his effort. It has been said that Lee had no choice but to seek battle quickly, in part due to the supply situation but the fact remains that doing so defeated his entire strategy the entire invasion was pointless if it didn‘t lead to Lee fighting on his terms. And wasn‘t he expecting to ease his supply troubles by invading Pennsylvania? Well that turned out to be the exact opposite of what happened, as well. One can make a good case that at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville (not to mention Second Manassas), Lee‘s opponents did him the favor of falling into his trap and basically doing exactly what he wanted them to. But when it came to invading the North, Lee seems to have reckoned without the host entirely. Not only does his entire strategy seem like wishful thinking, his own operational execution during the campaign immediately contradicted all of it and instead just played into Meade‘s plan. I guess in some way this might also be a symptom of the deteriorating strategic situation the Confederacy operated under: they were increasingly losing the war and had to do something *anything* to get an advantage; which pushed them into making moves that weren‘t ever likely to work, out of desperation.
I agree with you, Longstreet was completely against Lee's offensive invasion. The Confederacy was supposed to be fighting a defensive war, which logistically makes sense as well. Make the Union travel and fight on foreign land. I think the loss of Stonewall Jackson was the turning point of the war. Lee leaned on Jackson heavily!
@@rebelsoul5980 the real turning points were Shiloh and Vicksburg. That was Lee‘s real problem: even on the defensive, he was still playing against the clock because all his victories didn’t stop the Federals from racking up big strategic wins in the West that inevitably led to the Confederacy being split in two and economically strangled. The Southern states could never muster enough troops to prevent that from happening and even while Lee was winning, he was losing troops he couldn’t replace. So, in his mind, he had to try to look for a decisive battle, a win that would somehow undo the fact that the Rebels were losing control of the Western States. Well, how could he possibly accomplish that? The closest thing would probably be to capture Washington and so that‘s probably the idea behind engaging the Federals in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Of course, Longstreet was totally right. His odds of actually destroying the AoP enough to grab DC (without taking unacceptable losses at the same time)were basically nil and even if he had taken it, that probably wouldn’t have stopped them losing the war. Grant was always going to take the Mississippi, Sherman is always going to end up in Atlanta and the Carolinas and that makes all of Lee‘s wins completely futile. His plan is logical from his pov, but it‘s still a plan borne of desperation and had almost no chance of working.
@@rebelsoul5980 My friend, the Confederacy was already losing the war when Jackson was killed. The Confederate victories in the east were all indecisive in nature and only prevented Union forces from taking Richmond- and with the single exception of Fredericksburg, they all came at a price in manpower that the Confederacy couldn't afford. Meanwhile in the west, the Confederacy had lost every major battle that they'd fought (and would do so until Chickamauga) and were in the process of having their nation cut in two. Jackson was in fact a mixed bag. He had an outstanding Valley campaign- followed by a disastrous performance during the Seven Days' Battles because of his religious zealotry. His attack during Chancellorsville only resulted in pushing back the AotP and breaking Hooker's will. His relations with many of his subordinates was poor, and a solid case can be made that he wasn't entirely sane. He was an outstanding leader (one of many in the Confederacy) but erratic leader.
Gen McClellan was relieved of command for failing to pursue General Lee, and gen Ambrose Burnside was reviled for ordering the charge at Fredericksburg, but lemme get this right, General Lee had his Army invade the North, into Pennsylvania,, which was advised against, then once he got there, ordered a charge against a mile-wide field against the Union lines?? 45:27 Did the beloved and respected General Lee get reprimanded by President Jefferson Davis?? NOOO! Lee never got any bad rap for it, and the blame was just spread around. I wish I was as lucky his he!!!
I think this is also related to the larger issue that Lee's strategic thinking was always being caught up in a napoleonic mindset. Like, every plan, every campaing he did came down to trying to find and smash up the Army of the Potomac, with little thought spent on what should come after. He just straight up didn't grasp the nature of the conflict as a proto-industrial war. He knew that the Union could replace lost armies, but he seemingly didn't really *understand* or acknowledge the implications of that.
@@dmac5595 Yes, I've always felt that if he wasn't actually on strike he was working to rule. I also feel that his idea of moving round the Union right and waiting to be attacked could not have been a serious operation of war. Disengaging and moving into enemy territory with no cavalry screen could (would?) have been suicide and the Confederate army couldn't supply itself so couldn't have waited but I'd be very interested to hear what other people think
@@dmac5595 The historical record has shown all of that to be postwar myth. Lee's orders weren't even issued until approximately 1100, and the delay in getting his corps into position was due to waiting for one brigade (which Lee authorized) and in taking an incorrect road- which was an error made by a guide sent by Lee. Just sayin...
Lee had the three Cav Brigades that Stuart didn't want and it doesn' seem that Lee did much with them either. Like trying to keep a look out for the Army of the Potomac. I think they were Jenkins, Robertson and one other which I don't recall at the moment. Lee recalled Imboden's Partisan Rangers from the Williamsport Ford on the 2nd Day I believe. It wasn's a regular Cavalry Unit but it was a big unit that he used to escort prisoners back to Va with.
The ranking system, at the beginning of the civil war, was according to who, what and the soldier’s state, county and community they where born and grew. A member of a society that owned a good horse, the equipment need to survive and sword-rifle-pistol that a lot of money.
There isn't a shoe store there NOW. Let alone 1863. I know Heth wrote about shoes. But maybe it was Skuttlebutt. . And they must have known that Gordon's men had already made procurements days before. I'm sure there were plenty of men on both sides with footwear issues. Those Brogans fell apart as well.
