@@galatian5 Then of course you have another great line from Martin Sheen's Robert E. Lee-- "Things WILL get out of control, Mr. Heath...that is why we have orders...is it possible you could have misunderstood them?" Oh man...Harry Heath is not having a good day!
@@JohnnyRebKy he was like a father to them all. As we all know the worst thing one can do is to disappoint your father. General Heath was like a little boy trying to explain to his father how he ruined his Sunday clothes, because he had to get into a scrap with the other boys. Cuz they were picking on him. Worst of all didn't win the scrap. I can almost feel his shame in that deep hole that of despair in his stomach.
Well Heath totally dropped the ball and got himself in a situation that Lee was not ready for Lee was still trying to concentrate his army and had no idea if that was the full union army since his cavalry commander had also fucked off for awhile and failed to give him info
Fire Zouave Indeed I did but before you know it I was tangled up with half the HR and department heads. Well my team got their dander up and didn’t want to disengage. But HR...they wouldn’t leave!
I like how the filmmakers gave Heth an almost oversized hat. Apparently, the hat he wore historically was too large and had accordingly been lined with some paper to make it fit, which may have deflected the minié ball which knocked him unconscious, thereby saving his life. Attention to detail ;-)
they show his head wound in the scene where they're planning pickett's charge. always thought that was a cool little detail along with cushing's death.
Devin M They really should have split Gods and Generals into a few movies. The scope of that book made it impossible to cram everything into one movie without making it boring
@@totalwar1793 actually this is more because Gods and Generals was suspiciously pro-south or at least pro-south intentions and noone liked that, instead of Gettysburg movie which is a lot more balanced
For some reason they didn't show Heath being wounded in the movie. He was shot in the head near the end of the first day. Fortunately for Heath, his hat was stuffed full of paper dispatches, and as a result the bullet didn't penatrate his skull. He didn't suffer any long-term injuries, but the wound did incapacitate him for the rest of the battle.
@@GoatZilla - I wouldn't say vague, but discretionary, yes. Lee always gave the commander on the scene the benefit of altering orders if the situation had changed. Great for aggressive first-rate Generals like Jackson, maybe not for others. And let's not forget the greatest admiral of all times, Nelson, who would add to his orders something like, 'if you can't see the signal flags, or the orders no longer make sense, no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy', or words to that effect. Lee, like Nelson, may have given discretionary orders, but they expected aggressiveness from their commanders.
Fakey beards and some other minor issues aside, this is an excellent movie, and the soundtrack makes it even more awesome. How many out there got their civil war interest piqued by this movie?
@@checkmateking2854 as a military history nerd I think he did a pretty great job, it's no easy role and his portrayal was mostly accurate and sincere and it was probably the best portrayal of Lee on film but that being said personally had it it been my movie I wouldn't have picked him for the role, he doesn't have a very commanding voice,his southern accent sounds forced at some points, and he's about a head too short to be Lee. Still he did a great job, everyone did. The film is truly a masterpiece and without a doubt one of the most accurate war movies ever made.
Nothing at all wrong with Heath’s actions that day. Using “discretionary orders” to your corp commanders who then trust in their divisional commanders was the genius of the man who invented the system in the first place: Napoleon. Move around in separate marches and then when le emperuer commands: converge. They could all fight independently and sweep their corp around the enemy from different directions. Look at Davout at Austerlitz or Auerstädt or Lannes at Montebello. If Heath made the decision to tangle with those dismounted cavalry, it was a decision made under the confidence of his commanders.
true enough. the burden of responsibility always lands on the commanding officer. If the orders are in any way unclear, it is the fault of the superior.
Yeah, the Army of Northern Virginia was really hampered by their lack of cavalry for most of the battle. Back in those days cavalry was the main source of reconnaissance.
Lee was moving blind that day because there's no General Stuart and his cavalry acting as Lee 's eyes so that he would know what lies in front of him which Lee didn't know, hence the confusion which almost turned into a disaster
Whole army corps were fed in almost piecemeal by both sides, as they marched to the field as fast as they could from varying starting points. Lee got there but Meade didn't until after dark. But Meade showed great clarity of mind in ordering his best two corps commanders there, first Reynolds who was quickly killed going too far forward, then Hancock who started setting out the defensive line which won the battle.
It's amazing just the invention of something like radios changed battle completely. Think how many things could've been done or avoided with communication like that.
I can't believe this was roughly 30 years ago. Seems like it's been only a short while ago when I last visited Gettysburg and they were playing this film on every TV, in every store, museum and shop...EST 93'.
@@t.c.thompson2359 Lack of discipline due to a kind of cavalier spirit was a real headache for Southern generals early in the war. But by mid-63 it was surely not a problem. Veteran troops learn the hard way that disregarding orders can get them killed. Heth made a pretty lame excuse for poor leadership.
I never took it like that-- that Heath was actually blaming his men. Rather, he was referring to a martial spirt...a determination that he felt should not be held back. So he let his men go. He was simply explaining the circumstances to Lee why he let his men stay in the fight. A fighting spirit is never something to be discouraged in your men...@Wes Takahashi
I’ll never fail to be impressed how aggressive and sharp the 1st and 11th corps were on the first day considering their performance and humiliation a few weeks earlier at C-ville.
1st Corps was very lightly engaged at Chancellorsville and were mostly used to cover Hooker's retreat along Hunting Run, losing between 1 and 2% of it's strength. III Corps was actually the hardest hit, losing almost a quarter of it's strength, followed by XII Corps, in losing 21%.
Heth's corps commander A.P. Hill remained on his cot in his tent eight miles west at Cashtown until midmorning claiming to be "very unwell." He didn't arrive on the battlefield until an hour or so later. He'd sent two of his three III Corps divisions plus two battalions of artillery on what was ostensibly a reconnaissance/foraging mission so clearly he expected something yet he stayed behind. Yes, Heth foolishly took matters into his own hands and ordered his division to "advance and take the town" not knowing what lay in front of him beyond a cavalry screen (like an entire Union I corps fast approaching) but Hill should have been there with 2/3 of his corps, sick or not. And to be fair to Heth, he had some bad luck meeting up against first the best cavalryman in the Union army in Buford and then arguably the best infantry brigade ("those damned black hatted fellows" as one reb called them) in the best division in the best corps under one of the best corps commanders in the Union Army. And as such, "they wouldn't leave." (love that line) Unfortunately for historians, Hill was killed before the war was over and we never got to read a memoir from him, which would have been invaluable...it certainly would have filled in some missing pieces of this battle, especially day 1. Powell Hill's movements at Gettysburg are somewhat lost to historians.
@@jamesburkett666 It was 7:30 am when they made contact. By the afternoon the Rebs outnumbered the I and XI Corps almost 2:1. (Plus night fighting on a large scale was impossible back then. Why the battles ended at sundown.)
@@Marko3123 I said A.P.Hill who was killed just outside Petersburg in April 1865. I think he may have actually invited the shot that killed him, claiming he had no desire to live in a re-united Union. Who knows. Too bad. His input about Antietam, Gettysburg, etc. would have been an historically priceless perspective.
Longstreet was the best civil war commander on the confederate side. He actually portrayed the values, in hindsight, many place on the confederacy. After the war he joined the republican party and fought for black rights, even commanding black militia against a white uprising in Louisiana trying to suppress the black vote. Whats worse? The south disowned him for his postwar actions even so much as blaming the loss of the war on him.
Three strikes against "Ol' Pete": He worked for Grant, an old friend; he became a Republican; and last but not least he converted to Catholicism. Surprised they didn't lynch him.
My boys got their dander up = I made a decision on my own that went against orders, and it was a bad one, but I am trying to shift the blame just a bit.
