Yes, I think so. Doesn't Longstreet sort of suggest that when he wonders what they are doing here?

 

No, I think thats what he meant to say. 57 was quite old back then.

 

Agree. But how is he going to convince Lee to reposition?

 

Vito,

Think about this for a moment. Is Lee's push into Gettysburg the same as Napoleon's push into Russia, Hitler's push into Russia. Can an army, short in supply, venture far into enemy territory?

Is Longstreet right in asking Lee to be cautious and fight a defensive war?

 

I don't think he can.

 

Rob and Vito, remember the Foreword. Lee knows Davis has prepared a letter of peace to be placed on Lincoln's desk as soon as Lee destroys the Army of the Potomic. To understand Lee's actions in this book and reconcile them with his past actions we must always remember this. Lee is trying to get this over with. Peace is his objective. He has already suffered one heart episode and he wants to get this war done before he dies. I think the knowlege of the letter of peace motivates him. A defensive war will not result in the quick destruction of the Union army.

 

Okay, read all the comments, good stuff and makes the book more interesting to me. Since my father was from Appomattox and I grew up only 20 miles from Appomattox, the Civil War has been pretty much "crammed down my throat" all my life. I've seen battlefields, been to monuments, cemeteries, read history and had friends who're quite into the study of Civil War battles, etc. Therefore, its a bit hard for me to stay awake reading about it once again. Your discussion keeps it more lively for me. Hope more folks join in.
Oh, Jerry, I do not have any cw memorabilia. My brother has a collection, but he's now in Bagdad, so I won't be bringing any of that paraphernalia with me. I did have a confederate cap, but I gave that to my mom. Confederate flags abound here, but I've never availed myself of the opportunity to purchase one of them. Remember too, I had grandparents on both sides.

 

Herein lies problem with our view today. The South believed the Constitution allowed for secession at will, and as such felt they were defending the Constitution. It is exemplified in the grammatical phrasing, "the United States are ..." vs. "The United States is..." They maintained a stronger belief in states rights over a strong federal government. We are still struggling with that today.

 

Not really a good comparison to invasions of "Mother Russia." The distances are significantly less and their are more resources available to Lee's army as he moves into Pennsylvania in the summer. In fact, part of the reason for the invasion was to secure materiel believed cached at Gettysburg. Foraging would be more plentiful as well. Also, this was not being done as an occupation; get in, get the goods, get out.
Once the battle is joined, however, it becomes a chance to cut the capital off fromthe rest of the country and force a peace.

 

I'm reading the book - very well written. Just haven't had time to participate...hectic the next week or so. But Vito is taking up the slack.