There's no evidence that Heth was aware of Early's movement into Gettysburg for shoes- and even if he had been informed, the Confederates were aware by this point in the war that civilians would attempt to hide their possessions upon the approach of the enemy.
Jackson rode out with part of his command force to see if it would be able to make an night action…..a new regiment was brought up to support that sector and didn’t get the memo he and his staff were out there,the regiment open fire not a lone sentry,2 killed and 4 wounded along with Jackson ….read the book “I rode with Jackson” great book explaining what happened
The biggest mistake the South did was to fight a defensive war. The North had destroyed all the rail line centers. So when the South went on the offensive, it had no reinforcements and the North still had all it supply lines intact. South could never have won this war or any battle on Northern soil even though Lee thought so in Gettysburg.
The South had confidence, they won every battle until Gettysburg and then lost a great general before this battle, it was the high water mark of the confederacy. Had they not came into Pennsylvania, the North may had never beaten Lee.
@@billseka4141 …I agree. Lee faced attrition problems all around, e.g., men, supplies, transportation, as you pointed out. He did very well fighting defensively, but felt he needed something more decisive before his resources dried up. Still, had he stayed on the defensive - which nearly always has the advantage - Lee could have held out long enough to exhaust the will of North and bring them to a negotiated peace.
I walked Pickett's Charge years ago with several pals when we went there to visit the battlefield . Walking the near mile from Seminary to Cemetery Ridges filled me with senses of dread & sorrow bc in taking each forward step, there was at least one or a number of Confederate soldiers who were killed all the way up to the stone wall & the copse of trees yonder😔😒
Very good doc. "Longstreet eellent defensive general ahead of his time." NO Predominant Myth IM Professional opinion. One of few very Best corps commanders of the entire war? YES! Maybe top 3 in theory, but ahead of his time.. no.
This was Robert E Lee's biggest mistake in my opinion..Although he had few alternatives..But the confederates did not really view the battle as a defeat..
Meade was good. Regardless of the criticism. I do not remember the setting, but Otis Howard stated Meade should have been the Lieutenant General not Grant. I do not know what prompted Howard to hold that opinion, but apparently he did. I would find it hard to imagine anyone except Grant as General of the Army.
@@marknewton6984Lincoln’s perception of Meade was influenced by Sickles who had been immediately evacuated to DC. Meade’s battle report didn’t get to Lincoln for a couple of weeks, meanwhile Sickles had been telling everyone that Meade was timid and didn’t want to support his decision to move his troops forward on the battlefield, disobeying direct orders to keep his troops on the defensive line. Sickles moved his troops onto flat, open terrain while behind him, where he was supposed to be, was a Ridgeline that was much better for setting up a defense
I know what Sickles did. Even the North thought he was crazy. Still Meade was replaced by Grant. Says something. Meade was smart not to pursue Lee after Gettysburg. Would have been another Fredericksburg.
@@marknewton6984 the difference is that Lee was on the run to get back to Virginia before Union troops could cut him off. At Fredericksburg the confederate troops were in strong defensive positions.
believe Morgan's raiders made the farthest confederate advance north...of course, it did not end well for them...the survivors spending the rest of the war in a Pittsburgh prison...there is a small monument in Wintersville, Ohio to mark this event.....
Damn near got runned over by the Calvary. No body said that was a staging ground. All I heard charge, and here come the horses. Oh shit! Might wanna get the fudge outta the way!😂
Yup. It's an urban myth. Gettysburg was already picked clean for anything useful about a month ago by the CSA. And there were certainly never a store of shoes there...
@@manilajohn0182 that’s what he put in his report, which was probably an excuse as to why he decided to engage Union troops. Two days earlier, Early’s troops had gone through the town and found no shoes in large quantities.
Lol aww Pennsylvania didn't like the relatively passive army, well at least they didn't literally burn EVERYTHING along the way or strip the citizens of everything then burn their house down for spite and expect the to be loved, lol I love the new age narrator's
Passive? Tell that to the town of Chambersburg or the free blacks that were captured and forced into slavery. Yes, the confederates paid for some of the provisions, in confederate money that was as useful as toilet paper. Also the goals of Lee and Sherman were different. Lee was trying not to piss off the locals any more than necessary. Sherman was out to break the will of the confederacy.
Untrue. Heth's own memoirs relate that he moved on Gettysburg in search of shoes, and that Hill sanctioned the movement. While Early had already entered Gettysburg previously, there's no evidence that the result of Early's search had been communicated to Heth. Even if it had, the Confederates had previously learned the Union civilians would often attempt to hide their goods upon learning of the approach of Confederate forces.
51:53 -52:52 What with the guys in his under drawers surrounded by men and singing with thumb in mouth? There was another guy in his under drawers in the group singing? WTF 😒?? Is this some kind of weird Johnny Reb ritual? Very extremely strange!!!! All years I have been reenacting in the hobby I ever seen anything that weird, is this Reb thing? I love the Civil Balls and the dancing the period dances.
I guess you could say I do 18th century reenactments, only at rifle frolics (18th century rendezvous) we send live rounds down range during competitive shooting. After the day's shooting competition is over and the guns are cleaned is when the other fun begins, that is what this segment of the film reminded me of. The battle is over for the day and the boys were having fun.
Longstreet pouted and Gettysburg and instead of using the authority he had he chose to "teach Lee a lesson" and do it word for word.. by Gettysburg Longstreet was a shell of the man he was in 61 and 62 with all his families deaths and troubles, infact he may have been unfit for command at that time but he was at the time the best option, problem was Lee had too much trust in his officers, kinda like burnside who thought " were all in it together maybe all the general will work together and get along" HA! Yeah right these men had ambitions and egos of their own and all wanted the spotlight for themselves.
