Longstreet at Gettysburg by Cory M. Pfarr

Author:Cory M. Pfarr [Pfarr, Cory M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Published: 2019-02-28T07:00:00+00:00

Anderson’s after-battle report left much to be desired as to an explanation for his division’s partial attack on July 2. Perhaps Gilbert Moxley Sorrel’s assessment of Anderson was accurate when suggesting “His courage was of the highest order, but he was indolent. His capacity and intelligence excellent, but it was hard to get him to use them.” Anderson claimed in his report that “The advance of Mc-Laws’ [sic] division was immediately followed by the brigades of mine, in the manner directed.” He then described how, in obvious reference to Wright’s brigade, “They drove the enemy from his first line, and possessed themselves of the ridge and of much of the artillery with which it had been crowned.” Anderson also cited his reasoning for why “the brigades were compelled to retire,” which included reference to a “second line” of battle; “artillery upon both our front and flanks,” and, “strong reinforcements pressed upon our right flank.” Anderson held that Wilcox, Lang, Wright, and Posey had advanced; however, he was mistaken about Posey, who failed to support Wright’s left, and never mentioned Mahone’s brigade, which remained inactive throughout the entire fight. Oddly, during the assault, Mahone repeatedly told anyone who came asking for support “I have my orders from General Anderson himself to stay here”; in one case at least, the brigade commander repeated this statement to an adjutant from Wilcox’s brigade whom Anderson had permitted to request assistance from Mahone.8

Hill’s after-battle report was more accurate in its attention to which of Anderson’s brigades had actually participated in the attack. “Soon after McLaws moved forward,” Hill wrote, “General Anderson moved forward the brigades of Wilcox, Perry, and Wright, en echelon.” Hill then absolved himself of all responsibility for properly employing Anderson’s division in the attack, stating “The enemy threw forward heavy re-enforcements, and no supports coming to these brigades, the ground so hardly won had to be given up, and the brigades occupied their former positions in line of battle.” Perhaps Hill thought someone else was responsible for ensuring support was provided to his brigades of Wilcox, Lang, and Wright. The new corps commander also never mentioned having thought of utilizing Pender’s idle division, positioned to the left of Anderson, in support of the attack.9

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