One Hill Just 1 more/ may have caused the Yanks to withdraw and Fight Elsewhere It would make for an interesting Movie for "JEB Stewart" to arrive in time to get Involved Would that have been a ruckus Custer vs Stewart
His orders were not to force a major engagement. Heth thought that the dismounted cavalry were local milita he would overrun. Heth was dead wrong when cannon fire started hitting hos brigade
Stuart was a fool. He had been humiliated by the Union cavalry at Brandy Station, and so nothing would do but to ride completely around the entire Union Army to prove who was the best cavalry force. Except that in doing so, he left Lee blind, to blunder into an engagement and lose, taking with him the last hopes of the CSA. Stuart was a showman, not a soldier, and a liability to the South. He did more for Meade than he ever did for Lee.
Why? Stuart was an idiot and a dick, he would pick fights with Northerners just for the sheer hell of it and had no military knowledge whatsoever, he was one of those military leaders that would slit your belly and see if he can use it to his advantage. He embarrassed his father in law for fighting for the union, in payback (not intentionally) he got embarrassed back by Sheridan by destroying Stuart at Yellow Tavern, Hancock for kicking his ass at Chancellorsville, Edward Ord for kicking his ass at Battle of Dranesville
I love that Lee seems to be getting pissed off by Heath's blunder and his explanation, but kept his cool. He would've had every right to be more aggressive towards Heath, but his orders comment was his way of showing displeasure.
@@mike89128 No, at that point the Union Army of the Potomac (AoP) and its massive supply train (wagon train, not locomotive) was in no position to attack in force. On 7/1 The AoP was still strung out over many dozens of miles of several roadways all the way back into Maryland. It took the much of the AoP all of that day first day (7/1), that night, and into the next day (7/2) to arrive on the battlefield, many of them exhausted, in no shape to fight, some of them had yet to be issued sufficient ammo. Many units were strung out and depleted from soldiers falling out of the all night march (more like a run) north to the scene of the battle. I have an excellent book which is a collection of first person accounts of AoP soldiers and citizen witnesses of the days leading up to Gettyburg and the battle itself, from letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, "embedded" newspaper reporters, etc. A commonly expressed sentiment was that forced march pursuing Lee from northern Virginia all the way to Pennsylvania, sometimes on the march for 18 hours or more per day with little to no rest, food, or water, then directly into battle once they arrived on the battlefield, was the hardest march the AoP made in the entire war.
Snipers are, IMO and that opinion conditioned by personal experience, the lowest form of life on the field of battle ... I understand the contemporary obsessive admiration of snipers (I blame the TV show TopShot) ... the spectator view is a bit different from the participatory view ... IMHO ...rest in peace SugarBear ... too young too damn young
I’m still disappointed no mention of the first Minnesota regiment! The first Minnesota saved the union army when general sickles left a hole in the left flank! 1st Minnesota with about 150 men charged Alabama brigade of 2,000 men to give the union time to get reinforcements! 1st Minnesota had 80 percent casualties in this battle on cemetery ridge! Later the remaining 1st Minnesota was placed on little round top right in the heart of Pickett’s charge!!
I wish they'd have spent a lot more time on the fighting (whether they mentioned 1st MN or not) that all the time they wasted talking around the campfires.
I wish they'd have spent a lot more time on the fighting (whether they mentioned 1st MN or not) that all the time they wasted talking around the campfires.
Even though this film is a true historical epic on all levels, the moments of comic relief in this movie are pretty savage. The “they wouldn’t leave” line (at 1:30) really highlights this 🤣🤣🤣
Heth comes off as an idiot, but it does represent a problem with any command...knowing when to show initiative and when to strickly follow orders. If it was a few militiamen, the smart thing to do would be to brush them aside, however, once the battle began there was little to do but keep on fighting.
I like how Lee doesn't chew Heath out for it. He probably understands that if it had been only militia it had been the right choice. Lee talking about Stuart and the cavalry might be meant to explain to Heath why he didn't order the attack. But yes. You're right. There are times when officers have to follow orders to the letter, and times when they have to take personal initiative. And recognizing which situation it is can be very difficult.
Excellent observation here. The fog of war is a double-edged sword and in this case, Heth didn't have full knowledge of the Federal disposition. However, Buford knew the size and strength of his opponent and masterfully delayed Heth's advance. Communication between runners was the most common means to relay tactical information between units and sometimes those guys didn't make it with their messages.
The real problem wasn't the decision Heth made, but the battlefield intelligence which was beyond execrable. Heth couldn't get reliable information on the force in front of him and had to make the best decision he could with the force he had.The worst part is that Lee did still have cavalry troops and refused to use them, preferring to wait for Stuart to reappear.
In the book that this movie is based on, the first thing the Confederates confront are Union pickets a few miles in front of Buford's Calvary. Going from maybe a dozen people shooting at you to a entire division would be confusing indeed.
Saw an interview with Sheen when he said he got the role of REL late and had no time to grow a beard. The fake beard he wears is, unfortunately, a bit obvious. But he's very good in this film, IMHO.
Gordon Adams, if you look at photographs of the real Longtreet and Stuart their beards look fake and ridiculous by our current standards. I honestly don’t know how they were able to stand beards that long.
If I remember correctly, Heth did deploy the whole division for the second attack and would have easily overrun Bufford if Reynolds hadn't shown up. Heth was not a fool enough to attack with part of his division again after one brigade had been repulsed.
Archer and Davis attacked in the morning. Reynolds showed up before Pettigrew and Brockenbrough were put into line. Actually the rebs did quite well against Cutler's brigade, but then Robinson and Doubleday's (Rowley in temporary command) divisions came up, while Pender's division also came up to support Heth.
My ancestor, Colonel Beuford TBone Hanragan was at Gettysburg. He massed his troops near the line and just as he start to shout out an order, took a musket ball in the eye. Underred, he pressed his troops forward and was promptly shot in the elbow. He cursed the enemy then led his troops again, and was again shot - this time in the knee. The fourth musket ball entered his other leg. He held his sword and yelled "CHARGE!" and was immediately shot in the foot. Galloping bravely toward the enemy, he was shot in the clavical and and pelvis. Not one to let his men down, he continued the charge and was hit in the upper body by grapeshot. When he returned from the war, his wife Abbigail wrote in her diary that he leaked like a sieve when ever he took a drink.
Rick Shaw: Great story. However, there is no record that I can find of a "Colonel Beuford TBone Hanragan" in either army's rolls, let alone at Gettysburg. Could you tell us his regiment name? I will then check the rolls.
I knew from early on this was a tall tale, but you really drew me in. No need to ask what side he fought for, the name gives it away, and his descendant is as full of Southern shit as his ancestor. Lol.
Once again, a General in the field advising Lee to do something that Lee rejects. That probably would have made a difference. The interesting part is that Lee’s decision making is still sound because of his concern of the unknown. War is hell! Things will get out of control.
the unmentioned goat for the Confederates that day was Extra Billy Smith, who reported a large force of Federals to his flank that weren't there. He reported this to Ewell, who committed large numbers of troops to deal with this non-existent threat, who were thereby not available to take Cemetery and Culp's Hill at a time there weren't that many Union troops there.
This happens in all wars. During the Spanish-American War the US Navy spent several days in the Gulf of Mexico looking for itself. Shore station telegraphed 'a large fleet sighted' and the telegrapher on the other end write down the wrong coordinates, and when the fleet docked it was immediately sent out to find the 'enemy'.
This may be a Churchill quote but I find it appropriate in the situation. One can never fault a commander for being too aggressive. Aggression should always be praised while a commander who lacks aggression should be removed from command immediately.
