GDG- ISusquehanna River

[CWMHTours at aol.com]

Jack...
 
I am having some issues with the illustrious George in the  matter.
 
He says that Lee was gonna put 2 corps east of the Susq R and  invest 
Harrisburg.
 
Can you please address him in this matter?
 
I really like the guy but I don't see no investment of the  city.
 
Please talk to him about this.  I have such high regard  for the man that I 
think it is worth the effort.
 
;-{)   !!!!!
 
A  Loyal Neo-Anti Unionist,
Peter  

 
In a message dated 1/24/2012 9:27:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
jlawrence at kc.rr.com writes:

Esteemed  GDG Member Contributes:

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom  Barrett" <tbarrett21 at cox.net>
To: "'GDG'"  <gettysburg at arthes.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 4:26  PM
Subject: Re: GDG- ISusquehanna River


Esteemed GDG Member  Contributes:

When we discussed this in some detail a couple of months  ago, I was left
with the impression that most everybody agreed that Lee,  being in 
possession
of some common sense, and being able to read maps, was  using Harrisburg the
way a matador uses a red cape. His real intent was to  have the AOP rushing
wildly after him (like a bull) and to defeat it  piecemeal.

Sending a force into Harrisburg was a good idea.   Preferably cavalry.  But
it made no sense for him to get a slow moving  force trapped on the East 
side
of the Susquehanna until AFTER he'd sent the  AOP home with its tail between
its legs. (Then he could move on to Boston,  Buffalo, Syracuse or wherever.)

Of course, things never got that far,  but I think he would have "sacked"
Harrisburg, wrecked the railroad, burned  the warehouses, and waited for the
inevitable reaction- but waited on the  West side of the river.

Regards,

TB

Hello.

You are  correct, we have discussed this before. But no issues are settled 
on 
the  GDG.

There is a certain innate Faulkner in many Lee admirers that  grandiosize 
Lee 
to an unsubstainable level.

Thus, the Lee as  doomslayer. (I feel the same way about Lincoln the Great 
Emancipator, even  though that is an unrealistic perception and I know it.)

There was  never any intent, nor was there ever any means, to occupy 
Harrisburg. But,  as you point out, it was a good idea (and it  worked).

Regards,

Jack

BTW: Haupt thought that Lee's goal  WAS to wreck the rail lines.




I have cut the thread as the  length was getting  onerous.





----------------http://www.arthes.com/mailman/listinfo/gettysburg_arthes.com
  -to unsubscribe
http://arthes.com/pipermail/gettysburg_arthes.com/ for  Archives