David (or anyone else who wants to jump in), Could I put a number of questions to you now? The following are questions I think I have given my answers to....
Was rereading David's series of quotations by historians and Castel's stood out as full of questionable assertions. The quotes are cut and paste from David's...
Rereading my own message, I saw where I might get jumped on for lack of specificty. When I said "was not what McPherson was ordered to do", I was referring to...
David, In my previous message I said "When someone else mentioned the cavalry situation before I agree emphatically and no one said a thing." Looking back to...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 3, 2002 8:02 pm
... So, you would agree that had McPherson's column been configured differently -- specifically, were there sufficient cavalry -- he would likely have damaged...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 3, 2002 8:11 pm
... To the first question, I think it was an oversight. To the second, it was to defend the railroad bridge. ... McPherson's lodgment in Snake Creek Gap gave...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 3, 2002 8:31 pm
... And it was you who admitted that had McPherson had adequate cavalry along, he might have broken the railroad and rendered Johnston's line untenable. The...
... Will, This explaination may work for the late afternoon of the 9th, but I don't think it holds up during most of the day on the 10th. By early on the 10th,...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 3, 2002 8:46 pm
... I don't think holding the town was feasible. The objective was to break the railroad in a way that would take days to repair. This cuts Johnston off from...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 3, 2002 9:05 pm
... He was not reluctant to fight back, to _respond_. McClellan did that, too. The itinerary you presented was a list of strategic retreats. Davis fairly...
Is going on the offensive always a wise thing? Sure worked wonders for Hood. Should Johnston have gone out in a blaze of glory, sacrificing his men like...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 3, 2002 11:44 pm
... I'd say no. Is surrendering the initiative always a wise thing? ... Are those the only possible results for offensive movements? Can you think of any...
David, You claim that "The question has never been answered -- if Johnston anticipated such as disaster, why didn't he take steps to avoid it?" I am trying...
to answer your question, I think it is a given that quite a bit of this went on -- the contraband intelligence -- innumerous stories like this, including...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 4, 2002 12:00 am
... It's not clear, but I'd say yes. He claimed to be minutely familiar with Rocky Face Ridge -- and indeed, he had months to become so -- and his sending...
I asked "Is going on the offensive always a wise thing?" David said: "I'd say no." So what did Johnston do wrong? Since you also asked, I can think of a number...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 4, 2002 12:10 am
... And yet you acknowledge that if McPherson's force were configured differently, he might have torn up the railroad and forced Johnston out of Dalton? ... I...
"Then he appears not to take the notion seriously, since he again orders 1,000 of Cantey's men to Dalton (before countermanding)." Are you saying you think he...
Grant says he landed at Bruinsburg because a contraband showed up at camp and told him it was a good place to go. Grabau finds it odd that Grant would change...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 4, 2002 12:24 am
... Because, it heavily impacts your argument. If he anticipated McPherson might come through in force, but without sufficient cavalry, then the risk he is...
... Yes. This is a planning problem, not an implementation problem. ... and skillful ... army ... do ... Disagree. Castel statement is made with reference to...
Grabau makes a circumstancial argument, but it is a fairly convincing one. Don't forget the "railroad workers" informing Grant that Pemberton was in motion...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 4, 2002 12:46 am
... You asked if it was _always_ a wise thing. There can be only one answer to that. Of course, the question was disingenuous, since no one had suggested such...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 4, 2002 12:49 am
... Evidently, he begins too. He *really* takes it seriously, however, after Cantey has reported that he was fighting McPherson till dark. By then, of course,...
Will, what do you think of Johnston's basic ideas of handling a situation like he was handed here? We know the advantages in numbers and resources went to the...
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David Woodbury
woodbury@...
Apr 4, 2002 12:54 am
... Then what "luck and overcaution" do you think Castel is referring to with respect to the retreat across the river at Resaca?...
Let me thank Mr. Keene and Mr. Woodbury for their lengthy discussion of Snake Creek Gap. And to Shotgun for providing a forum where a discussion between...
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FLYNSWEDE@...
Apr 4, 2002 2:47 am
Hello wh_keene@..., In reference to your comment: è There are several examples of a 'contraband' who è comes into camp and gets to see the commanding...
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FLYNSWEDE@...
Apr 4, 2002 3:09 am
In reading all the posts, a certain thought hit me. It has been written that McPherson misjudged the amount of troops that confronted him at Resaca, thus he...