If Heth hadn't been full of himself HE wouldn't have blundered into a major engagement. #1 he would've listened to Pettigrew's report of Union cavalry. #2 when the first cannon was fired (before Reynolds appeared) he would've realized it wasn't militia, that Pettigrew was right, and he would've withdrawn. #3 even if he thought he could push back the cavalry, as soon as the infantry appeared he should've drawn back. He flagrantly disobeyed Lee's order not to bring on a general engagement; he should've been courtmartialed and dismissed immediately after the battle.
He was gallivanting all around Pennsylvania. The entire loss of the Civil War in the South one could argue that Stuart is to blame. Lee had no clue who he was running into and where they were. Lee went into this engagement blind. Every other engagement Lee was known to retreat and the Union Army would chase where Lee wanted them. This was the one time Lee decided to engage the North on their terms and he paid for it.
Heth's division was at the head of the column. All but decided the place of battle. Not really sure why Little Round Top is so stressed. Minor engagement. Culp's Hill is not mentioned at all.
MAH BOYS GOT THEY DANDUH UP! 😂 being serious, for someone not in the military, I immediately recognize the universal body language of a well intentioned subordinate nervously explaining a screw up to a patient boss. 😂
Cliff DIY Mech You nailed it! Sheens portrayal seemed to make Gen Lee more human. I really liked that. Duvall remarked that this role was very special to him because Lee is actually one his distant relatives.
A 2 great uncle of mine was a captain in a Connecticut military unit. He left as a private 2 months after Gettysburg. AI wondered why. I found papers recently that myb2btreat uncle acstauch abolishionists leading a company of abolishionists would not allow 2 dozen southerners to surrender. A diary written by my 2 great uncle explained slavery wasbavsin. Agreed and any who defended the south were sinners and should not bebgiver quarter but killed and in a brutal fashion impossible This shocked me.
Heath was told to go into town for shoes and supplies,(some that was all ready done twice that morning by another unit), that's when he ran into dismounted union cavalry armed to the teeth.
Actually this is one of the biggest myths about the battle perpetrated. Heth like all commanders needed to provide after action reports regarding his decisions in the field that led to engagements. Very common practice even today among commanders. Heth came up with the story about shoes and/or supplies to give an excuse to his commanding officer basically why he disobeyed orders to not engage the enemy. I only know this because the Park Rangers at Gettysburg will say so...they have had many debates about this and they along with the locals of Gettysburg popped the myth about there being a shoe factory or warehouse in the region at the time...so I trust the subject matter experts as far as this information is concerned...also because the locals know the history of their own town better than anyone. In short...Heth made it all up in order to justify the decisions he made.
It's interesting to read the memoirs of the Gettysburg civilians about the days leading up to the battle, the battle itself, and the mess they were left with after the armies went south. There were so many rumors and reported sightings of approaching Confederates all through June, and each time there was an alarm all of the military aged men in town would scatter into the countryside with the town's horses to prevent themselves and the horses from being forced into Confederate service. The women, children, and older men would remain in town, some hiding in their cellars. There were several false alarms prior to the first real arrival of Confederate troops under Jubal Early on June 26th, a few days before the battle. Early tried to ransom the town but most of the money and useful goods had long been cleared out of Gettysburg so the rebs continued east toward York. Early doubled back to Gettysburg once the battle began and was the left flank of Lee's army on July 1.
I wouldn't say the "Union Army" cracked. It was Howard's XI Corps that broke and ran. Buford's cavalry did exactly what they were supposed to do...holding until relieved by the I Corps and the I Corp fought and died where they stood, even after Reynold's death.
No, he should've been courtmartialed for flagrantly disobeying Lee's order not to bring on a general engagement. There's no reason why the ANV should've been entangled at Gettysburg when they had even more "lovely ground" to the west around Cashtown.
Hill was experiencing a relapse of whatever disease or condition he suffered from; he's the one in the black pants and red shirt that Lee had passed earlier. Per the chain of command, Heth should've reported to Hill then Hill to Lee, but in essence Heth was the commander in charge of the current action.
@@djordan4648 You're welcome. The story is that Hill suffered chronic prostatitis from a VD he acquired while at West Point. I don't know of stress exacerbated it, but it seemed to pop up at the worst times; he was debilitated at Gettysburg and during most of the Overland Campaign. He died a heroic death on the last day of the Petersburg siege when Union forces had finally broken the rebel line.
The movie caught quite a bit of flak for using fat over-aged reenactors vs military age men that would have been much leaner. This is very obvious when you see Pickett's Charge and the VA regiments marching forward. Lionheart Films did a movie about the Wilderness campaign that looks much more accurate. It is called Wicked Spring.
JR G The almighty dollar. The men used in the film brought there own uniforms, guns, and gear. Just cheaper. Yes the real Reb army was made up of scarecrows. You knew every man in this film loved history and was proud to be apart of this film.
Aside from what the other commenter pointed out about the soldiers being reeactors who brought their own stuff and worked for free, under any circumstances it would have been impossible even in the 1990s, let alone now, to find 100's of background extras who are 5'7" or shorter, weigh less than 135 pounds, are in their teens or early 20s, and have the lean look of someone who has lived in the field for months or years and can march hundreds of miles carrying everything they own on their back. The average CW soldier was smaller than today's average US woman.
Heath making that mistake gave our boys time to Strengthen brigade.. thanks to general Reynolds & his men, to hold the line just long enough til we could dig in later that evening.. Lee would make the grave mistake when he ordered West Virginia to make that mile charge over open ground.. "This tragedy and what it brings, all the devastation, men will kill blood will spill to preserve the nation"
Volleyfire? That was already outdated, by the time of the civil war line battle tactics had evolved to the point where several ranks would all be able to fire at once and then usually they men would fire once they had reloaded so no time was wasted.
Yes, there were several commands that could be given to accomplish that, such as fire by rank, fire by file, advance fire, the leapfrogging skirmisher drill for covering each other by rank as they fall back, etc, but such Napoleonic tactics were already outdated when the Civil War began, and by the end of the war had evolved into trench warfare. Weapons and ammo (the Minié ball) had become too advanced and deadly for mass combat in the open so something had to change. It is commonly said that the US Civil War started out as a replay of the Napoleonic wars and in several aspects ended up in as a preview of WW1, two of the most notable being trench warfare and tethered balloon observation of enemy movements. The same two Armies that fought each other in the open at Gettysburg in July of 1963 (the AoP and the ANV) were by the end of the next year (1864) engaged in prolonged, near-stalemate trench warfare and tunneling operations against each other at Petersburg, Virginia.
Let's surprise Harry Heath. Names sometimes make no sense. Why is Harry a nickname for Henry and why is Jack a nickname for John? Jack is such a better name than John and I say this not because the greatest person ever born was named Jack, but because it's as super great name.
It is 100% worth watching. The movie is brilliant. Another movie similar to this one is Waterloo, from 1970. It's a bit older, but it is another amazing movie. One of the great things about Waterloo and about Gettysburg is that both movies use nothing but actual people in them. Every soldier you see on the screen is being portrayed by a real person, and it's not computer generated at all. It's especially impressive in Waterloo. Either way, both movies are brilliant depictions of two of the most important battles in history.
Idiot: of course there was no internet, no WiFi, no electricity. What Buford wanted for the officer. Was to go to the line of battle, I.e., the front.Your research of “many civil war experts is more than a little misguided, it is unbelievable you stupid!