Lee's actions after 1 July were correct. The strategic objective of the campaign had been to remove pressure from the Confederate defenders at Vicksburg- and Vicksburg had been placed under siege before Lee's campaign even began. Moreover, the AoNV was foraging and couldn't remain in any one area for more than 3- 5 days- and the army hadn't foraged since Lee's concentration order of 29 June. Lee's plan of campaign- to maneuver the AotP into attacking the AoNV (see Lee's after- action report statement, which was right in line with Longstreet's statement in his memoirs that the Confederates would use defensive tactics)- had been ruined by the unexpected meeting engagement of 1 July. Having assumed the tactical as well as the strategic offensive- and because they had inflicted a minor defeat on the AotP- there was little to no chance that Lee could expect that the AotP would go over to the attack. This was particularly so because the AotP had a new commanding general- and because Meade's orders were to protect both Washington D.C. and Baltimore. After 1 July, the only viable options which Lee had were to either attack or abandon the campaign in failure. That said, the reason why Lee was in that position was because of errors made exclusively by Lee, and not his subordinates. Cheers...
Sorry I'm from NC and proudly related to 22 directly and something like 80 more by marriage LOL(yeah big big family lots of cousins and uncles) NC soldiers including 5 officers and one Alabama SGT. It's in my blood (SCV member and real great grandson, living historian, tour guide, sutler and ofcourse reenactor)
We can never know. But one thing is certain: The confederacy would've collapsed economically as the UK had largely replaced Southern cotton with imports from Egypt and India in 1865. With the destruction of infrastructure and industry during the war and massive debts accrued, the CSA would've ended as a racist banana republic to be picked apart and exploited by Europe, the USA and Mexico.
The confederate army didnt go to gettysburg for shoes, that was a myth anyways the confederates were there on june 26th but left i believe early's men, then heth cam after.
Like most of the inaccurate lost cause tinged narratives, this film also gets the truth about Gettysburg all wrong.. The fact was that Lee had learned all of the wrong lessons from the Mexican War and didn't understand that the 225 yard fatal range of minie ball firing muskets gave the advantage to the defense. Longstreet did understand this and tried to get Lee to go on the defensive.. But Lee was too stupid to understand this.. After Stonewall Jackson was fragged by his own troops- like would happen again in Vietnam- because conscripted troops don't want to fight.( most historical accounts completely fail to tell the truth about the poor quality southern troops) Stuart was not joyriding in the north he was fighting Union Cavalry which was thoroughly kicking his ass. Stuart took on Custer at Hanover and strapped by George Armstrong- due to the Michigan Brigades use of spencer repeating RIFLES- not carbines-. This blocked Stuart from reporting back to Lee. Also Lee still 3 brigades of Cavalry left to him for reporting on battlefield intelligence, these horsemen were under Grumble Jones who was basically- like many southern officers -incompetent- and apparently not able to figure out how to ride their horses in the direction of the yankees to find out where different kinds of troops and artillery were located.. The other thing this film does not do is tell the story of over 500 some odd Free Black people in Maryland who the Confederate Army kidnapped and sold back into slavery in the South.. The army of Northern Virginia also kidnapped Freed black people and sold them south during its earlier invasion of the North in the Antietam campaign.. So you can see that just asking basic Historians questions of the .' usual accounting,' of the battle of Gettysburg exposes the holes in the lost cause narrative, I could go on giving endless chapter and verse about the factual errors in reporting of the not only Gettysburg but also the entire civil war. best Bruce Peek
Tell me you're an unhappy person without telling me you're an unhappy person. If it wasn't one thing you'd be complaining about another. Hope you find happiness, but honestly IDC, I'm too busy being happy
You must be color blind because I remember seeing that stupid redneck flag flown by the grey's,trump's goons chanting hang Mike pence. Remember Trump 101. Accuse others of what you do yourself 🇺🇸
Oh shut up about the bloody Capitol trespass for Christ's sake! One goddamn day. Democrat's in Tennessee staged their very own "insurrection" at the state capitol a couple of weeks ago. Your precious Biden admin defended them.
@@davidbowman4259 You leave. The South had more right to secede than the 1776 rebels did to treacherously fight their fellow Englishmen with the help of England's greatest enemy.
By the time that Ewell had been ordered to take Cemetery Hill “if practicable”, two Union corps had already occupied it. If the confederates attempted to take the hill, the confederate army would have suffered even more casualties and still would not have driven the Union troops off.
@@marknewton6984no one was taking those hills, by the time Lee had ordered cemetery hill to be taken, two Union Corps occupied it, and had an advantage
I became a Civil War buff when I found a newspaper clipping of my great great uncles from Pennsylvania fought in the war with the Union
Have been to Gettysburg on 3 occasions over the years. It is absolutely chilling to walk that ground and imagine the carnage, no matter your birthplace or heritage. The reenactors add another dimension in this telling. Thank you.
Very true. I've only been once (I'm British) but to stand where Pickett's charge started and look over the ground to Cemetery Ridge is as moving as to stand near The Copses on the left hand end of the British attack on 1st July in the Battle of the Somme where the 31st Division attacked and were cut to pieces. Maybe the only real difference is that on The Somme is that the cemeteries where many of the dead lie are there as well. "There was a death torn broken mile of ground to cross/With a low stone wall at the end./And behind that wall the men of the Second Corps/And behind them another force,/Fresh troops who had not yet fought./They began to cross the ground. The guns began to tear at them." John Brown's Body by Stephen Vincent Benet
Very true. I went there for the first time last June. Been wanting to go there my whole life. It was everything I imagined. Definitely sacred ground
@@Dav1Gv and its all slightly up hill the whole way.
