The canteen detail was captured by soldiers of the US sharpshooters. It was the USSS that drew Oates’ command up and over Big Round Top and into the rifles of the 20th ME. The 15th AL had set out around 2am on July 2nd and marched 25 miles before being sent into the attack on the Union left. Their condition was poor before even starting the assault. The dire situation portrayed by the movie was played up for the dramatics, but in reality the Union flank was never in danger. Even if by some miracle the Alabamians were able to drive off Vincent’s brigade, they would not have been able to hold the position for more than a few minutes before getting smashed by newly arrived and fresh troops.

If you want a more historically accurate account of Chamberlain and the 20th Maine at Little Round Top, read "Stand Frim ye Boys from Maine" by Thomas Desjardin.

Frim? Is that an accent of Maine?

Meade was receiving reinforcements throughout the day. At the time of Longstreet's attack, which, based on poor and incomplete recon thanks to Stuart's absence, was supposed to be attacking what Lee THOUGHT was the left flank of the Army of the Potomac, not knowing that III and V Corps were on the field and that the Union line extended to Big and Little Round Top and could have swung south into Longstreet's left flank and rear if he tried to go around those hills. Second, swinging south and seeking battle somewhere between Gettysburg and DC wouldn't work. Meade had been given full authority to maneuver the Army of the Potomac as long as he could reach DC just before or with any attempt by Lee to attack the capital. Also, Meade's LoC didn't run south to DC. It ran from his rear east to Westminster. So, trying to get him to attack Lee on his chosen ground to the south wouldn't work. And remember Lee had to concentrate his army for battle at Cashtown, which meant a cessation to foraging. Lee's army was living on their haversack rations and the regimental trains. All the other wagons were dragging the supplies collected (some 28,000 head of sheep and 26,000 of cattle would eventually reach Port Royal. He had around seven days from 31 May-1 June to force an engagement on Meade before he had to withdraw back over the mountains to resupply his army. As far as Sickles' III Corps? Had he stayed put with some minor adjustments on his line, he would have been on Longstreet's left and rear when Longstreet sent Hill and McLaw up the road to Gettysburg along Cemetary Ridge and ran into II Corps and Hancock. Then V Corps would hit him from the right. As it was, he tried to occupy a line to long, and got defeated in detail from his left flank and destroyed his corps as an effective fighting force. Longstreet exchanged the equivalent of two brigades for a Union Corps even if that Union corps was half the size of a Confederate corps. Hill and McLaw could have joined Pickett the next day if Lee actually knew, thanks to his small staff, the condition and locations of his units.

Lee had cavalry with him Which were not used properly for scouting , a failure on Lee's part...Stewart's absence was an excuse for Lee's failure to make proper use of the cavalry he still had with him.

True. I had a beer at an old tavern on Herr Ridge once.

And even if the ANV somehow prevailed over the AoP and pushed them away from Gettysburg, it would have been a repeat of Antietam. Lee would immediately be forced to retreat back to Virginia, for lack of supplies and reinforcements. Lincoln would declare victory, having reversed a Confederate "invasion" that was plunging northwards.

Lee in retreat and then news arrives that Vicksburg is under Union control. Grant comes east, overland campaign goes the same.

Stonewall would have taken Culp's Hill.

@@marknewton6984 With what? 3 divisions in the corps. Johnson not yet up. Rodes heavily engaged in front of the town(And, not too effectively, if I read it right). Early's division was the only one available. He was concerned about his left. So, maybe half of his division. Against a brigade(Greene) in prepared positions with more help nearby. I don't think that it was possible.

Yep 3 regiments of Vermont Volunteers flanked them on both sides in a triple pincer and shot them to pieces. "Glory to God! Glory to God! See the Vermonters go at it!" - General Abner Doubleday.

Dam !!!

Lincoln liked him. But Not Meade.

And you decided that Sam Elliot playing Sam Elliot wasn’t actually a correct representation of Buford? Based on?

John Buford was shorter, slightly rounder, and a Kentuckian. And by all accounts --as the man says --less dramatic in his manner.

Incidentally. I thought about naming my son John Buford. My wife looked at me puzzled? No one in my family by that name! So the middle name ended up Fred after my Father in Law. :) And this was in 1969 long before the movie. I just felt so grateful to the general. Outstanding. BY the way. Lincoln obviously did not know how worn down the Union Army was or else he would not have been so angry at Mead. Stuart HAD done a lot of damage to Union supply.

The same could be said of Clint Eastwood.

Sam Elliott can play Sam Elliott all day long, and I’ll buy a ticket. He’s wonderful.

I saw that one day watching the film and my world was shattered XD

I agree

And is to this day

And Longstreet was SLOW day 2 !

Modern generals get to face the reality of chemical and biological weapons being deployed against them and their troops. I suspect that on deployment almost all the hair would go. One of the more amusing things I saw was a sailor being cut out of an OBA (Oxygen Breathing Apparatus) after he pulled a lot of hairs through the buckles when he was tightening it down. It took several months before his hair looked reasonable (in his eyes) again.

But beards were a thing back then !

It is just scapegoating, blaming Stuart for Lee's blunder. Jeb Stuart had twice before circumnavigated the AoP, and had completed those trips in roughly 3-4 days. Stuart asked permission to attempt to do so, again. Lee gave him orders allowing for Stuart's discretion to do so, including the suggestion to capture supplies as possible. Stuart took roughly half the Confederate cavalry, leaving 5000 horsemen behind -- more than sufficient for Lee to perform vigorous scouting. Unlike in the past, this AoP was not so passive. It was larger, more sprawling, and on the move. With a combination of distance and captured wagon train slowing down progress, it ended up taking Stuart 8 days to circumnavigate the AoP. The bottom line is Stuart was 100% compliant with Lee's orders, while Lee was passive about using the plentiful cavalry he had at his disposal. Ultimately it was Lee who decided to aggressively press the attack on the 2nd and 3rd day at Gettyburg, in spite of the fact the ground was unfavorable and he well knew the AoP might have plentiful reinforcements. Meade had 3 divisions in his pocket as reserves on the third day. If by some miracle Pickett succeeded with his charge, the ultimate outcome would have been no different, just even bloodier than what is recorded by our history.

Criticism seems fair. He left Lee's army blind at a critical time.

@@revs81 except no he didn't as stated above he left half the southern Calvary forces with the Army of virginia, roughly 5000 horsemen, plenty enough to scout seeing as not even a quarter of the armys calvary would be used for forward scouting with most being used for exactly what jeb stuart was doing.. the question you need to ask yourself is, why is it so that every other time stuart did one of his circumnavigations it was part of his orders and a brilliance of Lees strategical thinking.. but when the south gets caught off guard all of a sudden its stuart being a whimsical commander and not being where he needed to be?

@@jessedriscoll4447 fair point but for me it's the amount of time that transpired. Lee had no idea the Army of the Potomac's position as they pushed into PA. Stuart should have been closer to the infantry or at least communicated to Lee what his scouts could see.

Longstreet was SLOW on Day 2. Delayed Countermarch.

I always just took this as fog of war, with Kilrain making the statement regarding to the detachment you mention, not that there actually was another full regiment. =)

Chamberlain was wounded again later in the war. I think he was a child of God, or he could not have survived those wounds in pre-antibiotic days. He had urological issues the rest of his, ĺìfe, but was apparently not impotent, as he sired several more children. I am amazed at him. The professor definitely carried a "ƁIG Stick."

Ironic description -- soft spoken, yet a professor of rhetoric.