We are GLAD the internet wasn’t invented back then Can you imagine the damage done to morale of the Union by the current wackos in the media ? Consider the damage that when occur when some idiot texting let go a 12 pounder at the wrong time Or fell in the entrenchments walking while texting 😆 .... the carnage ! 🤪🤪🤪
nonsense jeff...the confederate soldier fought for his bill of rights(yes slavery was worldwide back then..so?) and his home which was being invaded..union army was made up of foreigners ..most newly arrived and hustled from the boat to the army. The union govt was made up of vandebilts morgans and horace greely..railroad tycoons one and all. Lincoln ruled he did not govern..with guns at his back he threw out the constitution and murdered todays equivilant 24 million people ..many after the peace. He jailed hundreds with no charge and no due process..some for years. A true tyrant was Lincoln... I get all my information from the many newspapers of the time I own and hundreds of soldier letters since the MSM was controlled even back then and history is writen by the victor
@@indy_go_blue6048, He's not completely wrong, there truly was no "Good" side in the civil war, on one hand the federal government was tyrannical and financially had been exploiting the south for years, slavery wasn't even the main cause until half way through when Lincoln finally freed them basically. On the other hand it's kind of hard to argue the south as fighting for freedom when they had a president who wasn't elected by the people and they were in part fighting to maintain the ability to enslave other humans. It's a difficult subject to examine from a moral point of view, most wars are.
Kyle W. He was offered command of the Union Army before Mead took it but turned it down because of the politics involved and because he wasn’t going to have a free hand.
"Well sir, they wouldn't leave..." one of my favorite lines from the movie...
Same. 🤣❤️
"My boys got their dander up."
@@galatian5 Then of course you have another great line from Martin Sheen's Robert E. Lee-- "Things WILL get out of control, Mr. Heath...that is why we have orders...is it possible you could have misunderstood them?" Oh man...Harry Heath is not having a good day!
@@Hal09i yep and that was a pretty harsh reprimand from Lee lol
@@JohnnyRebKy he was like a father to them all. As we all know the worst thing one can do is to disappoint your father. General Heath was like a little boy trying to explain to his father how he ruined his Sunday clothes, because he had to get into a scrap with the other boys. Cuz they were picking on him. Worst of all didn't win the scrap. I can almost feel his shame in that deep hole that of despair in his stomach.
Even with a calm demeanor, Lee's disappointment is still felt by Heath to the point you hear the nervousness in his voice.
It is a great scene and a wonderful piece of acting.
Truly.
Well Heath totally dropped the ball and got himself in a situation that Lee was not ready for Lee was still trying to concentrate his army and had no idea if that was the full union army since his cavalry commander had also fucked off for awhile and failed to give him info
@@CorsetLebelle "It is the opinion of some... excellent officers that you have let us all down."
he wasn't disapointed in Heth. Heth was one of his favorites. He was frustrated with Hill, Longstreet, and especially Stuart.
“The situation is very confused!” - me at a work meeting.
hahaha
Well, did you move in as directed?
Fire Zouave Indeed I did but before you know it I was tangled up with half the HR and department heads. Well my team got their dander up and didn’t want to disengage. But HR...they wouldn’t leave!
@@crispinjulius5032 This is why we have orders, perhaps you misunderstood the orders?
@@crispinjulius5032 HR really put up a good scrap.
I like how the filmmakers gave Heth an almost oversized hat. Apparently, the hat he wore historically was too large and had accordingly been lined with some paper to make it fit, which may have deflected the minié ball which knocked him unconscious, thereby saving his life. Attention to detail ;-)
that Minnie ball stayed with him, for the rest of his life
they show his head wound in the scene where they're planning pickett's charge. always thought that was a cool little detail along with cushing's death.
I love that. 🤣❤️
lol, it's like a sombrero.
@@cannedpiss5178 where was Cushing's death? I remember an Artillery officer say that's it Cushing double canister but nothing about his death.
I think it is cool that Jeff Daniels plays the same character in Gettysburg AND Gods and Generals
they're part of a three part series. they didn't make the third one...sad
Devin M They really should have split Gods and Generals into a few movies. The scope of that book made it impossible to cram everything into one movie without making it boring
They really should have gotten a whole new cast. You had a 10-years-older Jeff Daniels playing a 1-year-younger Chamberlain.
@@totalwar1793 actually this is more because Gods and Generals was suspiciously pro-south or at least pro-south intentions and noone liked that, instead of Gettysburg movie which is a lot more balanced
"We are not yet ready for a full engagement. General Longstreet is not yet up with his beard."
I thought "Surely they didn't have beards like that!' Then when I saw the photos at the end I realised they did.
lmfao!!!
Unfortunately, the Springfield brigade arrived too late as they spent the morning fluffing and sunning their beards
🤣Funny Karl!! Good one!
This is one of the most historically accurate reenactments of a battle in the history of cinema.
Right after Waterloo
Doesn't hold a candle to the Battle of the Crater scene in Cold Mountain. This is a very sanitized version of war...a filmed re-enactment.
@@winchester1351 The Civil War WAS blood and gore.
It helps that this was filmed on the actual ground of the battle
Minus the blood.
"Things will get out of hand, Mr. Heath, which is why we have orders!" I love it!
Which is ironic because Lee would tend to give vague, discretionary orders.
For some reason they didn't show Heath being wounded in the movie. He was shot in the head near the end of the first day. Fortunately for Heath, his hat was stuffed full of paper dispatches, and as a result the bullet didn't penatrate his skull. He didn't suffer any long-term injuries, but the wound did incapacitate him for the rest of the battle.
Ok, I'll be the spelling Nazi here. It's spelled Heth, not Heath. ... edit; I see there's a spelling Nazi before me. :-)
@@777Outrigger No I agree with Ralph.. When speaking of historical figures, accuracy is important..
@@GoatZilla - I wouldn't say vague, but discretionary, yes. Lee always gave the commander on the scene the benefit of altering orders if the situation had changed. Great for aggressive first-rate Generals like Jackson, maybe not for others. And let's not forget the greatest admiral of all times, Nelson, who would add to his orders something like, 'if you can't see the signal flags, or the orders no longer make sense, no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy', or words to that effect. Lee, like Nelson, may have given discretionary orders, but they expected aggressiveness from their commanders.
Fakey beards and some other minor issues aside, this is an excellent movie, and the soundtrack makes it even more awesome. How many out there got their civil war interest piqued by this movie?
Yep, my favorite war movie of all time and I've seen almost every major one you can think of.
Me me
Martin Sheen did an excellent job portraying Gen. Lee.
Agree.
He gets a lot of criticism from Civil War buffs but i thought he did an excellent job...
@@checkmateking2854 as a military history nerd I think he did a pretty great job, it's no easy role and his portrayal was mostly accurate and sincere and it was probably the best portrayal of Lee on film but that being said personally had it it been my movie I wouldn't have picked him for the role, he doesn't have a very commanding voice,his southern accent sounds forced at some points, and he's about a head too short to be Lee. Still he did a great job, everyone did. The film is truly a masterpiece and without a doubt one of the most accurate war movies ever made.
Coming from a NC civil war history buff, I think he did a pretty good job. I think this movie, overall, is very good.
He a liberal, but first rate actor. Several other great scenes.
Nothing at all wrong with Heath’s actions that day. Using “discretionary orders” to your corp commanders who then trust in their divisional commanders was the genius of the man who invented the system in the first place: Napoleon. Move around in separate marches and then when le emperuer commands: converge. They could all fight independently and sweep their corp around the enemy from different directions. Look at Davout at Austerlitz or Auerstädt or Lannes at Montebello.
If Heath made the decision to tangle with those dismounted cavalry, it was a decision made under the confidence of his commanders.
true enough. the burden of responsibility always lands on the commanding officer. If the orders are in any way unclear, it is the fault of the superior.
