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The frontal attack at Gettysburg was called the Pickett-Pettigrew Charge on July 3rd, 1863. This was actually anything but successful, the Confederates took almost 75% casualties and were routed. The attack went wrong in many ways (besides the fact that full-frontal assaults have never worked.) First off, the 2 hour artillery barrage that was ordered by General Longstreet left the Confederate artillery with almost no ammunition to support the infantry assault. Next, the Union Army reinforced the center (where the attack took place) on July 3rd which actually was just a coincidence since no one expected Lee to attack there. Finally, the Union Army actually had reserves behind the main line that repelled the Confederates as they came over the wall.

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Q: What confederate generals frontal was almost successful and could have the outcome of the battle of Gettysburg?
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What did Union General Meade tell his generals the night of July 2 1863 concerning day thee at Gettysburg?

General Meade called a meeting of his top generals around midnight just before day three of the Gettysburg battle. The meeting was among twelve generals to discuss the next day's plans. There the chance to not engage Lee, however, all the generals agreed that they wanted to fight on day three. Meade took the opportunity to explain his idea that Lee would attempt a frontal assault of some type in that Lee's previous flanking attacks on both of Meade's army had failed. Meade specifically told General John Gibbon that lee would attack the center of the Union army and that meant the attack would be aimed at Gibbons corps.


What Confederate General planned the frontal assault at the Battle of Shiloh?

Reporting to commanding General Sidney S. Johnston, General Beauregard submitted his plan to Johnston for the frontal assault on Union troops at the Battle of Shiloh in April of 1862.


How did Union General US Grant come to the conclusion that it was difficult if not impossible to destroy a Confederate army in the field?

US Grant had come to the conclusion that destroying a Confederate army in the field was near to impossible. This was based not only on his results by by the results of other Union commanders. The Union realized the failure of frontal assaults, and the poor results of generals Hooker, Rosecrans and Meade from flanking from the rear. Only errors by Confederates Pemberton and Floyd allowed their forces to be totally captured by allowing themselves to be pinned against a river. Confederate maneuvering and strong rear guard defenses had proved successful. At this point Northerners are baffled. One single issue haunts the credibility of the Union army, and it's easy to see why that would be the case. For example, how many attempts were made to capture Richmond, a city 100 miles south of Washington DC.?


Why was the battle of Gettysburg a bloody day?

The Gettysburg address was a speech spoken by Abraham Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle because of the fact that there was mass amounts of killings and blood shed occurring. In fact it was the battle that had the greatest number of casualties during the Civil War.


What made the frontal assault by the Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh a near success?

The US Civil War provided numerous examples of how frontal assaults can be disasters in the wake of an entrenched enemy and the value of tactical defenses. However, at the Battle of Shiloh in April of 1862, the frontal assault by Confederate troops under the command of General Albert S. Sidney was a near success because he used the element of surprise. The battle was saved for the Union when reinforcements arrived before the dawn on April 8, 1862.

Related questions

What is General Lee's frontal assault on Union lines is known today as?

the battle of Gettysburg


What where the confederate tactics for the battle of cold harbor?

Dig in and receive the frontal attack.


Outcome of the battle of fredericksburg?

The Battle of Fredericksburg was an overwhelming Confederate victory. The Confederates were well fortified in their defensive positions. The Union Army under the newly appointed Commander Ambrose Burnside made numerous attacks against the Confederate positions and were repulsed each time with great loss of life of the Union soldiers. Eventually, Burnside's Generals refused to obey when he ordered more such frontal attacks. The battle had such an effect on the Union Army that Burnside was replaced as Commander, and at the Battle of Gettysburg at the end of "Pickett's Charge" when the situation was reversed,the Union troops were loudly chanting"Fredericksburg","Fredericksburg" because the bitterness of that memory was still very strong.


How was pickeet's chage at Gettysburg similar to the assault by the union troops at Fredericksburg?