I have been there 3 times and always tried to learn more
Probably one of the best produced videos because of the reenactors
The greatest sacrifice of the War was made by the 1st Minnesota who gave their lives and future at a terrible cost in the Wheatfield. Their courage in the face of overwhelming odds saved the Union and should never be forgotten.
First Minnesota never went anywhere near the wheat field.
@@lambo58 You are correct, my mention of the Wheatfield was in error. The heroic stand by the 1st Minnesota prevented the Confederates from driving the Union forces off Cemetery Ridge.
I can’t wait to visit Gettysburg this spring!
It's quite a thrill to visit it, sir👍 I hope it went well for you
A very nicely done documentary. I liked hearing the insights of the reenactors.
Makes me miss the old days of reenacting. Just the size of it was spectacular.
My great grandfather served in the 13th Mississippi. He was shout in the mouth during the Battle Of The Peach Orchard.
One bone to pick. Stuart out joy riding is a myth. Meade figured out fairly quickly what Stuart was up to and issued march orders to try and isolate and capture him if possible. Meade for the most part managed to get between Lee and Stuart for several days.
Stuart's fiasco was actually Lee's fault completely.
@@manilajohn0182 Stuart's cavalry was supposed to attack the Union center from the rear but they were stopped at Hanover...some guy named Custer largely responsible for that......
All the more fascinating that he would draw his sword when Lee dressed him down after Day 2.
Meade with his calvary had 'binoculars' so to speak, Lee was effectively blind.
The differece was decisive
@@manilajohn0182 Agreed.
There was no shoe factory in Gettysburg. The rebels of Johnson's brigade had captured a large group of local Pennsylvania militia in the week before Gettysburg battle, they ended up letting them go instead of taking them along as prisoners...but before they left them walking, they confiscated their boots, and gear.
That is the only instance of rebel shoe acquisition that I know about, during the Gettysburg campaign. Jubal Early blew through Gettysburg on the 26th of June. If there was a supply of shoes in town, they would have discovered that on their 'shopping spree'.
There's a well known stereoslide of William Waud, one of the newspaper artists who covered the battle. His family came from South Wales and I've met one of his distant relatives who lived in Barry, near Cardiff, and introced himself when I was doing a talk about the battle. I thought this was a great video of the battle.
Another superb production though potted very informative well done.
Potted?
@@highdesert-boy Contained, a minimum amount as in repotting a plant from a smaller container to a bigger one!
It was a detailed documentary, Mr. Hunter. Very well done👌
Respect from Ireland 🇮🇪 👏
IVE BEEN TO IRELAND ONCE.....FANTASTIC COUNTRY....YALL DESERVE YOUR FREEDOM
@michaeloliphant665 cheers mate 👍 ❤
Great video! Thank you! I looks awesome in 3D on my Leia Lume Pad 2.
I would to visit Gettysburg one day
This was excellent ! Thank You.
I was at this event on the Confederate side, my first time seeing the elephant.been there 4 times.what an experience!
21:47....that's one freaky looking drummer boy!!! Haha 😂😂😂
For all individuals who try to erase the history of this great country. Blame your own ancestors for their brothers and sisters journey. Then realize many,many thousands of our ancestors died for them.
The problem is your country is very confused about honouring the history but some still want the heroes of the defeated South and it's bad cause to receive the same stature as Union Generals. Grant and others made America. Lee and others did not. Btw your SC is as bad now as it was in the run up to the war.
I hope these re-enactment groups are still going strong in America. Its the ultimate remembrance
They're not. The millennial generation isn't much interested in American history except to destroy it.
We are
They're still doing their thing, sir👍Hopefully, that'll be for a long time to come🤞
Everyone talks about Lee‘s tactical miscalculations at Gettysburg but it‘s just as important to note just how badly his invasion strategy had backfired and proven to be either completely naive or poorly executed.
Let‘s consider what this Invasion of Pennsylvania was supposed to accomplish: take the fight to the enemy and force the Federals into an engagement on Lee‘s terms where he had the advantage and could whip them the way he did at Fredericksburg, or failing that, at least put them onto the defensive for as long as possible while being able to live off the land and making the Union suffer without taking too many losses of their own.
That was the thinking, as far as I can tell, behind Lee‘s invasion. But in reality, the opposite of all of that happened, pretty much immediately: within less than 3 Weeks, Lee was brought to bay by the pursuing Army of the Potomac and brought to a general engagement *on Meade‘s terms* in which he himself had no tactical advantage and which cost him almost a third of his army. He then retreated without gaining any other success to show for his effort.
It has been said that Lee had no choice but to seek battle quickly, in part due to the supply situation but the fact remains that doing so defeated his entire strategy the entire invasion was pointless if it didn‘t lead to Lee fighting on his terms. And wasn‘t he expecting to ease his supply troubles by invading Pennsylvania? Well that turned out to be the exact opposite of what happened, as well.
One can make a good case that at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville (not to mention Second Manassas), Lee‘s opponents did him the favor of falling into his trap and basically doing exactly what he wanted them to. But when it came to invading the North, Lee seems to have reckoned without the host entirely. Not only does his entire strategy seem like wishful thinking, his own operational execution during the campaign immediately contradicted all of it and instead just played into Meade‘s plan.
