"Sickles at Gettysberg Now Shipping from Casemate" Topic

one copy for me please!

You can count me clearly in the pro-Sickles camp. He absolutely did the right thing at Gettysburg, and was villified by other top generals in order to cover up their own less-than-stellar performances during that engagement.

Had he not moved his corps forward, and slowed down Longstreet's assault, there would have been no 3rd day of the battle, and the Federal lines would have been rolled up and sent flying back towards Washington.

I would also add that I consider him to be absolutely justified in killing Francis Barton Keyes, the real scandal coming not from that, but from his forgiving his wife for her infidelity and taking her back into his home. The latter was the PRIME reason he lost the next election, as Washington society was more than willing to forgive and support an aggrieved husband, than one who forgave his harlot wife.

respects,

He absolutely did the right thing at Gettysburg, and was villified by other top generals in order to cover up their own less-than-stellar performances during that engagement.

He did not follow orders. His plan was not to smell out the enemy and slow them down. It just happened that way. He disobeyed Meade and in doing so stumbled on the Confederate flank assault. Not brilliant. Just lucky.

That said, he is still one of the more colorful characters of the American Civil War and among my favorites…right up there with Grant.

Hmmmm. Arguing about him in a discussion of a book about him? I'm beginning to suspect that he might have been controversial!

TK … well said!

AC … Wasn't it Napoleon who said given the choice between a brilliant general and a lucky one, he would take lucky every time?

Perhaps he suspected the rebels were going to do something on that flank as a switch from their first days fighting. Or perhaps he was just totally lucky. But either way, his actions on the second day saved the day, led to the victory for the Union at Gettysburg, and pretty much ended the last hope the south had to pull off a victory in the war.

There are several Union soldiers who can lay claim to being the hero of Gettysburg, and his claim is certainly valid. He rubs people the wrong way because he was outspoken, but that doesn't mean he was wrong.

Had he not moved his corps forward, and slowed down Longstreet's assault, there would have been no 3rd day of the battle, and the Federal lines would have been rolled up and sent flying back towards Washington.

that's a gratuitous assertion. You are asserting that had Sickles maintained his directed position that Longstreet would have necessarily succeeded. So what are the supporting argument? Why, how?…etc.

or perhaps the book addresses this?

I have always wanted to run a pair of "balanced" games with day two run both ways. He was certainly both colorful and controversial no matter how you cut it.

Lucky or not, it worked. Once a battle (or a war for that matter) begins unforseen events and friction come into play that cause plans to change, and causes unplanned events to unfold.

There have been many commanders in history who have ignored or not followed their orders. If they succeed, they're generally heros; if they fail, they're loosers.

Try playing the Sickles' advance scenario without any direct support from the other Union Corps and I think you will see the problems with Sickles' advance. I don't think he was wrong, but I don't think Meade was particularily attentive to this flank or to Sickles' suggestions. However, Third Corps was pretty badly chewed up and the situation was stabilized by feeding in elements from the other available corps. (That said I searched high and low in Gettysburg two weeks ago for this book--I think it has just been released)
Rob.

A simple review of Lee's order would show that Longstreet's units would be moving across the front of III Corps instead of attacking from two sides. Other controversies address how Hood change the direction of the thrust to include an attack on the rocky outcrops. Sickles was a political hack who specialized in self-aggrandizement, even at the expense of more competent professionals. A spectacular character but no hero!

The Sickles-Meade controversey will go on forever and there is no doubt that it is fueled by the modern conception that Little Round Top was the key to the 2nd days fight.
Sickles position was the best on the field. Meade should have allocated more support for the 3rd Corps and not committed troops piecemeal. Sickles is the Hero of Gettysburg!