Lee was not happy at all
@@brianpendergast2894bad news does that
This shows the confusion that happened that day perfectly
Yeah, the Army of Northern Virginia was really hampered by their lack of cavalry for most of the battle. Back in those days cavalry was the main source of reconnaissance.
Lee was moving blind that day because there's no General Stuart and his cavalry acting as Lee 's eyes so that he would know what lies in front of him which Lee didn't know, hence the confusion which almost turned into a disaster
Whole army corps were fed in almost piecemeal by both sides, as they marched to the field as fast as they could from varying starting points. Lee got there but Meade didn't until after dark. But Meade showed great clarity of mind in ordering his best two corps commanders there, first Reynolds who was quickly killed going too far forward, then Hancock who started setting out the defensive line which won the battle.
"No battle plan survives the first hour of combat." - Patton
It's amazing just the invention of something like radios changed battle completely. Think how many things could've been done or avoided with communication like that.
"My boys got their dander up." Their problem would soon enough become that Lee's dander was now up, too.
Great movie. i have watched several times. my wife and i visited the site several years ago. very moving. i will never forget.
I can't believe this was roughly 30 years ago. Seems like it's been only a short while ago when I last visited Gettysburg and they were playing this film on every TV, in every store, museum and shop...EST 93'.
the moment when Reynolds and flagbearer appear is my favorite movie moment of all
I hate when my boys get the dander up
@Wes Takahashi "WE deployed the whole division." Like he had no choice.
Pride and Individualism makes for poor soldiers.
@@t.c.thompson2359 Lack of discipline due to a kind of cavalier spirit was a real headache for Southern generals early in the war. But by mid-63 it was surely not a problem. Veteran troops learn the hard way that disregarding orders can get them killed. Heth made a pretty lame excuse for poor leadership.
I never took it like that-- that Heath was actually blaming his men. Rather, he was referring to a martial spirt...a determination that he felt should not be held back. So he let his men go. He was simply explaining the circumstances to Lee why he let his men stay in the fight. A fighting spirit is never something to be discouraged in your men...@Wes Takahashi
Easy Captian Pendleton. It's good to have your dander up, but it's discipline that wins the day.
"Now let's go surprise Harry Heath."
Those damn black hats.
Ahhhh.....watching southerners die.......lovely
"They wouldn't leeeeeave!" I get such a chuckle out this comment by General Heth.
Me too lol just how he says it
I was mildly amused when the fellow said “caL-va-ry,” rather than cavalry.
Just a southern draw .long live the South!!!!! The best place to live !!!!
The situation is confused!
Lol this movie is excellent as it is cheesy.
I think the actor playing Harry Heth had the smartest uniform
I’ll never fail to be impressed how aggressive and sharp the 1st and 11th corps were on the first day considering their performance and humiliation a few weeks earlier at C-ville.
1st Corps was very lightly engaged at Chancellorsville and were mostly used to cover Hooker's retreat along Hunting Run, losing between 1 and 2% of it's strength. III Corps was actually the hardest hit, losing almost a quarter of it's strength, followed by XII Corps, in losing 21%.
Heth's corps commander A.P. Hill remained on his cot in his tent eight miles west at Cashtown until midmorning claiming to be "very unwell." He didn't arrive on the battlefield until an hour or so later. He'd sent two of his three III Corps divisions plus two battalions of artillery on what was ostensibly a reconnaissance/foraging mission so clearly he expected something yet he stayed behind. Yes, Heth foolishly took matters into his own hands and ordered his division to "advance and take the town" not knowing what lay in front of him beyond a cavalry screen (like an entire Union I corps fast approaching) but Hill should have been there with 2/3 of his corps, sick or not.
And to be fair to Heth, he had some bad luck meeting up against first the best cavalryman in the Union army in Buford and then arguably the best infantry brigade ("those damned black hatted fellows" as one reb called them) in the best division in the best corps under one of the best corps commanders in the Union Army. And as such, "they wouldn't leave." (love that line)
Unfortunately for historians, Hill was killed before the war was over and we never got to read a memoir from him, which would have been invaluable...it certainly would have filled in some missing pieces of this battle, especially day 1. Powell Hill's movements at Gettysburg are somewhat lost to historians.
Brad wouldn't it have been better if they had engaged the union at night since they were outnumbered?
@@jamesburkett666 It was 7:30 am when they made contact. By the afternoon the Rebs outnumbered the I and XI Corps almost 2:1. (Plus night fighting on a large scale was impossible back then. Why the battles ended at sundown.)
Actually heath lived till 1899 and did write a memoir
@@Marko3123 I said A.P.Hill who was killed just outside Petersburg in April 1865. I think he may have actually invited the shot that killed him, claiming he had no desire to live in a re-united Union. Who knows. Too bad. His input about Antietam, Gettysburg, etc. would have been an historically priceless perspective.
They were lost to Powell, too.
My great, great Uncle Colonel Ingus rode next to him...
"Well sir, they wouldn't leave. My boys got the dander up."
Longstreet was the best civil war commander on the confederate side. He actually portrayed the values, in hindsight, many place on the confederacy. After the war he joined the republican party and fought for black rights, even commanding black militia against a white uprising in Louisiana trying to suppress the black vote. Whats worse? The south disowned him for his postwar actions even so much as blaming the loss of the war on him.
Well he kinda fumbled the Knoxville campaign.
It was General Jubal Early that started the smear campaign against Genl Longstreet
Three strikes against "Ol' Pete": He worked for Grant, an old friend; he became a Republican; and last but not least he converted to Catholicism. Surprised they didn't lynch him.
The south has no monuments in his name, because the smear campaign was very successful.
tim
longstreet had his moments (wilderness and 2nd manassas) but he had problems with independent command (knoxville and suffolk)
Just an outstanding film, to be sure...
"Beg to report, sir. Ah, seem to have screwed the pooch, sir!"
My boys got their dander up = I made a decision on my own that went against orders, and it was a bad one, but I am trying to shift the blame just a bit.
One Hill Just 1 more/ may have caused the Yanks to withdraw and Fight Elsewhere It would make for an interesting Movie for "JEB Stewart" to arrive in time to get Involved Would that have been a ruckus Custer vs Stewart
His orders were not to force a major engagement. Heth thought that the dismounted cavalry were local milita he would overrun. Heth was dead wrong when cannon fire started hitting hos brigade
Paul “Everyone’s got a plan ‘til they get punched in the face.” Mike Tyson
His corps commander (AP Hill) made no objections
It was neither Heth's nor Hill's fault. The responsibility was Lee's.
This is one of the best Civil War films ever.
What an amazing movie this was
“My boys got the dander up…” fantastic
Ive always been a civil war buff ,Ge.JED Staurt always been my favorite military leader, last cavalier...
He was killed at Yellow Tavern by a random shot by a Union trooper.
He left the whole of Lee's army blind in the field without its eyes and ears. Glory seeker.
James Ewell Brown Stuart, aka J.E.B. or "Jeb"
Stuart was a fool. He had been humiliated by the Union cavalry at Brandy Station, and so nothing would do but to ride completely around the entire Union Army to prove who was the best cavalry force. Except that in doing so, he left Lee blind, to blunder into an engagement and lose, taking with him the last hopes of the CSA. Stuart was a showman, not a soldier, and a liability to the South. He did more for Meade than he ever did for Lee.
Why? Stuart was an idiot and a dick, he would pick fights with Northerners just for the sheer hell of it and had no military knowledge whatsoever, he was one of those military leaders that would slit your belly and see if he can use it to his advantage. He embarrassed his father in law for fighting for the union, in payback (not intentionally) he got embarrassed back by Sheridan by destroying Stuart at Yellow Tavern, Hancock for kicking his ass at Chancellorsville, Edward Ord for kicking his ass at Battle of Dranesville
Well... They wouldn't leave!!!!