Both were frontal assaults against well prepared defensive positions.


How the Battle of Gettysburg Worked?

Meade's Federal forces took the high ground, forcing the Confederates to waste their efforts of futile frontal attacks.


What did Union General Meade tell his generals the night of July 2 1863 concerning day thee at Gettysburg?

General Meade called a meeting of his top generals around midnight just before day three of the Gettysburg battle. The meeting was among twelve generals to discuss the next day's plans. There the chance to not engage Lee, however, all the generals agreed that they wanted to fight on day three. Meade took the opportunity to explain his idea that Lee would attempt a frontal assault of some type in that Lee's previous flanking attacks on both of Meade's army had failed. Meade specifically told General John Gibbon that lee would attack the center of the Union army and that meant the attack would be aimed at Gibbons corps.


What Confederate General planned the frontal assault at the Battle of Shiloh?

Reporting to commanding General Sidney S. Johnston, General Beauregard submitted his plan to Johnston for the frontal assault on Union troops at the Battle of Shiloh in April of 1862.


How did the evolution of the rifle affect the battle tactics of US Civil War generals?

There is an old adage concerning generals and wars. Generally speaking military generals and other high ranking military officers are often prepared to fight the last war and not the new one. The changeover at West point with regards to the new rifle was done during the 1850's. Well after most of the senior level US army officers had already graduated. It would be these men who would lead the battles in the US Civil War. Many of them believed that the frontal assault, being so successful in the Mexican War would be effective in the new war. Also, a commander knew exactly how many soldiers would be placed at risk in a frontal assault. A turning or flanking maneuver if unsuccessful could destroy an entire attacking army. With that said, the rifle combined with new types of fortifications made the army on the defensive a very dangerous foe. And, could initiate a successful counter attack.Slowly the dangers of frontal assaults were made clear as the war progressed, however, offense minded commanders would need to determine which mode of offense would win the battle, and there was always a place for a strong frontal attack if field conditions favored it.


How did Confederate General James Longstreet help the Confederates to a victory at the Battle of Chickamauga?

When Confederate General Braxton Bragg chose to resort to frontal assaults at the Battle of Chickamauga, General James Longstreet led a successful assault on September 20, 1863. It was an overwhelming breakthrough of the Union lines partly due to Union General Rosencrans' error had left a gap in his lines. Longstreet's forces caused the Union's right line to collapse.


What Confederate general was a key to the South's victory at Chickamauga?

Based on the maneuvers of Union General Rosencrans, the Confederate army under Braxton Bragg had to resort to frontal assaults. On September 20, 1863, Confederate General James Longstreet was able to break through the Union lines and all but end the Union's chances for a victory.


What can be considered as two major deviations in US Civil War battles where tactical defense was ignored?

Many historians point to General Lee's blunder in attacking the Union center on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg as one example where tactical defensive thinking was swept aside with the hopes of gaining a victory. The other major such battle was when General Grant made serious errors with his frontal assaults on Confederate entrenchments at the Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864.For the most part, the majority of generals on both sides of the conflict adhered to the Clausewitz doctrine of winning a battle by using a tactical defense to mount a counter attack against an enemy.


How did Union General US Grant come to the conclusion that it was difficult if not impossible to destroy a Confederate army in the field?

US Grant had come to the conclusion that destroying a Confederate army in the field was near to impossible. This was based not only on his results by by the results of other Union commanders. The Union realized the failure of frontal assaults, and the poor results of generals Hooker, Rosecrans and Meade from flanking from the rear. Only errors by Confederates Pemberton and Floyd allowed their forces to be totally captured by allowing themselves to be pinned against a river. Confederate maneuvering and strong rear guard defenses had proved successful. At this point Northerners are baffled. One single issue haunts the credibility of the Union army, and it's easy to see why that would be the case. For example, how many attempts were made to capture Richmond, a city 100 miles south of Washington DC.?