The following is the first in a series of posts leading up to and including the Battle of Gettysburg. I have written these posts as if we had all been magically transported back to 1863 and as if the internet existed at that time.
An introduction to this project is here.
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THE MARCH TO GETTYSBURG. UNION ARMY REPRESENTED BY DARKER ARROWS
Big news from Washington today as apparently “Fightin’ Joe” Hooker has been replaced as commander of the Army of the Potomac. I guess Joe couldn’t take the heat from Horace Greeley and the MSM for his mismanagement of the army at Chancellorsville although maybe he should get credit for getting rid of Stonewall Jackson. That said, when he casually mentioned before he was made commander that maybe a military dictator should take over and run things in Washington, you knew he’d have to deliver or be cashiered. Well, he didn’t deliver and Honest Abe has replaced him.
I’ve since gotten a hold of a copy of a letter The Railsplitter sent him prior to Hook being placed in command. Abe let him know he had heard about the “dictator” crack telling him:
“I have heard, in such a way as to believe it, of your recently saying that both the army and the government needed a dictator. Of course it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I have given you the command. Only those generals who gain success can set up dictators. What I now ask of you is military success, and I will risk the dictatorship.”
Heh.
So who’s the next victim? Major Rathbone thinks it might be II Corp’s General Couch but I hear the Warhawks won’t stand for that. My guess would be Meade. “Old Hawknose” gets the nod probably because he’s the least objectionable. I hear from my friends at the War Department that they actually offered the Command to I Corp’s John Reynolds but that he turned them down flat. Too bad. General Johnny would do a great job. He’s also no fool. There have been 5 other Commanders of the Eastern Army and none of them could survive the scrutiny of the MSM and the Committee on the Conduct of the War.
Meade’s V Corp has fought well and the Pennsylvanian may be the only General in the whole damn army who doesn’t want to be President after the war! At any rate, he appears to be “it.” so we better support him the best we can.So it’s a helluva time for Meade to take over what with Bobby Lee running wild in Maryland. There’s a rumor that Reb General Early is in Pennsylvania heading for Harrisburg, but that might be Stuart’s cavalry that was sighted north of Frederick. Hard to tell exactly because the only opposition so far to this thrust by the Rebs has been from State Militia. It’s all very confused and, as usual, our cavalry is no where to be found. I just wish we used them like the rebs use cavalry. Our cavalry units are too dispersed IMHO. We should marry up the units and concentrate them into division sized formations like the Rebs do, using them as shock troops.
That Jeb Stuart just rides rings around us anytime he wants to. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll run into a Minnie ball soon.
One thing is certain. A big fight is coming. With our boys quick marching down the dusty roads of southern Maryland and Bobby Lee’s Rebs using South Mountain to screen its movements from the prying eyes of our scouts, it looks like Lee could make a stab at either Baltimore or Washington or maybe even Philadelphia. So we’re guarding the passes through the mountain to keep Lee from carrying out any plan like that.
The Rebs strategy is pretty obvious. Traitor Davis sent Bobby Lee’s army north in hopes that Mr. Lincoln will recall General Grant whose army is strangling Vicksburg as I write this. Reb General Pemberton’s 20,000 men are gone gooses unless Grant either up and leaves or takes to the bottle again. Rumor is the civilians in Vicksburg are already eating rats. It won’t be long now. And then the Mississippi River will be open and the South will be split. Not bad for a, “ignorant rail splitter” eh? Vallandingame and the Copperhead Democrats be damned!
A victory in Vicksburg will be meaningless if Bobby Lee whips Meade and moves on to Washington, D.C. The Brits and Frogs would have no choice but to recognize the Confederacy if that happened. And then, God knows. The State Department thinks that the French especially will try and break the blockade. If that happens, we may as well start peace negotiations with the Rebs.
So a big battle is coming. Where is anybody’s guess, but it better take place south of Harrisburg. If Bobby Lee were to get astride of that B & O rail line, he could strangle Washington and Baltimore in no time. That guy is something else. I just wish he was on our side.
It seems as if the whole country is holding its breath, both North and South. Something really big is building up. Maybe in Maryland. More likely in Pennsylvania. And with Vicksburg due to surrender any day, this could be the greatest 4th of July since 1776.
If we win, that is.
11:06 pm
What a fantastic idea. Awesome post, Rick. Can’t wait to read the rest of this series.
9:14 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLDSAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME THE POLITICS OF WMD SITE DOWN “TELL THOSE DIRTY FASCISTS TO STOP THE NAME CALLING!” THE IMMORALITY OF THE DEMOCRATS’ POSITION ON THE WAR “ENDEAVORING TO PERSEVERE” WHY JOHNNY CAN’T FIND RAMADI ON A MAP MURTHA: OLD SOLDIERS SHOULD JUST FADE AWAY WHY WE NEED MORE INTROSPECTION FROM THE MEDIA PREVIEW: TEAM USA VS. ITALY “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (61) General (283) Government (44) History (55) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (213) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (19) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (122) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (41) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
10:59 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURTUPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME THE POLITICS OF WMD SITE DOWN “TELL THOSE DIRTY FASCISTS TO STOP THE NAME CALLING!” THE IMMORALITY OF THE DEMOCRATS’ POSITION ON THE WAR “ENDEAVORING TO PERSEVERE” “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (61) General (283) Government (44) History (56) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (20) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (124) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
10:14 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JUNE 30, 1863 HAMDAN HANGOVER HAMDAN COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTSUS TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME THE POLITICS OF WMD SITE DOWN “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (61) General (283) Government (44) History (57) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (22) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (126) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN One Response to “JUNE 30, 1863” [...]
9:13 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JULY 1, 1863 ESCAPING THE LEGAL AND MORAL QUAGMIRE OF GUANTANAMO JUNE 30, 1863 HAMDAN HANGOVER HAMDAN COULD HAVEBEEN AVOIDED JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (62) General (283) Government (45) History (58) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (23) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (127) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
12:14 pm
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JULY 2, 1863 CROSSTOWN SHOWDOWN: TAKE TWO JULY 1, 1863 ESCAPING THE LEGAL AND MORAL QUAGMIRE OF GUANTANAMO JUNE30, 1863 HAMDAN HANGOVER HAMDAN COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (62) General (284) Government (45) History (58) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (23) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (127) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (2) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
9:23 am
[...] AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG NOT EVEN CLOSE JULY 3, 1863 JULY 2, 1863 CROSSTOWN SHOWDOWN: TAKE TWO JULY 1, 1863 ESCAPING THE LEGAL AND MORAL QUAGMIRE OFGUANTANAMO JUNE 30, 1863 HAMDAN HANGOVER HAMDAN COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (62) General (284) Government (46) History (59) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (89) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (23) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (127) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (2) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN One Response to “JULY 3, 1863” [...]
10:35 am
[...] Rightwing Nuthouse has a series on Gettysburg here, here, here, here, here, and here   [...]