If Lee had listened to Longstreet, would the Confederates have won the battle of Gettysburg?

Answer 1

Great question, and it's one of the great ones in "what if" history.

Longstreet's idea of going right on the 3rd day and taking the Union flank rather than massing a direct assault would likely have forced the Union from the high ground and both Round Tops, forcing the Union forces to regroup, but only if well-coordinated and done timely. The Confederates then conceivably could have wedged themselves between the Army of the Potomac and Washington. However, that's most likely as far as it would have gone...by the start of the third day the Confederate artillery was almost out of ammo and the CSA supply line was stretched way too thin. Even with some captured Union supplies this would only have helped slightly. Couple that with the fact that the Union still had several thousand unused reserves and also the fact that nearby Washington was the most fortified city in the world at that time, the answer is no. They would have won a tactical victory, but the battle itself could not be considered a win, as the Confederates at that time did not have enough manpower or materiel to finish the job.

Longstreet's idea of redeploying to fight on ground of their own choosing was admirable, but would have only delayed the inevitable and lengthened the war even further. Additionally, Lee's ego, temper, and pride would never allow him to do anything he percieved as retreating.

Another answerer mentioned the possibility of Confederate success if the assault had been more timely...unfortunately, it would not have made a difference. The Union had superior numbers, plus the advantage of having both the high ground and strong interior lines making it far easier to move men and supplies from one place to another. This made the CSA's outdated direct assault tactic suicide...and it was.

So in short, the Confederates might have done well enough to consider it a tactical win, but not a complete win...because it wasn't possible by that time.

The Union had vastly superior numbers of men and supplies and was basically fighting with one hand behind it's back; once Grant was made commander he realized this, and knew a war of attrition was the way to beat Lee.

Answer 2

A better question is, "If Lee's plan at Gettysburg had been executed as planned, would Lee have won." There were miscues that occurred that stopped the full effect of the Confederate assault on the Union center. If all the forces Lee pointed at the target would have arrived as planned it is possible he would have won. The problem was that getting everything there at the right time wasn't realistic, (or not likely). Lee was asking to much of his men. I have not thought of this in a while, but I think that was Longstreet's point. At this point in the war, Lee had several gambles that had won the day, but at Gettysburg, the gamble failed.

Answer 3

I doubt vvery much tht had Lee listened to Longstreet that they would have one the battle of Gettysburg. Lee believed in full frontal assaults and heavy heavy attacks. In a loace like gettysburg these tactics were useless. They had not chosen this battlle ground to fight. On the first day of fighting Lee was winning. However on the second day the Union had relatively destroyed the Confederates attacking strategy. Lee had decided to try another of his assaults. This plan was doomed to fail. had Longstreets plan been put into action it is likely to have proloonged the battle but the North had the advantage of being on theire own territory so that reinforcements would have greatly heloed teh Union.

Answer 4

I would venture to say yes, Longstreet's idea of picking the ground of their own choosing would've resulted in another Fredricksburg. Either by taking a route further south or by agreeing to Gen. Hood's request of flanking the round tops and attacking the artillery park and supply train from the rear, would've won the battle for the Confederates.

Going against entrenched positions with massed artillery over a clear field of fire on July 3rd was totally a blunder on Lee's part.

I don't think the war would've lasted longer after a Confederate victory, the North most likely would've sued for peace or the European capitals may have weighed in on the southern cause.

Answer 5

This is one of those things that Clausewitz referred to as 'friction' in that it is something you can't count on going right all the time. However, if Longstreet on his own initiative had taken Little Round Top they could have had artillery in the clearing by the end of the next day. That would have made the position at the main ridge more difficult but not impossible. Besides, the Round Tops were off to the side of the main action, so Lee would have had to have moved a larger force to protect the position than he had sent to take the hill.

The particulars of the battle might have been altered, but the outcome would probably have been the same in the end.

Answer 6

I could talk too long on this, but my guess is no. A Confederate victory at Gettysburg was pretty much lost on the 2nd day. But if Lee had not ordered a direct fontal assault on the Union lines on day 3, the battle would have probably ended in a stalemate.

Answer 7

Jackson or yet another raider did no longer arrive with reconnaissance information in the past the Union took the extreme floor. Lee wasn't specific the thank you to disperse his troops. He did no longer be attentive to multiple union forces have been coming near. He could have despatched out his very own scouts. that would have not on time the top a good bit however the south could no longer carry indefinitely against Union productiveness and hordes of inexpensive Irish cannon fodder. The Confederacy had trusted commitments from England yet they welshed on those.

Answer 8

No.
Consider General Pickett's statement after the war.
Regarding Gen. Robert E. Lee - "that old man got my command all shot up". Something to that affect.

Actually its very amazing that the Confererates had as much success as they did. They were doomed to failure.