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Originally Posted by nikimcbee
Was it:
1. Day one, stalling the Southern advance.
2. 1st Minnesota charging in the Weatfield. (2nd Day)
3. 20th Maine holding the Little Round top (2nd Day)
4 High Water Mark (Pickett's Charge) 3rd Day)
5. JEB Stuart not showing up til late in the battle (no accurate intel for Lee)
6. All the resources sank in to Culp's Hill.
What do you think? One thing is for sure, Sailor Steve will have no opinion on this subject.:rotfl: . Well maybe just a small opinion.
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My answer would be that they were all
equally critical, since a reversal on any one of them meant a defeat for the Union.
That's what has always fascinated me about the battle of Gettysburg, just how many unlikely things had to go right for the Union to win, even the screw ups.
Take the bayonet charge by the 20th Maine for example:
Before the battle began Chamberlain sent his B Company down the hill just east of their main position to guard against end around flank attack. While they were heading to their position they nearly ran into the main body of the advancing Confederates and were forced to duck behind a stone wall to keep from being attacked and overrun. Chamberlain, having lost contact with them, then seeing the Confederates appear in the area they had just disappeared into figured they had all been captured or killed.
The bayonet charge itself was a far more dicey affair than is depicted in the movie. It was a desperate last ditch action that should have failed. What actually saved them was Company B popping up from behind that wall
at just the right moment to fire into the Confederate flank throwing them into confusion and enabling the rest of the regiment to maintain the momentum and initiative.
Had Chamberlain not screwed up and sent Co B out there. Had they been spotted and overrun by the Rebels before they could take cover. Had they not stood up from behind that wall and fired at just the right moment. Had Chamberlain decided not to order a Banzai suicide bayonet attack. Had ANY of those things not happened and the outcome of the entire battle would have been much different.