I guess in some way this might also be a symptom of the deteriorating strategic situation the Confederacy operated under: they were increasingly losing the war and had to do something *anything* to get an advantage; which pushed them into making moves that weren‘t ever likely to work, out of desperation.
I agree with you, Longstreet was completely against Lee's offensive invasion. The Confederacy was supposed to be fighting a defensive war, which logistically makes sense as well. Make the Union travel and fight on foreign land. I think the loss of Stonewall Jackson was the turning point of the war. Lee leaned on Jackson heavily!
@@rebelsoul5980 the real turning points were Shiloh and Vicksburg. That was Lee‘s real problem: even on the defensive, he was still playing against the clock because all his victories didn’t stop the Federals from racking up big strategic wins in the West that inevitably led to the Confederacy being split in two and economically strangled. The Southern states could never muster enough troops to prevent that from happening and even while Lee was winning, he was losing troops he couldn’t replace.
So, in his mind, he had to try to look for a decisive battle, a win that would somehow undo the fact that the Rebels were losing control of the Western States. Well, how could he possibly accomplish that? The closest thing would probably be to capture Washington and so that‘s probably the idea behind engaging the Federals in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Of course, Longstreet was totally right. His odds of actually destroying the AoP enough to grab DC (without taking unacceptable losses at the same time)were basically nil and even if he had taken it, that probably wouldn’t have stopped them losing the war. Grant was always going to take the Mississippi, Sherman is always going to end up in Atlanta and the Carolinas and that makes all of Lee‘s wins completely futile.
His plan is logical from his pov, but it‘s still a plan borne of desperation and had almost no chance of working.
@@rebelsoul5980 My friend, the Confederacy was already losing the war when Jackson was killed. The Confederate victories in the east were all indecisive in nature and only prevented Union forces from taking Richmond- and with the single exception of Fredericksburg, they all came at a price in manpower that the Confederacy couldn't afford.
Meanwhile in the west, the Confederacy had lost every major battle that they'd fought (and would do so until Chickamauga) and were in the process of having their nation cut in two.
Jackson was in fact a mixed bag. He had an outstanding Valley campaign- followed by a disastrous performance during the Seven Days' Battles because of his religious zealotry. His attack during Chancellorsville only resulted in pushing back the AotP and breaking Hooker's will. His relations with many of his subordinates was poor, and a solid case can be made that he wasn't entirely sane. He was an outstanding leader (one of many in the Confederacy) but erratic leader.
Gen McClellan was relieved of command for failing to pursue General Lee, and gen Ambrose Burnside was reviled for ordering the charge at Fredericksburg, but lemme get this right, General Lee had his Army invade the North, into Pennsylvania,, which was advised against, then once he got there, ordered a charge against a mile-wide field against the Union lines??
45:27 Did the beloved and respected General Lee get reprimanded by President Jefferson Davis?? NOOO! Lee never got any bad rap for it, and the blame was just spread around. I wish I was as lucky his he!!!
I think this is also related to the larger issue that Lee's strategic thinking was always being caught up in a napoleonic mindset. Like, every plan, every campaing he did came down to trying to find and smash up the Army of the Potomac, with little thought spent on what should come after. He just straight up didn't grasp the nature of the conflict as a proto-industrial war. He knew that the Union could replace lost armies, but he seemingly didn't really *understand* or acknowledge the implications of that.
Longstreet tried his best to do the right thing.
Longstreet pouted, was borderline insubordinate and drug his feet for hours on July 2nd.. giving the Yankee time to fortify little round top.
@@dmac5595 Yes, I've always felt that if he wasn't actually on strike he was working to rule. I also feel that his idea of moving round the Union right and waiting to be attacked could not have been a serious operation of war. Disengaging and moving into enemy territory with no cavalry screen could (would?) have been suicide and the Confederate army couldn't supply itself so couldn't have waited but I'd be very interested to hear what other people think
@@dmac5595 The historical record has shown all of that to be postwar myth. Lee's orders weren't even issued until approximately 1100, and the delay in getting his corps into position was due to waiting for one brigade (which Lee authorized) and in taking an incorrect road- which was an error made by a guide sent by Lee. Just sayin...
Longstreet was slow.
Although couple perpetuated myths... upgraded to above very good! Great job
still can't fathom what Sickles was thinking...rally dumb move....
You guys do some really cool stuff :)
Best Wishes from Germany
I can't help but wonder how ferociously Northern troops would've fought had they known how we'd squander everything they fought for.
The video fails to mention that Lee kept about half of his cavalry force when Stuart rode around the Union army with the remainder.
Lee had the three Cav Brigades that Stuart didn't want and it doesn' seem that Lee did much with them either. Like trying to keep a look out for the Army of the Potomac. I think they were Jenkins, Robertson and one other which I don't recall at the moment. Lee recalled Imboden's Partisan Rangers from the Williamsport Ford on the 2nd Day I believe. It wasn's a regular Cavalry Unit but it was a big unit that he used to escort prisoners back to Va with.
It was reserve units that for some reason lee didn’t trust to even use screening ahead for the next day
There was no shoe factory in Gettysburg
They thought every battle was the decisive battle of the war.
The ranking system, at the beginning of the civil war, was according to who, what and the soldier’s state, county and community they where born and grew. A member of a society that owned a good horse, the equipment need to survive and sword-rifle-pistol that a lot of money.
There isn't a shoe store there NOW.
Let alone 1863. I know Heth wrote about shoes. But maybe it was Skuttlebutt. .
