"Research Assignment: Why Were Ricketts and Griffin..." Topic

…on Henry Hill?

"This will either be fun, or go over like a lead balloon. As you may or may not know, one of the things I find most interesting in researching the First Battle of Bull Run is the fact that contemporary documents do not always support the contentions – statements of fact, even – of historians of the battle. The other day, friend and artillery guy Craig Swain and I were discussing the move of Ricketts's and Griffin's batteries from their positions north of the pike to Henry Hill. This move has often been criticized over the years, sometimes even described as a turning point of the battle. But, why exactly did McDowell send his artillery there? What was he thinking? How did he want to uses them, as flying artillery, in place of infantry, as what?…"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

Think flying artillery in the Mexican War. If you remember that everyone with any experience (a minority at Bull Run) got that experience in Mexico you can understand why artillery would be run up to Henry House Hill.

Visiting the battlefield makes the incident clear. If the Confederate forces were only where McDowell thought they were, then Rickett's and Griffin's guns were in the correct position to sweep the Confederate lines, much as S.D. Lee did at Second Manassas.

The problem for the gunners was that there were Confederate troops further west.

Interesting…

Amicalement
Armand