GDG- skirmish line vs line of battle

[keith mackenzie]

OK, thanks Peter. Your input, as usual, has a certian enlightening quality.
I appreciate it. 
Really.
K.

"Hello! I'm The Doctor."
(Dr. Who)


________________________________
From: "CWMHTours at aol.com" <CWMHTours at aol.com>
To: gettysburg at arthes.com 
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: GDG- skirmish line vs line of battle

Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
I would not make permanent conclusions on battle line vs.  skirmish lines 
based on body locations.  Wounded men crawl around or are  carried.  Corpses 
get moved around also for a variety of reasons, including  preparation for 
burial.  Sometimes their bodies are looted.

Then the photographers move the bodies such as the  Sharpshoooter in Devils 
Den.

I don't see how you can accurately presume a battle line or  skirmish by 
body locations in this case.  They could have been moved many  times.

Unless they are arrayed in a specific  way, such  as the Yanks at Brawners 
Farm,m you really can't make assumptions based on body  arrangements.

Your  Most Obedient Servant,
Peter  


In a message dated 1/11/2012 9:38:08 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
bluzdad at yahoo.com writes:

Esteemed  GDG Member Contributes:
OK, I understood the principle, a little dim on the  mechanics but both 
explanations cannot fail to help achieve a greater  understanding. Now, In 
(both)you're considered opinion, are the bodies in the  "Harvest of Death" (HoD, 
for future ref) more likely indicative of a line of  battle, or a skirmish 
line? the spacing between the bodies may not prove  anything, but does it 
disprove anything?

Thanks for jumping in.  Don't jump out now, I sense a  breakthrough.

K.

"Hello! I'm The Doctor."
(Dr.  Who)



________________________________
From:  "CWMHTours at aol.com" <CWMHTours at aol.com>
Esteemed GDG Member  Contributes:
Gary-

In your excellent description you do omit the  principle of the  two....

There are two different  purposes.

In a line of battle the intention is to heavily engage  and  assault the 
enemy with all the forces you can bring to  bear.  You are  committing all 
the 
forces that you can bring to  bear with a face-to-face  confrontation at 
close 
quarters. in order  to achieve victory.

Whereas.... a skirmish line is meant for the  skirmishers to  not 
excessively risk themselves when possible but to  perhaps take advantage  
of defensive 
advantages to protect themselves  while engaging the enemy.  The 
skirmishers' goal is not to overwhelm  the enemy forces but to harrass,  
slow down, or 
even stop the  progress of the enemy.  A skirmisher,  even when spaced some 
10  ft apart from the others can take advantage of such  things as trees 
and  
rocks.

A line of battle is simply out there to assault and  accept  loses as part 
of the cost.

That is the big difference  and it hasn't been mentioned much  in the GDG.

It's about time I  fixed this problem.

;-)  !!!

Your  Most Obedient  Servant,
Peter



In a message dated 1/10/2012 11:31:15 P.M.  Eastern Standard Time,  
durangoks at hotmail.com  writes:

Esteemed  GDG Member Contributes:

In a skrimish  line the soldiers are 10 feet to  10 yards apart.  In a line 
of  battle soldiers are lined up almost  shoulder to shoulder.  That  said, 
not every soldier in a line is killed.  so just because there  is spacing 
between the men does not prove anything.  

Gary  McGinnis                  
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