The Civil War News & Views Open Discussion Forum

Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
In Response To: Re: A New Light on Gettysburg ()

"The job of the historian is to examine all pertinent sources, evaluate them, put them into context, and develop a thesis that can withstand professional scrutiny. Mosby's thesis on Stuart's performance at Gettysburg just doesn't rise to that level."

I am not saying I know he is right, I am saying it may have been overlooked or dismissed.

His argument...

"Three of Lee's staff officers, Marshall, Long, and Taylor, have given accounts of the Gettysburg campaign that misrepresent the orders Stuart received and claim that Lee relied on him for intelligence. Now the letters of Lee to Ewell, directing him to move to the Susquehanna and to Stuart to join Ewell with three brigades, are copied in Lee's dispatch book in the handwriting of Colonel Charles Marshall, who also wrote Lee's reports. The implications of disobedience against Stuart in the reports are contradicted by these letters. The dispatch book was in Marshall's possession when he delivered a philippic on Lee's birthday (1896) in which he imputed disobedience of orders to Stuart and asserted that Lee depended on him for information. He did not say what Lee expected the two cavalry brigades to do, nor did he say what they didn't do — he didn't mention them. The letter of 5 P.m., June 23, directing Stuart to go to Ewell on the Susquehanna and authorizing him to pass by the enemy's rear, is in the handwriting of Colonel Walter Taylor, Lee's Assistant Adjutant-General. He wrote an account of Gettysburg charging Stuart with disobedience in going to Ewell and not remaining with Lee and reporting the movements of the enemy to him, and blaming Stuart, as Marshall did, for the disaster at Gettysburg. Long falsified the record in the same way. Apparently they never dreamed that there would be a resurrection of Lee's dispatch book.

On the authority of the staff officers, a historian wrote that Stuart left Lee without orders and went off on a wild-goose chase. I wrote and asked him if he thought that Ewell was a wild goose. The truth is Lee was so anxious for Stuart to cross the river ahead of Hooker that he wrote him, "I fear he will steal a march on us and get across the Potomac before we are aware.

Yet his report says that he was astonished to hear, on June 28, at Chambersburg, that Hooker had crossed. The staff officers knew perfectly well how the battle was precipitated, but they concealed it. They intentionally misrepresented it. Their animus towards Stuart is manifest. Taylor, in his narrative of his service with General Lee, did not even mention the great cavalry combat at Brandy, which his chief rode on the field to witness. Marshall and Long, to disparage Stuart, referred to the battle and used the same phrase, "he was roughly handled." Long, to deprive Stuart of the glory of his victory, said that a division of infantry came to his support. The record shows that General Lee kept his infantry concealed that day."

He continues with detailed supporting evidence.

Can you give an example, from his research, where he is wrong?

_______________________
David Upton

Messages In This Thread

A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg
Re: A New Light on Gettysburg