Was lucky enough to take his class when he was at Penn State. Greatest professor or teacher I ever had in any subject ever

@robertferguson533

5 ай бұрын

I took Dr Robertsons class at Virginia Tech. He was pretty darn good too

This is probably my 3rd time watching this. Absolutely love it. This guy needs his own youtube channel where he does Q&A's.

I had a 3-great grandfather in the 20th Maine. I applaud Dr. Gallagher for being honest in his assessment of their role at Gettysburg.

Mr Gallagher is absolutely first rate!

Terrific lecture. Gary G. is such a natural communicator. I wish he'd been my history teacher! The question at 16.41 is annoying though - it totally interrupts the flow. If you're going to ask a question in a lecture, it should be about something the speaker has just said, not a random question about a different issue.

Outstanding lecture. I wish I could have been there in person

I enjoy Professor Gallagher’s “Rides” immensely. I’ve watched them all. But I do have some question about his conclusion that Lee attacked on July 2nd and 3rd because of “momentum and morale”. I believe that Lee was intuitively aware that once the ANV stopped moving and concentrated the operational strategic situation changed in the UnIon’s favor. There were significant numbers of Union forces in Harper’s Ferry and moving eastward from Western Maryland which posed the possibility (probability?) that a return to Virginia would be extremely difficult. In addition there was a force of 30-40 thousand Militia in Harrisburg which could move down the Cumberland Valley and into his rear. Obviously, these other Union forces alone could not defeat the ANV but Lee would have to deal with them with a numerically superior Army of the Potomac in his rear! Time was not on Lee’s side and he needed to defeat the Army of the Potomac as quickly as possible to have the effect that he sought.

Great historian

Very educational I love the Civil War.

Thank you for putting this up I really appreciate it!

@MikeCunninghamcgf3477

4 жыл бұрын

Steve Mayer I’ll plp

@MikeCunninghamcgf3477

4 жыл бұрын

Steve Mayer I’ll pl

@MikeCunninghamcgf3477

4 жыл бұрын

Steve Mayer I’ll o

@MikeCunninghamcgf3477

4 жыл бұрын

Steve Mayer I’ll oo

Would have loved to be in his class

Who is the author Gary mentions? Sounds like either Harry Bonds or Fonz; I've looked up both spellings and nothing comes up.

@Richard-yj8ob

3 жыл бұрын

Harry Pfanz

@indy_go_blue6048

3 жыл бұрын

@@Richard-yj8ob Belated thank you.

I think I know a little about the civil war until I hear Gary Gallagher speak. Then I realize how ignorant I really am

Although I'm really enjoying this, I feel he dismisses the Fall 1863 campaigns because they didn't result in large battles

In case anyone is wondering, Pres. Oslima bin-Davis Marshall didn't go to Gettysburg in 2013.

Maybe we should consider the possibility that Lee knew full well that Pickets Charge didn’t have a prayer, but nevertheless he goes ahead and orders it thinking that it’s failure would diminish his status of invincibility in the eyes of his men, and thereby the South would surrender sooner, which would ultimately save lives. Lee knew he couldn’t win.

@smizdeazy

Жыл бұрын

Everything stated by you is in the realm of insanity. Read something, anything written by lee at the time and then try again

@paulwilfridhunt

Жыл бұрын

@@smizdeazy You don’t expect him to admit it do you. Of course he wouldn’t do that. I’m not saying that I’m necessarily right. But because there is a logic to it there’s every probability that I could be right. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some West Pointers who are right up on this stuff would recognise that this is indeed a possibility. But as you are one that can’t even consider it to be a possibility, therefore a rational discussion can’t be had. Hey buddy try keeping your cool alright. You’re losing it and it’s not a good look.

@paulwilfridhunt

Жыл бұрын

@@smizdeazy No longer wearing their booted feet, The men of the South despised a retreat. Showing their ten toes they walked in a line, While the North cut them down time after time. And as they fell down on that glorious sad day, The women cried at home and knelt down and prayed. But this is a sadness we will never forget, As they charged to their death for General George Pickett.

@smizdeazy

Жыл бұрын

@@paulwilfridhunt with the exception of April 9th correspondence from Lee about the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, just cite one single public or private letter of Lee, military report, or even a second hand account by a staff member of his that bolster your “possibility”. Ok sure, almost anything is possible but some thoughts are better kept to yourself and maybe not for comment sections because of their ridiculousness. I’m sorry but just because you said there is logic to what you said doesn’t make it so. The moon is made out of cheese. I’m not saying I’m right but there is logic to this statement and it is possible…c’mon man😂