And they must have known that Gordon's men had already made procurements days before. I'm sure there were plenty of men on both sides with footwear issues.
Those Brogans fell apart as well.
There's no evidence that Heth was aware of Early's movement into Gettysburg for shoes- and even if he had been informed, the Confederates were aware by this point in the war that civilians would attempt to hide their possessions upon the approach of the enemy.
I’m trying to figure out why a guy holding bags of ice is being interviewed at the beginning.
Cool 😎 vid. Real down to earth 🌍 folks❤
It is criminal, to tear down our history, so sad
Jackson rode out with part of his command force to see if it would be able to make an night action…..a new regiment was brought up to support that sector and didn’t get the memo he and his staff were out there,the regiment open fire not a lone sentry,2 killed and 4 wounded along with Jackson ….read the book “I rode with Jackson” great book explaining what happened
mistaken for Union cavalry.....
Me too read that book. Providence prevailed there and the rest is history written
There is No evidence a sniper took out reynolds
The biggest mistake the South did was to fight a defensive war. The North had destroyed all the rail line centers. So when the South went on the offensive, it had no reinforcements and the North still had all it supply lines intact. South could never have won this war or any battle on Northern soil even though Lee thought so in Gettysburg.
You are contradicting yourself. The South’s move north WAS an offensive strategy - not a defensive one.
The South had confidence, they won every battle until Gettysburg and then lost a great general before this battle, it was the high water mark of the confederacy. Had they not came into Pennsylvania, the North may had never beaten Lee.
@@billseka4141 …I agree. Lee faced attrition problems all around, e.g., men, supplies, transportation, as you pointed out. He did very well fighting defensively, but felt he needed something more decisive before his resources dried up. Still, had he stayed on the defensive - which nearly always has the advantage - Lee could have held out long enough to exhaust the will of North and bring them to a negotiated peace.
So Lee went forward to high ground, entrenched union troops, and that was defensive? Hmmm
@@24-Card …Like I said above, his apparent claim that Lee’s move to the north was defensive is contradictory.
isn't the search for boots considered a myth these days ?
It’s a myth that it’s a myth!
Would also side with the South
There was no shoe factory in GBurg..................
The Irish brigade are true heroes and so was the 1st Minnesota.
I walked Pickett's Charge years ago with several pals when we went there to visit the battlefield . Walking the near mile from Seminary to Cemetery Ridges filled me with senses of dread & sorrow bc in taking each forward step, there was at least one or a number of Confederate soldiers who were killed all the way up to the stone wall & the copse of trees yonder😔😒
THAT'S BADASS! YOU AUTTA SEE THE BATTLE OF RESACA.
Awesome
Was that Shelby Foote dressed like General Lee?
Very good doc. "Longstreet eellent defensive general ahead of his time." NO Predominant Myth IM Professional opinion. One of few very Best corps commanders of the entire war? YES! Maybe top 3 in theory, but ahead of his time.. no.
Gettysburg having a shoe factory is a myth.
Hood was overly aggressive and had no plan B .
Be Gentlemen Gentlemen! You don't repsent. Nobody but you're self respect
The wagon train with the dead and wounded and supplies of the Union was 17 Miles long
Lee was harassed by Union cavalry all along his line of retreat...
This was Robert E Lee's biggest mistake in my opinion..Although he had few alternatives..But the confederates did not really view the battle as a defeat..
well,..they never tried THAT again!....
Lee had a 2 year window to force a truce. He had to hurry.
Meade was good. Regardless of the criticism. I do not remember the setting, but Otis Howard stated Meade should have been the Lieutenant General not Grant. I do not know what prompted Howard to hold that opinion, but apparently he did. I would find it hard to imagine anyone except Grant as General of the Army.
Lincoln did not like Meade.
@@marknewton6984Lincoln’s perception of Meade was influenced by Sickles who had been immediately evacuated to DC. Meade’s battle report didn’t get to Lincoln for a couple of weeks, meanwhile Sickles had been telling everyone that Meade was timid and didn’t want to support his decision to move his troops forward on the battlefield, disobeying direct orders to keep his troops on the defensive line.
Sickles moved his troops onto flat, open terrain while behind him, where he was supposed to be, was a Ridgeline that was much better for setting up a defense
I know what Sickles did. Even the North thought he was crazy. Still Meade was replaced by Grant. Says something. Meade was smart not to pursue Lee after Gettysburg. Would have been another Fredericksburg.
@@marknewton6984 the difference is that Lee was on the run to get back to Virginia before Union troops could cut him off. At Fredericksburg the confederate troops were in strong defensive positions.
believe Morgan's raiders made the farthest confederate advance north...of course, it did not end well for them...the survivors spending the rest of the war in a Pittsburgh prison...there is a small monument in Wintersville, Ohio to mark this event.....
There was the raid on St. Alban in Vermont.
Damn near got runned over by the Calvary. No body said that was a staging ground. All I heard charge, and here come the horses. Oh shit! Might wanna get the fudge outta the way!😂
NOTHING FRIENDLY ABOUT FRIENDLY FIRE.
Napoleonic tactics with modern rifles. A dress rehearsal for WW1.
what in the World Lee was thinking to charge in open land 12,000 of his men against 80,000 Federals well protected and, positioned in high ground?
Did the Confederate soldiers ever get their shoes ?
1993 was great.
The Rebels did not go in to Gettysburg for shoes. That is an old story that has been disproven many times.
Yup. It's an urban myth.
Gettysburg was already picked clean for anything useful about a month ago by the CSA.
And there were certainly never a store of shoes there...
