What could have been done better at Gettysburgh?

[Kraxis]

Those pictures really helped a lot...

Maps don't say everything, or even enough.
To me the surprise really is, why on Earth the rebels chose to attack pretty much in the only places where there were open land with enough extent to make their advance costly.

Also, that the Little Round Top actually looks like a sniper's dream, save the bushes. A flat line to the target, somewhat above him, good hard cover around and a nice blend of colours. Infantry should have been pretty safe among the boulders and rocks.

And now Pickett's charge seems even more foolish. The most open terrain, up against a strong defensive position and with open flanks more or less. GAH!

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Lee's blood was up.

The 1st is hard to fault anyone for, a meeting engagement rarely proceeds according to any strategic plan. Buford and company just held a little better than usual and the Rebs didn't have enough energy left that day to put in a chin shot.

When the double envelopement effort of the 2nd failed to be decisive, he should have broken it off as a bad business.

Had he waited defensively on the 3rd, he could have begun a long flanking effort on the 4th -- actually screened by cavalry the way it was supposed to be -- and found better ground to face Meade again.

Lee believed in the greater ability of his soldiers -- with a lot of truth to it. Not only did they get across that field, but Lo Armistead came within an ace of triggering a localized panic at the Angle and achieving a break-through. Meade certainly had reserves to try to counter this, but many of his better regiments had been shot out and many of the AotP's regiments had fairly fragile morale. A few moment's more panic and just a dash of luck and it still might have worked. That they came that close to success despite the insane tactical choice to attack there and then says alot about those troops.

[Gregoshi]

Speaking of Armistead, one of the surprising things I discovered in exploring Gettysburg in recent years is where he was shot during the charge. The movie Gettysburg has him shot by a cannon at the wall. The spot where he fell is marked with a monument and it is 20-30 yards beyond the wall!

Something that makes me wonder, upon reflection, is Sickles logic. He moved his men 1 mile forward of where he was supposed to be to get better ground, which makes sense with a narrow view of the terrain, but about 100 yards or so to his left stands the best position to be found on the field in Little Round Top. I guess 145 years of hindsight makes things more crystal clear.

[Kraxis]

Something that makes me wonder, upon reflection, is Sickles logic. He moved his men 1 mile forward of where he was supposed to be to get better ground, which makes sense with a narrow view of the terrain, but about 100 yards or so to his left stands the best position to be found on the field in Little Round Top. I guess 145 years of hindsight makes things more crystal clear.

Tunnelvision in it's most extreme.

Damn, this position is lousy... Ahh a mile ahead is a nice position. CAn't be bothered with my flanks, can't be anything important there, besides I would break my orders if I went out of the way.