@paulwilfridhunt

Жыл бұрын

@@smizdeazy Perhaps you are right. Perhaps it’s better if these things were left unsaid. And if that is the case I’ll button my lip. But you my friend are not a thinker like me. Because instead of thinking you rely on records and letters and documents. They have their place. But they’ll never replace thinking. It’s clear to me that Hitler let the British escape from Dunkirk. He had them right where he wanted them. His generals were furious that he ordered them to halt their advance. Why would he let them off the hook when he had them trapped on the beach. Ok this is big picture stuff. He knew that if he slaughtered them, the United States in sympathy could have entered the war. And he knew that the USA war machine would prevail resulting in him losing the war. Hence he lets the Tommy’s go. Is there any records in the history books to confirm this? Are there any letters or documents to prove this. Nope. None. Why? Here is the answer. There is no way that he would have discussed this anyone except perhaps for insiders like Goebbels and Martin Bormann. Ok let’s talk about Lee who was the greatest general in the Civil War and certainly superior to Grant. He was a great man. Probably greater than Grant. But he was under funded. And he was smart enough to realise that his only chance of winning the war was to reek such heavy losses of life on the North that they would sit around the table a smoke the peace pipe. And he almost pulled it off. The North came very close to not re-electing Lincoln. There are some very clever West Point scholars who concur with this view although they may not necessarily agree that Lee deliberately ordered Pickets charge in order to shorten the war. If I’m right, and I don’t necessarily have to be right, that’s not my mojo, but if I’m right by saying Lee ordered the charge which he knew didn’t have a prayer, confirmed by Longstreet before Lee ordered Pickett, there was also the faint possibility that the North might still sit down at the bargaining table because of the South’s do or die attitude, aptly demonstrated by the crazy charge. And Lee could have been telling the North with his charge that even though it will cost the South dearly they will kill as many sons of the North no matter what it the costs the South in blood. But it didn’t work, although there’s every possibility it could have worked if Lincoln had of gotten assassinated much earlier during the heat of the war. Lee was a compassionate man and a good man. He had a good understanding of people. And he knew that the boys of the South had no give up in them. But they couldn’t see the big picture and probably wouldn’t have believed it even if they saw it. They wanted to fight. And rightly so. They believed they could win but Lee knew better. And whilst it was possible for a while, he now knew it was impossible. He had done his best. But men cannot surrender when they think they can win. If Lee could have surrendered earlier than he did he would have. But his men weren’t ready to quit so he had to fight on. I am suggesting that the purpose of the charge was to discourage his men by getting them to stop viewing him as another Napoleon. Why do I think this. It’s because it’s what I would have done if I was in his shoes. It’s not about what you and I think, it’s about how the other guy thinks, isn’t it. Anyway enough about that. But I will say that I think it’s appalling the tearing down statues of Southern war heroes, and that’s a topic in itself.

He's a little bit brainwashed on the legality of slavery. In the Constitution, the 3/5ths Clause applies to "3/5ths of all other persons," which includes Native Americans. So the 3/5ths Clause, while including people in bondage as slaves, also included Indians, indentured servants, and freed blacks. Article 4 Section 2 -- the fugitive slave clause -- equally applies to indentured servants. So again, it is not exclusive to slaves and does not implicitly recognize slavery as federally-endorsed. His reasoning as to why Lincoln could not free all the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation is a states rights argument. Finally, if you're looking for the section of the Constitution that applies to slavery, try the 10th Amendment. That's the one that says all rights not designated to the federal government belong to the states... "or to the people." People gotta right to be free.

@12rwoody

2 жыл бұрын

"...adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed,three fifths of all other Persons.

@12rwoody

2 жыл бұрын

You should read it more closely. It states the exact opposite of what you think. It literally says, "excluding indians" after explicitly stating indentured servants are included in the "whole number of free persons"...whole number, I.e. not 3/5ths. Keep trying to correct Dr Gallagher though.

When Lee said after Gettysburg that he "asked too much of my infantry" that was a very small thing for him to say; and amounted to shifting part of the blame to the common soldiers. He also blamed, in subsequent years, Pickett, Pettigrew, Longstreet, and Stuart. Source: Allen Guelzo's "Gettysburg: The Last Invasion." Gettysburg was the turning point of the Eastern theater. Lee's losses in terms of talented officers were irreplaceable.

@indy_go_blue6048

5 жыл бұрын

Please link contemporary writings to where Lee personally blamed his generals for the loss. This sounds more like Early, Ewell et al "lost cause" writing because THEY did blame all the following... anyone but Lee. Agree with your last sentence; I can't imagine him passing by the opportunity at North Anna if he'd had Longstreet and/or Jackson available and he hadn't been incapacitated.

@stanleyshannon4408

4 жыл бұрын

The saddest part is that Lee had the battle entirely won by the evening of July 1, 1863. All Lee had to do was not attack Meade that next day. Meade had made a catastrophic tactical blunder by trapping his entire army on a set of hills of no strategic importance at all. Meade had no options left other than hoping Lee would attack him. Meade could not withdraw and he could not attack, if Lee does not attack what does Meade do? He had no choice but to move his army out a piece at a time to be destroyed by Lees waiting army. There was no other way it could have happened.

@johnj.baranski6553

3 жыл бұрын

@@stanleyshannon4408 easy...wait and hold the high ground and bring up reinforcements from DC or the valley to surround Lee, block off all the passes in South Mountain thereby severing his supply lines from VA and close in and crush him. you are assuming Meade had to take action immediately.

@stanleyshannon4408

3 жыл бұрын

​@@johnj.baranski6553 Meade had over three days to block South Mountain and never did, and was ineffective doing so in the actual retreat. Weakening Washington's defenses would be fine...unless those troops were defeated along with the rest of the AOP, making the Capitol more vulnerable so probably not an option higher command and the pols there would have considered. Meade had the army he was going to fight with camping out on some hills with insufficient water supplies. Lee had tactical control of an agricultural area feeding several large urban populations. It would not have taken Lincoln very much longer to start howling for Meade to either drive Lee away or fall back towards the Capitol, neither of which he could easily do. Time was not on his side. Lee had all the time in the world if he would have been a little more patient.