GDG- ISusquehanna River

Wed Jan 25 20:14:02 CST 2012

Peter,

Capturing the useful military items in and around Harrisburg and destroying its capability to support the war would be great military goals, but think of the main reason for going there as political, not military. Imagine the domestic and international reaction when it became known Lee had just captured the capital of Pennsylvania! Lee was very attuned to political events.

Regards,

George
26ª11'56"N   81ª48'19W"

On Jan 25, 2012, at 8:14 PM, CWMHTours at aol.com wrote:

> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
> George-
> 
> Ha ha....
> 
> My friend...
> 
> Sometimes I think we both dig holes and we wind up throwing  each other's 
> shovels full of dirt into each other's hole.
> 
> I don't dispute that Lee wanted to get into Harrisburg-   I think it was 
> bait to get the AoP under that maniac Hooker to come out and  fight.   But 
> Harrisburg as a military goal?
> 
> Can you see Lee sitting around west of Fredericksburg with his  mouth 
> watering at the thought of capturing Harrisburg?  I  can't.
> 
> Lee's job was to destroy the AoP if possible- not risk sucking  his army up 
> into occupying a weeny little state capital.
> 
> Hey!  You just threw that shovelfull into my hair,  dammit! 
> 
> A  Loyal Neo-Anti Unionist,
> Peter  
> 
> 
> In a message dated 1/25/2012 6:03:42 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> georgeconnell at mac.com writes:
> 
> Esteemed  GDG Member Contributes:
> Peter,
> 
> "I can't see him putting the bulk of  his army on the wrong  side of the 
> river.
> 
> I think all the talk  about Harrisburg was just that, talk put  out t 
> distract  people."
> 
> This is ridiculous. He told two of his corps commanders he  wanted them on 
> the east side of the river. That, without question, is the bulk  of his 
> army. And he told them with some degree of secrecy attached, not in the  
> "Philadelphia Enquirer" for heaven sakes!
> 
> You're digging  again!
> 
> George
> 26ª11'56"N   81ª48'19W"
> 
> On Jan 25,  2012, at 5:47 PM, CWMHTours at aol.com wrote:
> 
>> Esteemed GDG Member  Contributes:
>> Jim-
>> 
>> You make good points.
>> 
>> I have problems tho with the idea of Lee moving his whole army   into 
>> Harrisburg and sitting there.
>> 
>> Granted there was  some military value to the state capital but  Lee's 
> ace 
>> was  manueverabilty which he would lose if he occupies a town and then  
> has to  
>> defend it.  I can see him sending in a detachment to destroy  any  
> military 
>> goods but Harrisburg was pretty much a pipsqueak  town back  then.
>> 
>> Plus I can't see him putting the bulk  of his army on the wrong  side of 
> the 
>> river.
>> 
>> I  think all the talk about Harrisburg was just that, talk put  out t  
>> distract people.
>> 
>> I can't see him taking Baltimore  either.  What are you  going to do with 
> it 
>> once you got  it?
>> 
>> A  Loyal Neo-Anti Unionist,
>> Peter   
>> 
>> 
>> In a message dated 1/25/2012 9:37:30 A.M. Eastern  Standard Time,  
>> cameron2 at optimum.net writes:
>> 
>> Esteemed  GDG Member Contributes:
>> <<   If Lee  intended to move  Ewell's Corps and Hill's Corps across the 
>> river (as he stated) it's a pretty  safe bet he wasn't going to leave  
>> Longstreet's on the other side of a water  barrier. I think it's  not 
> unreasonable to 
>> speculate that Lee, the most  audacious  commander of the war, might have 
>> been willing to fight the AoP  east  of the Susquehanna. There are some 
> caveats, 
>> however. He  would need all his  cavalry with him; detailed information 
> on 
>> the locations of the various Union  corps; and the confidence that the  
> AoP 
>> corps were exhausted, strung out by a  rushed pursuit, and  not in 
> position to 
>> provide meaningful support to one   another.  >>
>> 
>> Which is quite a few caveats, and a  lot of  stuff he didn't have, and 
>> wasn't likely to get.   And if he does cross the  Susquehanna, getting 
> back over 
>> now  involves the far shore still being hostile  territory, not VA.   
>> Still, I do think he intended to cross a major  force, if  possible.  I 
>> wonder, though, if his preference wouldn't  have  been to continue to 
> maneuver, 
>> and maybe fight against any  isolated Union force  he might encounter, 
> rather 
>> than risk a  general engagement under such  circumstances.  Although I 
> can't  
>> say I've ever devoted much thought to  the matter, since it  never did 
>> happen.  
>> Just as a thought, while it   wouldn't have been something he could have 
>> anticipated at the time,  the  post-battle rains which made crossing back 
> into 
>> VA so  difficult could have  created an extremely critical situation for 
> Lee  
>> if he need to recross the  Susquehanna in a hurry after a  reverse on the 
>> eastern side of the river and  had no bridges  available.  
>> 
>> Jim  Cameron
>> 
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