Lee, Pickett's Charge, & Tyranny of Strategic Imperatives-Steve Knott

7/28/2019 Lee, Pickett's Charge, & Tyranny of Strategic Imperatives-Steve Knott

1/12

Robert E. Lee, Picketts Charge, and the

Tyranny of Strategic Imperatives

Captain Steven W. Knott, USN (ret.)


2/12

Policy-Strategy Formulation

Battles

Campaigns

WarStrategic

Operational

Tactical

Levels of War

PR = M x W

Policy

D I M E

Annihilation

Attrition

Exhaustion
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Clausewitz.jpg


3/12

Lees Strategic Vision

Policy objective: Independence

Confederate strategy dilemma;

resource disparity so Means or Will?

Federal Will &

War Weariness

Peace Democrats / Copperheads

NY draft riots

Invasion response 1862 vs. 1863

Lee & Exhaustion vs. Annihilation

Lees strategy is unconventional;seeking destruction of federal AOP as

psychological blow

& time is not on his side!


4/12

Lees Leadership Style

Influenced by Winfield Scott (mentor)

Lee adopts style & empowerment of trusted agents

Macro-manager; uses Mission Command

I think and work with all my powers to bring mytroops to the right place at the right time; then I have

done my duty. As soon as I order them forward into

battle, the rest must be done by my generals and their

troops

Lee & Stonewall Jackson Not close personally, but Lees most

trusted subordinate. Why?

Antietam & Chancellorsville
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/82/Stonewall_Jackson.jpg


5/12

Lee & Longstreet

Lees Trusted Agent at Gettysburg

Advises Against Charge:

General, I have been a soldier all my life. I have

been with soldiers engaged in fights by couples,

by squads, companies, regiments , divisions and

armies, and should know as well as any one what

soldiers can do. It is my opinion that no 15,000

men ever arrayed for battle can take that position.

Favors Disengaging at Gettysburg, Maneuvering to

Position ANV between Meade & Washington, and

Fighting a Defensive Battle
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/James_Longstreet.jpg


6/12

The Plan

4-Part Plan in Design:

Artillery Bombardment w/ 150 guns

Main Effort with 9 Brigades against

Federal Center on Cemetery Ridge

Supporting Attack on Federal Right

Flank on Culps Hill

Supporting Attack in Federal Rear

with 4 Cavalry Brigades (Stuart)

2-Part Plan in Execution!


7/12

Issues for Lee

Chief of Artillery BG William N. Pendleton

The power of incompetence

Decentralized Artillery C2

Ordnance Wagons & Alexanders 9 Howitzers

Whos in Charge?

Longstreet & Pickett / Alexander

Longstreet & Pettigrew / Walker

Longstreet & Trimble Synchronized Start?

Bottom Line:

No one is in command of this attack!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/Isaac_R._Trimble.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/GeorgePickett.jpeghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/James_Longstreet.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/WNPendelton.jpg


8/12

Back-ups


9/12
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/HJHunt.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Edward_Porter_Alexander.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/GeorgePickett.jpeghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Alexander_S._Webb.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/WScottHancock.jpg


10/12

The Cost

Lees Gamble Fails

& He has Run out of Time

The ANV no Longer Capable of Assuming Operational Initiative

after Gettysburg

Lee Can Only Hope to Destroy AOP if Grant Makes a Mistake

(North Anna ~ 23-24 May 1864)

Confederate Casualties: 6,555 (55 %)

Division Commanders Trimble & Pettigrew Wounded 6 of 11 Brigade Commanders Killed (3) & Wounded (3)

Federal Casualties: 1,500 (26 %)


11/12

1st LT Andrew B. Anderson, CSA

Co F, 53

rd

VA Infantry


12/12
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pis&GRid=3657&PIgrid=3657&PIcrid=644091&PIpi=152374&

Documents

Lee, Pickett's Charge, & Tyranny of Strategic Imperatives-Steve Knott