Ma bois gawt the danda up.
I love that Lee seems to be getting pissed off by Heath's blunder and his explanation, but kept his cool. He would've had every right to be more aggressive towards Heath, but his orders comment was his way of showing displeasure.
If Heth had disengaged immediately, would not the union army have attacked? And the battle would have started anyway?
@@mike89128 No, at that point the Union Army of the Potomac (AoP) and its massive supply train (wagon train, not locomotive) was in no position to attack in force. On 7/1 The AoP was still strung out over many dozens of miles of several roadways all the way back into Maryland. It took the much of the AoP all of that day first day (7/1), that night, and into the next day (7/2) to arrive on the battlefield, many of them exhausted, in no shape to fight, some of them had yet to be issued sufficient ammo. Many units were strung out and depleted from soldiers falling out of the all night march (more like a run) north to the scene of the battle. I have an excellent book which is a collection of first person accounts of AoP soldiers and citizen witnesses of the days leading up to Gettyburg and the battle itself, from letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, "embedded" newspaper reporters, etc. A commonly expressed sentiment was that forced march pursuing Lee from northern Virginia all the way to Pennsylvania, sometimes on the march for 18 hours or more per day with little to no rest, food, or water, then directly into battle once they arrived on the battlefield, was the hardest march the AoP made in the entire war.
The Black Hats! Don't mess with WI's Iron Brigade!
Love the portrayal of Reynolds as a dashing figure tall in saddle - the kind of general I'd want to be (except not get shot by a sniper :)
Reynolds was one of my ancestors. His grandmother was a LeFevre of the PA LeFevre's.
Don’t have to be dashing to be a good general. Stonewall was not known for for his fashion appearance
Snipers are, IMO and that opinion conditioned by personal experience, the lowest form of life on the field of battle ... I understand the contemporary obsessive admiration of snipers (I blame the TV show TopShot) ... the spectator view is a bit different from the participatory view ... IMHO
...rest in peace SugarBear ... too young
too damn young
Donald Swafford they are a tool perfect for spreading disorder in a army and calling in air strikes
But aren't modern drones with missiles like snipers? Designed to make a surgical strike and cripple the enemy's abilities in some way
The way Sheen says "can you identify 'those people' " is very much a Lee thing to say.
Well sir, they wouldn't *leave*.
I can remember when artillery used to recoil when fired even in low budget films.
Of course, because cannons usually fire with lesser load and no cannonball as a precautionary measure.
@@nikoladedic6623 but how hard would it be to have the cannons made to look like it they were recoiling, a bloke pulling on a rope.
I loved this scene as the “Yankee infantry” was Reynolds’ surprise.
I’m still disappointed no mention of the first Minnesota regiment! The first Minnesota saved the union army when general sickles left a hole in the left flank! 1st Minnesota with about 150 men charged Alabama brigade of 2,000 men to give the union time to get reinforcements! 1st Minnesota had 80 percent casualties in this battle on cemetery ridge! Later the remaining 1st Minnesota was placed on little round top right in the heart of Pickett’s charge!!
Thanks for the update. Very interesting.
Was it in Killer Angels the book the movie is based on? No? Well theirs your answer.
I wish they'd have spent a lot more time on the fighting (whether they mentioned 1st MN or not) that all the time they wasted talking around the campfires.
I wish they'd have spent a lot more time on the fighting (whether they mentioned 1st MN or not) that all the time they wasted talking around the campfires.
@@Shatamx Should that be 'Angels'? Just wondering.
I understand putting a shot together for a movie, but the guys just running in front of loaded cannons is great
Even though this film is a true historical epic on all levels, the moments of comic relief in this movie are pretty savage. The “they wouldn’t leave” line (at 1:30) really highlights this 🤣🤣🤣
Heth comes off as an idiot, but it does represent a problem with any command...knowing when to show initiative and when to strickly follow orders. If it was a few militiamen, the smart thing to do would be to brush them aside, however, once the battle began there was little to do but keep on fighting.
I like how Lee doesn't chew Heath out for it. He probably understands that if it had been only militia it had been the right choice. Lee talking about Stuart and the cavalry might be meant to explain to Heath why he didn't order the attack.
But yes. You're right. There are times when officers have to follow orders to the letter, and times when they have to take personal initiative. And recognizing which situation it is can be very difficult.
Excellent observation here. The fog of war is a double-edged sword and in this case, Heth didn't have full knowledge of the Federal disposition. However, Buford knew the size and strength of his opponent and masterfully delayed Heth's advance. Communication between runners was the most common means to relay tactical information between units and sometimes those guys didn't make it with their messages.
Fortunately the US military since the Civil War has a standing order that officers are allowed to take initiative if it's reasonable.
The real problem wasn't the decision Heth made, but the battlefield intelligence which was beyond execrable. Heth couldn't get reliable information on the force in front of him and had to make the best decision he could with the force he had.The worst part is that Lee did still have cavalry troops and refused to use them, preferring to wait for Stuart to reappear.
In the book that this movie is based on, the first thing the Confederates confront are Union pickets a few miles in front of Buford's Calvary.
Going from maybe a dozen people shooting at you to a entire division would be confusing indeed.
That’s what happens when you make Foghorn Leghorn a General.
Hahaha 😂!
Saw an interview with Sheen when he said he got the role of REL late and had no time to grow a beard. The fake beard he wears is, unfortunately, a bit obvious. But he's very good in this film, IMHO.
Most of the fake beards look horrible but I dont think they had the budget for realistic beards. Tom Barringers looks the worst, lol.
"Longstreet" and "Jeb Stuart's" are absolutely the worst!
Jeb stuart still makes me laugh every time he is on screen.
Gordon Adams, if you look at photographs of the real Longtreet and Stuart their beards look fake and ridiculous by our current standards. I honestly don’t know how they were able to stand beards that long.
To quote a famous movie: the wrong son died!
Hmm, I think the high ground, basically won.
"We couLd sweep em." GenHeaTh is the king of one Liners
"They wouLdn'T Leave."
If I remember correctly, Heth did deploy the whole division for the second attack and would have easily overrun Bufford if Reynolds hadn't shown up. Heth was not a fool enough to attack with part of his division again after one brigade had been repulsed.
Archer and Davis attacked in the morning. Reynolds showed up before Pettigrew and Brockenbrough were put into line. Actually the rebs did quite well against Cutler's brigade, but then Robinson and Doubleday's (Rowley in temporary command) divisions came up, while Pender's division also came up to support Heth.
confusion reigns
My ancestor, Colonel Beuford TBone Hanragan was at Gettysburg. He massed his troops near the line and just as he start to shout out an order, took a musket ball in the eye. Underred, he pressed his troops forward and was promptly shot in the elbow. He cursed the enemy then led his troops again, and was again shot - this time in the knee. The fourth musket ball entered his other leg. He held his sword and yelled "CHARGE!" and was immediately shot in the foot. Galloping bravely toward the enemy, he was shot in the clavical and and pelvis. Not one to let his men down, he continued the charge and was hit in the upper body by grapeshot.
When he returned from the war, his wife Abbigail wrote in her diary that he leaked like a sieve when ever he took a drink.
LOL! Classic post!
what side did he fight on? and i cant find anything on that person online.
Now that is ONE TOUGH GUY!
Rick Shaw: Great story. However, there is no record that I can find of a "Colonel Beuford TBone Hanragan" in either army's rolls, let alone at Gettysburg. Could you tell us his regiment name? I will then check the rolls.
I knew from early on this was a tall tale, but you really drew me in. No need to ask what side he fought for, the name gives it away, and his descendant is as full of Southern shit as his ancestor. Lol.
