The invasion of the North by the Confederates. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was stretched out over 40 miles from Carlisle to south of Chambersburg. Lacking a cavalry to know the whereabouts of the Union army, and with information from Harris the spy that the Union army was on the March, Gen. Lee decided to concentrate his army at the crossroads town of Gettysburg.
The Union Army, on the other hand, were looking for the Rebel Army, with Cavalry screens running from the Pennsylvanian border northward. By happenstance, a division under Gen. Heth of the Rebel Army heard of a shoe factory in Gettysburg and decided to investigate. The orders from Lee to all commands were to consolidate around Cashtown or Gettysburg, and NOT TO ENGAGE the enemy. Heth’s division ran into the Union cavalry screen under Gen. Buford, rather than withdraw, Heth sent in more men while Buford held out until the arrival of Union infantry under Gen. Robinson.
After that, the armies brought in more troops on both sides, with the Union army getting the favorable high ground running from Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge and the round tops.
The Generals on both sides did not plan for the battle site, Lee was trying to consolidate and Meade on the Union side had picked some high ground further to the South. Lee blamed the lack of Jeb Stuart’s cavalry for not knowing the true location of the federal army.
In the fog of war, the confederates made out the worst, altho there were chances to win in the days that followed, July 1-3, 1863.
The invasion of the North by the Confederates. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was stretched out over 40 miles from Carlisle to south of Chambersburg. Lacking a cavalry to know the whereabouts of the Union army, and with information from Harris the spy that the Union army was on the March, Gen. Lee decided to concentrate his army at the crossroads town of Gettysburg.
The Union Army, on the other hand, were looking for the Rebel Army, with Cavalry screens running from the Pennsylvanian border northward. By happenstance, a division under Gen. Heth of the Rebel Army heard of a shoe factory in Gettysburg and decided to investigate. The orders from Lee to all commands were to consolidate around Cashtown or Gettysburg, and NOT TO ENGAGE the enemy. Heth’s division ran into the Union cavalry screen under Gen. Buford, rather than withdraw, Heth sent in more men while Buford held out until the arrival of Union infantry under Gen. Robinson.
After that, the armies brought in more troops on both sides, with the Union army getting the favorable high ground running from Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge and the round tops.
The Generals on both sides did not plan for the battle site, Lee was trying to consolidate and Meade on the Union side had picked some high ground further to the South. Lee blamed the lack of Jeb Stuart’s cavalry for not knowing the true location of the federal army.
In the fog of war, the confederates made out the worst, altho there were chances to win in the days that followed, July 1-3, 1863.
It’s just where the two army’s ran into each other.
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