I don't think invading Pennsylvania was defensive. They were on Northern soil
The British were never going to intervene in the war 1) They were too dependant on northern grain, 2) they had to much to lose.
3) they had already abolished slavery
General Lee looks like Alec Guinness obbi one from star wars
And do not forget Longstreet is Langstraat is een Een Zeeuw is Hollands by god he was right .., one off are best
Death will find many, sooner than they might think. The grace gospel for salvation 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and read Ephesians 2:8-9. try to use KJV.
Multiple inaccuracies including the shoe myth
Many many inaccuracies and downright myths, I love the whole shoes thing, funny story too of how it got started.
Untrue, my friend. Heth said himself in his memoirs that he marched to Gettysburg to find shoes- and that Hill authorized Heth's march. Just sayin.
@@manilajohn0182there was no shoe factory in Gettysburg
@@davidreece5867 Heth ssid that he was looking for shoes, and not a shoe factory.
@@manilajohn0182 that’s what he put in his report, which was probably an excuse as to why he decided to engage Union troops. Two days earlier, Early’s troops had gone through the town and found no shoes in large quantities.
It is shame that the presentation starts with she factory myth. That factory was at Hanover and the confeds knew it.
Lol aww Pennsylvania didn't like the relatively passive army, well at least they didn't literally burn EVERYTHING along the way or strip the citizens of everything then burn their house down for spite and expect the to be loved, lol I love the new age narrator's
Passive? Tell that to the town of Chambersburg or the free blacks that were captured and forced into slavery. Yes, the confederates paid for some of the provisions, in confederate money that was as useful as toilet paper.
Also the goals of Lee and Sherman were different. Lee was trying not to piss off the locals any more than necessary. Sherman was out to break the will of the confederacy.
I thought Hooker said Bobby Lee not General Lee
you said they lived off the land then said they didn't pillage.
Where did they get their information? That shoe myth has been debunked for ever.
Untrue. Heth's own memoirs relate that he moved on Gettysburg in search of shoes, and that Hill sanctioned the movement. While Early had already entered Gettysburg previously, there's no evidence that the result of Early's search had been communicated to Heth. Even if it had, the Confederates had previously learned the Union civilians would often attempt to hide their goods upon learning of the approach of Confederate forces.
maybe just from watching the confederate army march by?
51:53 -52:52 What with the guys in his under drawers surrounded by men and singing with thumb in mouth? There was another guy in his under drawers in the group singing? WTF 😒?? Is this some kind of weird Johnny Reb ritual? Very extremely strange!!!! All years I have been reenacting in the hobby I ever seen anything that weird, is this Reb thing?
I love the Civil Balls and the dancing the period dances.
Humiliating a prisoner ??
@@JohnnyRebKy I don't think so?? It a Johnny Reb reenactor hazing ritual !! I do miss reenacting, I am hoping get back to doing it again.
I guess you could say I do 18th century reenactments, only at rifle frolics (18th century rendezvous) we send live rounds down range during competitive shooting. After the day's shooting competition is over and the guns are cleaned is when the other fun begins, that is what this segment of the film reminded me of. The battle is over for the day and the boys were having fun.
This where they we're supposed to FIX BAYONET AND CHARGE!
Lee threw Longstreet to the dogs in Gettysburg.
You are correct 💯!!
Longstreet pouted and Gettysburg and instead of using the authority he had he chose to "teach Lee a lesson" and do it word for word.. by Gettysburg Longstreet was a shell of the man he was in 61 and 62 with all his families deaths and troubles, infact he may have been unfit for command at that time but he was at the time the best option, problem was Lee had too much trust in his officers, kinda like burnside who thought " were all in it together maybe all the general will work together and get along" HA! Yeah right these men had ambitions and egos of their own and all wanted the spotlight for themselves.
Longstreet had some good days but Gettysburg was not one of them..
Lee's actions after 1 July were correct. The strategic objective of the campaign had been to remove pressure from the Confederate defenders at Vicksburg- and Vicksburg had been placed under siege before Lee's campaign even began. Moreover, the AoNV was foraging and couldn't remain in any one area for more than 3- 5 days- and the army hadn't foraged since Lee's concentration order of 29 June.
Lee's plan of campaign- to maneuver the AotP into attacking the AoNV (see Lee's after- action report statement, which was right in line with Longstreet's statement in his memoirs that the Confederates would use defensive tactics)- had been ruined by the unexpected meeting engagement of 1 July.
Having assumed the tactical as well as the strategic offensive- and because they had inflicted a minor defeat on the AotP- there was little to no chance that Lee could expect that the AotP would go over to the attack. This was particularly so because the AotP had a new commanding general- and because Meade's orders were to protect both Washington D.C. and Baltimore.
After 1 July, the only viable options which Lee had were to either attack or abandon the campaign in failure. That said, the reason why Lee was in that position was because of errors made exclusively by Lee, and not his subordinates.
Cheers...
@@Randy-nk2ne Longstreet understood the strength of the Union position....
In these reenactors everyone wants to be a rebel.
Nope!! I am a Western Theater Federal Army reenactor.
Sorry I'm from NC and proudly related to 22 directly and something like 80 more by marriage LOL(yeah big big family lots of cousins and uncles) NC soldiers including 5 officers and one Alabama SGT. It's in my blood (SCV member and real great grandson, living historian, tour guide, sutler and ofcourse reenactor)
Not me. They were the traitors.
@@davidbowman4259 Nobody ask you, did they?
many, if not most... have 2 sets of uniforms
If the Confederacy had won this battle and the whole civil war would the world be very different today ?
We can never know.
