Episode 28: East Cavalry Field at Gettysburg - Part One
The Battle of Gettysburg Podcast
Jim Hessler and Eric Lindblade
4.8 • 950 Ratings
🗓️ 27 January 2021
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of The Battle of Gettysburg Podcast, Eric and Jim begin their two-part deep dive on the fighting of July 3 at East Cavalry Field. The co-hosts discuss why this action is important, what led David Gregg and JEB Stuart's cavalry forces to meet on that part of the field, and the role of Union and Confederate troopers that afternoon.
The listener is also given a detailed description of the topography, the area surrounding that part of the battlefield, and an in-depth look at a number of participants in the fight. As always, they separate fact from fiction and explain not just what but why and how. You will not want to miss this episode on one of the most misunderstood actions at Gettysburg!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | And the Oh, Welcome everyone to the Battle of Gettysburg Podcast. I am your co-host |
| 0:35.8 | licensed battlefield guide Eric Lindblade and as always I am joined by my |
| 0:39.6 | co-host licensed battlefield guide Jim Hessler.. Jim, what's tonight's episode? |
| 0:44.0 | Today we're going to discuss absolutely one of my favorite parts of the battlefield |
| 0:49.0 | and frankly also one of the least visited. |
| 0:52.0 | We're going to talk about East Cavalry Field and the fighting that occurred there on the afternoon of July 3rd. |
| 0:58.0 | Now it's an area of the field steeped in misconception, misunderstanding, and even some ridicule. |
| 1:04.7 | Eric, didn't we get a listener question that said, why should I care about East |
| 1:08.3 | Cavalry Field? |
| 1:09.3 | We did, and you know, I've even had people on tours. |
| 1:11.6 | Oh, yeah. I've never been out here. I've been here 30 times, I've even had people on tours that I mentioned say well I've never been out here I've |
| 1:13.6 | been here 30 times I've never gone out there. Yeah Stephen is steeped in some |
| 1:16.5 | ridicule in part because Union cavalrymen such as William Brooke Rall wrote we |
| 1:21.4 | cavalrymen have always held that we saved the day and stuff like that about East Cavalry Field and they go, oh come on, and they kind of make fun of it. |
| 1:34.3 | But I think if you strip all of that away, whether or not it was the most critical moment of the battle, |
| 1:39.9 | if you strip all that away, I think the real story is still a fascinating one. |
| 1:44.2 | You know, what was Jeb Stewart's cavalry trying to accomplish? |
| 1:47.3 | Was it part of Pickett's Charge? |
| 1:49.3 | Why was that part of the battlefield important? |
| 1:51.9 | And how about that seemingly meteoric rise of one |
| 1:55.6 | Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer. So Eric I always call East Cavalry Field |
| 2:02.1 | a spectacular clash of talent and today we're going to bring you |
... |
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