General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 153 years ago today the U.S. smashed the Rebel traitors at Gettysburg [View all]1939
(1,683 posts)his division made the attack because it was told to make the attack and made the attack in exactly the place and time he was told to do it.
Lee, Longstreet, and Hill were responsible for the crappy command relationships and the flawed organization, disposition, and coordination of the attacking force.
Both flanks of the attack (i.e. the left of Pettigrew and the right of Pickett) were unprotected and were flanked by union forces. Had Pender's whole division been used, they could have covered the entire rear of Pettigrew's division. By the same token, if Wilcox's and Perry's brigades of Anderson moved forward on Pickett's right flank, it would have been covered. Wilcox and Perry did advance, but so late in the day that Pickett had already been repulsed and all they did was add to the CSA casualty list.