But one thing is certain: The confederacy would've collapsed economically as the UK had largely replaced Southern cotton with imports from Egypt and India in 1865.
With the destruction of infrastructure and industry during the war and massive debts accrued, the CSA would've ended as a racist banana republic to be picked apart and exploited by Europe, the USA and Mexico.
Think I may be a descendant of the fella who made the point about Texans and breastworks. No proof, just a hunch.
The confederate army didnt go to gettysburg for shoes, that was a myth anyways the confederates were there on june 26th but left i believe early's men, then heth cam after.
Like most of the inaccurate lost cause tinged narratives, this film also gets the truth about Gettysburg all wrong.. The fact was that Lee had learned all of the wrong lessons from the Mexican War and didn't understand that the 225 yard fatal range of minie ball firing muskets gave the advantage to the defense. Longstreet did understand this and tried to get Lee to go on the defensive.. But Lee was too stupid to understand this.. After Stonewall Jackson was fragged by his own troops- like would happen again in Vietnam- because conscripted troops don't want to fight.( most historical accounts completely fail to tell the truth about the poor quality southern troops) Stuart was not joyriding in the north he was fighting Union Cavalry which was thoroughly kicking his ass. Stuart took on Custer at Hanover and strapped by George Armstrong- due to the Michigan Brigades use of spencer repeating RIFLES- not carbines-. This blocked Stuart from reporting back to Lee. Also Lee still 3 brigades of Cavalry left to him for reporting on battlefield intelligence, these horsemen were under Grumble Jones who was basically- like many southern officers -incompetent- and apparently not able to figure out how to ride their horses in the direction of the yankees to find out where different kinds of troops and artillery were located.. The other thing this film does not do is tell the story of over 500 some odd Free Black people in Maryland who the Confederate Army kidnapped and sold back into slavery in the South.. The army of Northern Virginia also kidnapped Freed black people and sold them south during its earlier invasion of the North in the Antietam campaign..
So you can see that just asking basic Historians questions of the .' usual accounting,' of the battle of Gettysburg exposes the holes in the lost cause narrative, I could go on giving endless chapter and verse about the factual errors in reporting of the not only Gettysburg but also the entire civil war.
best
Bruce Peek
You have a dead horse to beat,don't ya yankee?
Pickett’s Charge reminds us of how pointless much war is.
Talk about mass decimation & hell on earth😒 Pickett's Charge's a clear cut case of both in spades
I gave up on this when I saw the Union soldier with the modern foam earplugs in his ears.
You'll never see a
drag queen story hour
a reenactment
God bless the south
1:39 Who won the American Civil War? Wonder who surrendered?
I'm curious, this is now 2023 and with all of the Wokies and politically correct tearing down civil war statues, do you still get to do this anymore?
Did you contribute to the Adolf Hitler statue proposed for central Berchtesgaden ?
@@jimmycrosby Idiot
Because it's fun
Tell me you're an unhappy person without telling me you're an unhappy person. If it wasn't one thing you'd be complaining about another. Hope you find happiness, but honestly IDC, I'm too busy being happy
No....u can't make an insurrection against the Country we live
The shoe factory in Gettysburg is not true.
What is heartbreaking is to see the great great grandchildren of the men in blue being part of the assholes who stormed the Capitol on Jan 6th
You must be color blind because I remember seeing that stupid redneck flag flown by the grey's,trump's goons chanting hang Mike pence. Remember Trump 101. Accuse others of what you do yourself 🇺🇸
TDS much? Leave modern politics out of the discourse please.
@@GhostofSicklesleg why, this whole war was about politics numnuts
Oh shut up about the bloody Capitol trespass for Christ's sake! One goddamn day. Democrat's in Tennessee staged their very own "insurrection" at the state capitol a couple of weeks ago. Your precious Biden admin defended them.
@@GhostofSicklesleg they can't help it...one of the symptoms....
There would be no United states
0:22
Liars best economy ever trump lost 275000 Pennsylvania jobs
The song at 52:10 is so cringeworthy.
I'd side with the south even to this day.
Beyond redemption....
Orange cultist? Traitor? Feel free to leave.
You side with those who would destroy the union and perpetuate slavery??
@@davidbowman4259 You leave. The South had more right to secede than the 1776 rebels did to treacherously fight their fellow Englishmen with the help of England's greatest enemy.
....okay, Jim....
Love Live The Confederacy!! The South Shall Rise Again...
And America will knock you back again…. There is always Brazil ;-)
😂
Yes everyone wants to live in the South now. It's Halftime!
Idiots…fight for an unjust cause…end up in the scrap heap of history..the confederacy was just another one of them…pathetic…..
General Bone Spurs will be proud of you.
If Jackson had been there the union would NEVER have had the time to occupy those hills to begin with.
By the time that Ewell had been ordered to take Cemetery Hill “if practicable”, two Union corps had already occupied it. If the confederates attempted to take the hill, the confederate army would have suffered even more casualties and still would not have driven the Union troops off.
Jackson would have occupied those hills LONG before any union troops did...Ewell failed to do so.@@davidreece5867
Union forever.🇺🇸
If only the Rebs had prevailed…
their only real chance of winning was to hold out and hope the north...weary of war...would come to terms....Rhett Butler was right!.....
I believe with Stonewall they would have...
@@marknewton6984Stonewall would not have made any difference
Maybe. But he would have taken Cemetery and Culp's Hill.
@@marknewton6984no one was taking those hills, by the time Lee had ordered cemetery hill to be taken, two Union Corps occupied it, and had an advantage
0:22