"Heth, Shoes, and Gettysburg" Topic

The Henry Heth article on wikipedia says:

"Marching east from Cashtown on July 1, 1863, Heth sent two brigades ahead in a reconnaissance in force. His memoirs referred to sending them in a search for shoes in Gettysburg, but some historians consider this an apocryphal story; Heth knew that Jubal A. Early had been in Gettysburg a few days earlier and any available shoes would have been taken at that time. Besides, sending two brigades on such a scavenger hunt would have been wasteful. Heth's true motivation remains hidden to history."

I'm curious. If not shoes, what would have been a plausible motivation?

Finding that perfect pair of jeans with a schoosh more room?

Seriously, good question – I must check this out

"plausible motivation?"

Tired of wandering around pennsylvania and itching for a fight.

All those roads converging on Gettysburg would have nothing to do with it, particularly when the Rebs are bumping around blind.

but what if Heth REALLY WAS looking for shoes?

Typical Wiki-misinformation…very often shoddy.

Heth was going to G-burg because RE Lee ordered the concentration of the army in response to Harrison's findings. Lee gave Powell Hill the choice to concentrate either at Cashtown or at G-burg, advising Ewell as to which location they would converge. Hill chose G-burg, advised Ewell he was going there, which is why Ewell marched there as well. There is no doubt that Heth thought there were shoes available for his men in town, but these guys weren't just aimlessly wondering around PA when they ran into the Feds…the commanding general had ordered the concentration and the rest is history.

Me ke aloha,

MJ

Colorful souvenir postcards?

Lunch at the Lincoln Diner!!!!!!

Lincoln Diner…smoking section for Yankees.

Sheetz..

link

The man himself says shoes. From what I've read Heth thought the tradespeople of the town had hidden supplies from the first raid and were doing a more thorough job this time.

Heth smelled the bread that Jennie Wade was baking and thought he'd get in line for some.

Actually Herr Tavern has a bar now renamed Sharpshooters which has the best chicken wings in town, mondays and wednesdays are wing night and cheap pitchers.

By the way, if you happen to come to Gettysburg, check out Garryowen Irish Pub on Chambersburg St. Great Irish food and everything is cheaper than the popular tourist haunts.

Jubal Early's raid on Gettysburg is one of the prime focus points of my new book, Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition.

It was Gordon's Brigade of Early's Division that scoured Gettysburg on June 26 vainly looking for supplies, almost all of which had been taken away, including several railcars of military supplies that had been move3d here to York County for safekeeping according to local railroad records from that week.

Early's men did capture shoes – they were on the feet of local militia that were captured after a feeble defense.

Heth was indeed ordered to Gettysburg, and may have indeed been watching out for similar shoes on the feet of more militia. His comment he was looking for shoes can be interpreted that he was looking for returning merchants' inventory.

There would have been 300-500 pairs at the best in town in normal circumstances; here in York two days after the Gettysburg, in a town much larger than G'burg with almost zero inventory having been taken away, Early barely could scrounge up 2000 pairs.

There were no shoe factories in Gettysburg, only a scattering of small single-person cobblers, and no tanneries or factories, unlike York and Hanover, where we know Early was targeting their output. Gettysburg – small town, small prizes. York was the rich prize.

Yep, Heth was looking for shoes indeed – those on the feet of the Yankees spotted at Gettysburg on June 30 by Pettigrew's Division, which withdrew to the west and reported that militia had reoccupied the town.

Scott,
Interesting information. It just makes me want to read your book even more!

In "Handsome Harry Heth: Footloose and Fancy Free", the research makes it quite clear that Heth was looking for patent leather pumps. This was, of course, another clear example of the harm done by J.E.B. Stuart's absence. The dashing and fashion-conscious Stuart would have told him how those pumps were SO 1862…

By the way, I forgot about Rupp's Tannery, a relatively small operation which of course was in Gettysburg during the battle and was a major sniper post for the Louisiana Tigers. Thanks to Larry Reber of gettysburgsoldiers.com for reminding me of this oversight (especially since I cover the Tigers' occupancy of the tannery and the nearby houses in my upcoming book from LSU Press in September, The Louisiana Tigers in the Gettysburg Campaign: June-July 1863).

Harry Pfanz accepts the story in "Gettysburg -- The First Day."

He says, "Heth sent Pettigrew's brigade toward Gettysburg in search of supplies, especially shoes, which were badly needed by the men of his division…. Heth did not say why he believed that Gettysburg contained a lot of provisions. Perhaps he did not know that Gordan's Brigade had passed through the town four days earlier and should have picked it clean." (p.25)

He notes that the 7th Tennessee found enough shoes in a single house at Cashtown that a wagon was needed to haul them away.

"He notes that the 7th Tennessee found enough shoes in a single house at Cashtown that a wagon was needed to haul them away."

Hey… my wife didn't live in that house! She had nothing to do with that wagon load of shoes! Her shoes were probably in a warehouse someplace else. A regular house would not have been enough.