Thanks for the welcome. My wife and I just took a trip to Gettysburg and came away very moved. I've read KA several times and this trip actually got her interested in the book - she finished it in two settings!

 

"We have flapjacks in small mountains, sir. You must try them, sir. Fresh butter and bacon and wagons of hams, apple butter, ripe cherries.........Courtesy of mine host, the great state of Pennsylvania. Marvelous what it does for morale......Never saw men happier....."

Bad decision to invade the north?

Lee is telling his aide the army will treat the locals with respect, gives a blind horse back to a farmer, he has no fear of the Army of the Potomac, contemplating about Mrs. Pender's inability to pray for hubbie, thinking about Fremantle, talk of the old soldier's illness.

Lee seems relaxed to me, not at all thinking about a major engagement at Gettysburg. He's just using all the roads to concentrate his forces.

 

Lee knew Jackson was his best field commander. Tragic loss. I think Lee and Jackson both favored the offensive.

Lee: "Napolean once said, 'The logical end to defensive warfare is surrender...'" Jackson was a proponent of the bayonet charge, ordered pikes for his soldiers, and was a fearless leader. Now he's gone.

Longstreet and Lee want the invasion to be offensive in strategy, but defensive in tactical engagement, correct?

 

I think that's a great observation, Vito

In other words, come up into the enemy's home turf [offensive strategy]

but

Attempt to just tease them with your presence....expecting that the south would have superior cavalry (intelligence) and be more nimble to move around quickly in Pennsyvania: thrust and pull-back [defensive tactical engagement]

[Sorry to say that I must soon leave this discussion....packing for a wet weekend in Gettysburg area.....doing a not-so-dry run over the road course on either Saturday or Sunday with the other 'scouts' ]

 

I'll take issue with this. Shaara portrays him as quite concerned about his position, his troops, his leaders and his health. Those around him seem relaxed, but not him.

 

Thats what I thought too. He seems tired and weak as well.

 

Lets look at pages 88-89. In response to Longstreets prediction that Meade is coming fast, Lee thinks "direction does not matter. Fight him wherever he is. Lee said, 'We have an opportunity.'"

Longstreet, thinking they are in agreement, proposes a defensive strategy. Lee immediately disagrees. He believes the Union ar,y is tired and strung out. He offers an alternative to the idea of a defensive war. "If we concentrate we can hit him as he comes up. If we ruin one or two corps we can even the odds." He and Longstreet then argue over defensive versus offensive engagement with Lee pushing Longstreet to see it his way.

Remember, at this point Lee barely believes that Buford's cavalry is in Gettysburg. Yet he is already planning on attacking. Shaara leaves me with the picture of a general who is feeling his age and his mortality, looking for a quick end and planning to attack a numerically stronger army to try to end the war now.

I will move on to Day 1, Chapter 2 Buford, but feel free to continue this discussion about Lee.

 

Day 1, Chapter 2, Buford.

What were your thoughts on the image of Buford, standing in the cuppola, unable to see through the fog, yet visualizing in detail the rebel attack on his regiments by sound alone?

What did you think of the first battle scene of the book? Does Shaara make you see the battle in your minds eye?

We meet Reynolds for the first and last time. What did you think of Reynold's and Buford's meeting? How did it leave you feeling about the course of the battle and the war? How did you feel about it a moment later when Buford looks back and sees Reynold's horse without Reynolds?

BTW, if you saw the Movie Gettysburg, I thought the casting for Buford's role was perfect. I forget the actors name. I'll have to see if I can find it.

 

Sam Eliot.

 

Right, thanks. I thought the casting was perfect for the image of him that I got from the book.