View single post by David White
 Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 06:46 pm
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David White
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Joined: Tue Sep 6th, 2005
Location: Texas USA
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Mana: 
 Artillery would not have been effective in the face of an immediate counter-charge by the Federals but is that what would have happened had the Confederates taken LRT? I wouldn't use the guns in a defensive posture, I would use them to attack. With no immediate Federal counter attack or infantry holding off a counter attack, those six guns could fire HE along the length of the Federal line, there would be no need to depress the guns much or be careful about cutting the fuses, because everything is going to be a hit as the shells fly along the length of the Union line. LRT absolutely dominates the ridge where most of the Union army was located. Given two hours for artillery to work its magic over Cemetery Ridge, only a fool would stay in that position and Meade was not a fool. As we all know, Meade wasn't that keen at fighting at Gettysburg anyway. It would have been the perfect opportunity to fall back to Pipe Creek to make his stand. So unless Sykes or Sedgwick make an immediate counterattack and gets past the defending infantry, it's over for the Federals at Gettysburg and I doubt Longstreet is sitting by idly waiting for that counter attack without getting more of Hood's and maybe even McLaw's men up there to face it.