They should likewise make a movie about the naval battles, even though paying for the ships would be expensive.
Once again, a General in the field advising Lee to do something that Lee rejects. That probably would have made a difference. The interesting part is that Lee’s decision making is still sound because of his concern of the unknown.
War is hell! Things will get out of control.
the unmentioned goat for the Confederates that day was Extra Billy Smith, who reported a large force of Federals to his flank that weren't there. He reported this to Ewell, who committed large numbers of troops to deal with this non-existent threat, who were thereby not available to take Cemetery and Culp's Hill at a time there weren't that many Union troops there.
This happens in all wars. During the Spanish-American War the US Navy spent several days in the Gulf of Mexico looking for itself. Shore station telegraphed 'a large fleet sighted' and the telegrapher on the other end write down the wrong coordinates, and when the fleet docked it was immediately sent out to find the 'enemy'.
This may be a Churchill quote but I find it appropriate in the situation. One can never fault a commander for being too aggressive. Aggression should always be praised while a commander who lacks aggression should be removed from command immediately.
He saw Black hats=Iron Brigade...the best of the Union Army.
fight on ground of your choosing = winner. Fight on ground of enemy choosing = LOSER
Whenever possible, make it your choice where, when, and if you fight the enemy.
This is my favorite spike lee joint...
Lee's own fault for relying exclusively on Stuart and not using his other cavalry to scout the Union forces.
The "Black Hats" were a forced to be reckoned with.
Glad they were the first to show
If Stuart has been around Heth would not have blundered into a major engagement.
If Heth hadn't been full of himself HE wouldn't have blundered into a major engagement. #1 he would've listened to Pettigrew's report of Union cavalry. #2 when the first cannon was fired (before Reynolds appeared) he would've realized it wasn't militia, that Pettigrew was right, and he would've withdrawn. #3 even if he thought he could push back the cavalry, as soon as the infantry appeared he should've drawn back. He flagrantly disobeyed Lee's order not to bring on a general engagement; he should've been courtmartialed and dismissed immediately after the battle.
@@indy_go_blue6048 + Lee was too much of a gentleman to discipline his officers.
He was gallivanting all around Pennsylvania. The entire loss of the Civil War in the South one could argue that Stuart is to blame. Lee had no clue who he was running into and where they were. Lee went into this engagement blind. Every other engagement Lee was known to retreat and the Union Army would chase where Lee wanted them. This was the one time Lee decided to engage the North on their terms and he paid for it.
Heth's division was at the head of the column. All but decided the place of battle. Not really sure why Little Round Top is so stressed. Minor engagement. Culp's Hill is not mentioned at all.
There have been claims that Heth was after a supply of shoes in Gettysburg - many ANV troops were ill-shod or even barefoot.
Very big error! Beuford said to get the men "online", there wasn't any computers in that era of time. LOL!
Perhaps “online” was a slang term for something else in 1863
Sad that Stuart let them down... Awesome battle -
In Heth's defense, he was following orders from Hill to go to Gettysburg because Hill didnt believe cavalry was in the town
MAH BOYS GOT THEY DANDUH UP! 😂 being serious, for someone not in the military, I immediately recognize the universal body language of a well intentioned subordinate nervously explaining a screw up to a patient boss. 😂
"Let's go surprise Harry Heth."
And surprise him they did! 😅
Sheen did a good job, liked him better than Duvall but not by much. Sheen looks closer to Lee’s actual age. Duvall looked much older. Both fine actors
Cliff DIY Mech You nailed it! Sheens portrayal seemed to make Gen Lee more human. I really liked that. Duvall remarked that this role was very special to him because Lee is actually one his distant relatives.
I thought he was a bit short-statured for the role. Lee rode tall in the saddle, with a strong upper body build.
It is God's will
That was heaths last command. He should of taken that hill !
Goddamit Somebody Get me A cellphone!
When your boss asks if you may have misunderstood the orders, youre gonna say no.
A 2 great uncle of mine was a captain in a Connecticut military unit. He left as a private 2 months after Gettysburg. AI wondered why. I found papers recently that myb2btreat uncle acstauch abolishionists leading a company of abolishionists would not allow 2 dozen southerners to surrender. A diary written by my 2 great uncle explained slavery wasbavsin. Agreed and any who defended the south were sinners and should not bebgiver quarter but killed and in a brutal fashion impossible This shocked me.
wat
It is comical how they portray Heith, He would never talk this way. This is pure Hollywood.
I'm guessing it's meant to show his embarrassment at the quagmire he'd gotten his division into and having to explain it to his superior officer.
@@1987MartinT Here is his report, you have to love the internet for having this stuff all over it. civilwarhome.com/hethgettysburgor.html
Do you mean the accent? Because
Heth wasn’t very bright. Just like Pickett and Custer, Heath graduated last in his class at West Point.
Heath was told to go into town for shoes and supplies,(some that was all ready done twice that morning by another unit), that's when he ran into dismounted union cavalry armed to the teeth.
Actually this is one of the biggest myths about the battle perpetrated.
Heth like all commanders needed to provide after action reports regarding his decisions in the field that led to engagements.
Very common practice even today among commanders.
Heth came up with the story about shoes and/or supplies to give an excuse to his commanding officer basically why he disobeyed orders to not engage the enemy.
I only know this because the Park Rangers at Gettysburg will say so...they have had many debates about this and they along with the locals of Gettysburg popped the myth about there being a shoe factory or warehouse in the region at the time...so I trust the subject matter experts as far as this information is concerned...also because the locals know the history of their own town better than anyone.
In short...Heth made it all up in order to justify the decisions he made.
Twice *The day before*
It's interesting to read the memoirs of the Gettysburg civilians about the days leading up to the battle, the battle itself, and the mess they were left with after the armies went south. There were so many rumors and reported sightings of approaching Confederates all through June, and each time there was an alarm all of the military aged men in town would scatter into the countryside with the town's horses to prevent themselves and the horses from being forced into Confederate service. The women, children, and older men would remain in town, some hiding in their cellars. There were several false alarms prior to the first real arrival of Confederate troops under Jubal Early on June 26th, a few days before the battle. Early tried to ransom the town but most of the money and useful goods had long been cleared out of Gettysburg so the rebs continued east toward York. Early doubled back to Gettysburg once the battle began and was the left flank of Lee's army on July 1.
Totally freakin insane.... U.S. Army, Ret. TX
Mr. Heath?
And Lee blames Stuart...
ManilaJohn01 And Longstreet and Picket and Heath.
@@Folma7 The "blame" lies primarily with Lee.
Lee blamed himself for gettysburg. I don't know where you pulled this lie from.
@@tylergidley1014 I'm well aware that Lee blamed himself. I was merely pointing out that Lee admonishes Stuart in the film.
@@manilajohn0182 The book *Killer angels* was a historical novel... In reality, Lee never admonishes Stuart..
This video gets my dander up. I tripped over stone wall at Gettyburg and skinned my shin...in the snow. It was entirely appropriate that I did so. 😬🇺🇸
Was Heth the true hero of the first day? He pressed the attack and almost had the Union army routed, save for Ewell’s caution.
Doc Bailey but he was wounded before the union army cracked that afternoon.
I wouldn't say the "Union Army" cracked. It was Howard's XI Corps that broke and ran. Buford's cavalry did exactly what they were supposed to do...holding until relieved by the I Corps and the I Corp fought and died where they stood, even after Reynold's death.
Shadowman4710 my point still stands: Heth was in no way responsible for the Confederate victory on day 1.
+ Gaslight Studios I wouldn't argue that point.
No, he should've been courtmartialed for flagrantly disobeying Lee's order not to bring on a general engagement. There's no reason why the ANV should've been entangled at Gettysburg when they had even more "lovely ground" to the west around Cashtown.
