Another Video NOT for the Sound-Biters

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Kent Masterson Brown is a Kentucky boy. I met him as a lawyer in Lexington. He has done a lot of history stuff - shows for Kentucky educational TV, etc. He did a really good documentary about Henry Clay and the various compromises leading up he Civil War - “Henry Clay and the Struggle for the Union.” He did a thing about Lincoln’s father/family in Kentucky after a bunch of old records from old Kentucky counties turned up that documented the legal case about their farm ownership - the case that made them move to Spencer County, Indiana.

Here on Gettysburg and Meade:

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Kent Masterson Brown is a Kentucky boy. I met him as a lawyer in Lexington. He has done a lot of history stuff - shows for Kentucky educational TV, etc. He did a really good documentary about Henry Clay and the various compromises leading up he Civil War - “Henry Clay and the Struggle for the Union.” He did a thing about Lincoln’s father/family in Kentucky after a bunch of old records from old Kentucky counties turned up that documented the legal case about their farm ownership - the case that made them move to Spencer County, Indiana.

Here on Gettysburg and Meade:

View embedded media

I will find time to watch it, buy I loved the book. In it he made a compelling case that Reynolds screwed up at Gettysburg, a case I have never heard before.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

I will find time to watch it, buy I loved the book. In it he made a compelling case that Reynolds screwed up at Gettysburg, a case I have never heard before.

Short version:

This was after his book came out

Argued strongly for Meade

- inherited an army that was in bad shape - 2/3 needed shoes, couldn't feed horses or mules the daily rations required by regulations. JEB Stuart had stolen a whole supply train and cut lines of communication.

- had no maps - didn't know if the place was defendable so Pipe Creek line was first “safe” plan to meet Lincoln’s demand to keep Lee out of Baltimore and DC.

- order and letter to Reynolds was to withdraw if facing an enemy “advancing in force” consistent with military teachings of the day. Instead, there was a large fight, fall back day 1, Reynolds got killed, his replacement assumed Reynolds wanted a fight so kept fighting, Sickles marched out into the middle without orders, all forcing his hand, messing up and taking away Pipe Creek options.

- properly supported Sickles and his left, and correctly anticipated attack on his middle to defeat Lee

- most horses and mules that died were not killed in battle - they died from lack of food and related illness, but he STILL pursued Lee and even built bridges over raging waters, to provide for both shielding DC and pursuit.

- history should be nicer to Meade

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Short version:

This was after his book came out

Argued strongly for Meade

- inherited an army that was in bad shape - 2/3 needed shoes, couldn't feed horses or mules the daily rations required by regulations. JEB Stuart had stolen a whole supply train and cut lines of communication.

- had no maps - didn't know if the place was defendable so Pipe Creek line was first “safe” plan to meet Lincoln’s demand to keep Lee out of Baltimore and DC.

- order and letter to Reynolds was to withdraw if facing an enemy “advancing in force” consistent with military teachings of the day. Instead, there was a large fight, fall back day 1, Reynolds got killed, hid replacement assumed Reynolds wanted a fight so kept fighting, Sickles marched out into the middle without orders, all forcing his hand, messing up and taking away Pipe Creek options.

- properly supported Sickles and his left, and correctly anticipated attack on his middle to defeat Lee

- most horses and mules that died were not killed in battle - they died from lack of food and related illness, but he STILL pursued Lee and even built bridges over raging waters, to provide for both shielding DC and pursuit.

- history should be nicer to Meade

I have long thought that Meade hasn't been recognized. Meade wasn't going to go out and win some glorious battle against overwhelming odds. In football terms, he was a game manager. He wasn't going to make a mistake that cost his team the win, and at Gettysburg that is exactly what the Union needed.

But people with an agenda hammered his failure to destroy Lee in the retreat. He couldn't. As you noted, he had real supply issues (the book gets into depth, the AotP was in far worse shape than the ANV at Gettysburg). Many of his men were about to reach the end of their enlistments, as future wars showed those are the types to show uncommon valor. And his #1 duty was still to protect DC.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

I have long thought that Meade hasn't been recognized. Meade wasn't going to go out and win some glorious battle against overwhelming odds. In football terms, he was a game manager. He wasn't going to make a mistake that cost his team the win, and at Gettysburg that is exactly what the Union needed.

But people with an agenda hammered his failure to destroy Lee in the retreat. He couldn't. As you noted, he had real supply issues (the book gets into depth, the AotP was in far worse shape than the ANV at Gettysburg). Many of his men were about to reach the end of their enlistments, as future wars showed those are the types to show uncommon valor. And his #1 duty was still to protect DC.

It was the ultimate “I got it, I got it, you take it“. The most telling fact of all was when he reported that Meade’s response to being awakened in the middle of the night (in order be told he had been ordered to take over the army) was “am I under arrest?“