Correct me if I’m wrong but Heath was under AP Hill. Should it have been Gen Hill making that report?
Hill was experiencing a relapse of whatever disease or condition he suffered from; he's the one in the black pants and red shirt that Lee had passed earlier. Per the chain of command, Heth should've reported to Hill then Hill to Lee, but in essence Heth was the commander in charge of the current action.
@@indy_go_blue6048 I never knew that detail. Thanks!
@@djordan4648 You're welcome. The story is that Hill suffered chronic prostatitis from a VD he acquired while at West Point. I don't know of stress exacerbated it, but it seemed to pop up at the worst times; he was debilitated at Gettysburg and during most of the Overland Campaign. He died a heroic death on the last day of the Petersburg siege when Union forces had finally broken the rebel line.
ain't gonna be any surprising general heth.
A lot of men paid for that lovely ground too.
Martin Sheen, liberal to his death, is an actor.
General lee had the most stressful job ever all those decisions too make
The movie caught quite a bit of flak for using fat over-aged reenactors vs military age men that would have been much leaner. This is very obvious when you see Pickett's Charge and the VA regiments marching forward. Lionheart Films did a movie about the Wilderness campaign that looks much more accurate. It is called Wicked Spring.
JR G The almighty dollar. The men used in the film brought there own uniforms, guns, and gear. Just cheaper. Yes the real Reb army was made up of scarecrows. You knew every man in this film loved history and was proud to be apart of this film.
Aside from what the other commenter pointed out about the soldiers being reeactors who brought their own stuff and worked for free, under any circumstances it would have been impossible even in the 1990s, let alone now, to find 100's of background extras who are 5'7" or shorter, weigh less than 135 pounds, are in their teens or early 20s, and have the lean look of someone who has lived in the field for months or years and can march hundreds of miles carrying everything they own on their back. The average CW soldier was smaller than today's average US woman.
History Buffs, what happened to Gen. Stuart ?
Buford’s work on day 1 was pivital and should be studied by an serious military historian
Heath making that mistake gave our boys time to Strengthen brigade.. thanks to general Reynolds & his men, to hold the line just long enough til we could dig in later that evening..
Lee would make the grave mistake when he ordered West Virginia to make that mile charge over open ground..
"This tragedy and what it brings, all the devastation, men will kill blood will spill to preserve the nation"
Did either side use the British idea of having one group fire while the other loaded
Good question
Yes during certain battles it was used such as Fredericksburg and Sharpsburg/Antietam
Volleyfire? That was already outdated, by the time of the civil war line battle tactics had evolved to the point where several ranks would all be able to fire at once and then usually they men would fire once they had reloaded so no time was wasted.
It was still used in the early parts of the war. Until they realized it was very inefficient for the times.
Yes, there were several commands that could be given to accomplish that, such as fire by rank, fire by file, advance fire, the leapfrogging skirmisher drill for covering each other by rank as they fall back, etc, but such Napoleonic tactics were already outdated when the Civil War began, and by the end of the war had evolved into trench warfare. Weapons and ammo (the Minié ball) had become too advanced and deadly for mass combat in the open so something had to change. It is commonly said that the US Civil War started out as a replay of the Napoleonic wars and in several aspects ended up in as a preview of WW1, two of the most notable being trench warfare and tethered balloon observation of enemy movements. The same two Armies that fought each other in the open at Gettysburg in July of 1963 (the AoP and the ANV) were by the end of the next year (1864) engaged in prolonged, near-stalemate trench warfare and tunneling operations against each other at Petersburg, Virginia.
Let's surprise Harry Heath. Names sometimes make no sense. Why is Harry a nickname for Henry and why is Jack a nickname for John? Jack is such a better name than John and I say this not because the greatest person ever born was named Jack, but because it's as super great name.
Jack is a simple name, while John is a more aristocratic name. Many kings and important people were name John, not so much Jack.
You don't mean Kennedy?? My god
Is it worth watching? i havent yet
Al Mol Yes, it is very much worth watching.
TheCrazy Gunner thank you, i just never took the time, i will now.
Dude, its like the best American Civil War movie ever!!!!!
Philodox Xiph It is THE best movie on the civil war! Don’t let anyone tell you any different
It is 100% worth watching. The movie is brilliant. Another movie similar to this one is Waterloo, from 1970. It's a bit older, but it is another amazing movie. One of the great things about Waterloo and about Gettysburg is that both movies use nothing but actual people in them. Every soldier you see on the screen is being portrayed by a real person, and it's not computer generated at all. It's especially impressive in Waterloo. Either way, both movies are brilliant depictions of two of the most important battles in history.
I'm a little confused at 3:15 Buford says to go online and I have been told by many civil war scholars that they didn't have the internet back then
Idiot: of course there was no internet, no WiFi, no electricity. What Buford wanted for the officer. Was to go to the line of battle, I.e., the front.Your research of “many civil war experts is more than a little misguided, it is unbelievable you stupid!
We are GLAD the internet wasn’t invented back then
Can you imagine the damage done to morale of the Union by the current wackos in the media ?
Consider the damage that when occur when some idiot texting let go a 12 pounder at the wrong time
Or fell in the entrenchments walking while texting 😆
.... the carnage !
🤪🤪🤪
How conspiracy theories are born!! ("All the experts are lying to you.") ;-)
Brad I thought it was a humorous comment.. I guess others don't understand it LOL!
@@checkmateking2854 Humor is a dangerous thing on the internet, lol.
attack
if it's worth it.
"I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half."
Jay Gould
nonsense jeff...the confederate soldier fought for his bill of rights(yes slavery was worldwide back then..so?) and his home which was being invaded..union army was made up of foreigners ..most newly arrived and hustled from the boat to the army. The union govt was made up of vandebilts morgans and horace greely..railroad tycoons one and all. Lincoln ruled he did not govern..with guns at his back he threw out the constitution and murdered todays equivilant 24 million people ..many after the peace. He jailed hundreds with no charge and no due process..some for years. A true tyrant was Lincoln... I get all my information from the many newspapers of the time I own and hundreds of soldier letters since the MSM was controlled even back then and history is writen by the victor
@@PeterOkeefe54 Nice lost cause propaganda piece. I salute you.
@@PeterOkeefe54 Slavery was on its last legs. Russia freed its serfs about the same time.
@@PeterOkeefe54 what the fuck do you mean he killed todays equivalent of 24 million people? people have always been people, they arent inflation
@@indy_go_blue6048, He's not completely wrong, there truly was no "Good" side in the civil war, on one hand the federal government was tyrannical and financially had been exploiting the south for years, slavery wasn't even the main cause until half way through when Lincoln finally freed them basically. On the other hand it's kind of hard to argue the south as fighting for freedom when they had a president who wasn't elected by the people and they were in part fighting to maintain the ability to enslave other humans. It's a difficult subject to examine from a moral point of view, most wars are.
Would general Reynolds have been considered for the command of an army? Esp if he wouldn't have been killed at Gettysburg
Kyle W. He was offered command of the Union Army before Mead took it but turned it down because of the politics involved and because he wasn’t going to have a free hand.
@@michaelmyers7064
in other words ....he turned it down because of lincoln ...it is safe to say it
I hate when I get my dander up.
Heth got sucked in because of the dander of his troops...rashness is bad in combat!
they had huge numerical advantage at that point. Confederate regiments were nearly the size of union brigades.
also why the iron brigade basically disappeared after this engagement.
Thanks
Thank-you.
roger
the gods of war usually favor the bold
Perché non pubblicare il film intero anche a pagamento invece di spezzoni è in lingua italiana