In this chapter, Shaara shows several things about Lee — how he manages fear and uncertainty, his faith in God, his belief in a divine plan that overrides his own plans, and his emotional self-control even when his commanders frustrate and anger him.
Lee is deeply religious and believes that while he is responsible for carrying out God’s will, the actual outcome of the battle is up to God. Lee prays, makes his best decision, yet knows it was never really in his control anyway.
As a commander, Lee uses a nurturing approach with his men. While anger and fury flash through him regarding mistakes and broken orders, Lee tries to see things from his commanders’ perspectives. He seeks out their positive points and works to strengthen those qualities instead of criticizing the shortcomings.
Yet as much as Lee loves his men, he also knows he will risk them all for the ultimate victory. His own son has been wounded and is in a hospital not far away. Lee will nurture and pray for his men, but he will spend them as he needs to.
Lee is a man of action. Instead of sitting around waiting for information to come to him, he gets on his horse and gets it himself. He is here to fight and win big for his side, and he is not going to do it meekly. He will confront and attack his enemy boldly, to the death.
He is also flexible in his planning, is an opportunist, and is daring and bold. Lee takes the problems and mistakes that come and alters his approach to meet the new set of conditions. If something goes against his strategy but appears to hold the opportunity of a bigger win, he changes his plans. This seems to contradict the image Shaara generally gives of Lee as being obsessed with only his point of view — to attack. It is Lee’s constant revision of his plans to work around his commanders’ errors that demonstrates Lee’s flexibility in battle.
His command style is loose, and Lee likes to give his commanders room to carry out their orders without him micromanaging. However, his style may be too loose for a campaign this large and complex. The communications between Lee and his commanders are fragmented, incomplete, and verbal, the latter most likely due to his defeat at Sharpsburg. Verbal orders seem to be a problem here. Lee is not certain what his commanders are doing, they are not certain what they should be doing, and they don’t know what their own men are doing. In addition, several of the commanders have broken orders about not engaging the enemy. Furthermore, when Lee’s orders to Ewell to take Cemetery Hill “if practicable” but not take on a superior force, confusion reigns. It is almost not a surprise that Ewell doesn’t attack.
Shaara also shows other themes here as well. The emotional connection between opposing commanders is seen in Lee’s reaction to the death of the Union general, John Reynolds. Lee prays for Reynolds, mourns his loss, and reflects that Reynolds was a friend and a gentleman. It is not a war of strangers.
Good ground is another theme raised again. While most in the Confederate camp feel they have won a victory because the Union is falling back through Gettysburg, Lee notes that they are falling back to the high ground and digging in. He knows there is no victory yet, and he knows he needs that ground.
Lee and Longstreet agree the battle is going well, but differ on the next strategy. Longstreet favors a defensive move. Lee wants the offensive. Lee can’t believe Longstreet would consider disengaging . . . retreating from the battlefield. Longstreet can’t believe Lee doesn’t see the opportunity in going around the Union Army. Their stalemate continues for the moment.
The element of chance and its role in this battle show up strongly: Heth’s men go into Gettysburg seeking shoes and find Union cavalry. They attack again thinking there is only a tired brigade and find themselves up against a fresh division of Union infantry that arrived only moments before. Hill gets sick. Stuart is not around to give information on the enemy. Ewell needs help, but since no one is available or close enough yet, he cannot take Cemetery Hill. Circumstance is running the day.
Shaara’s power of descriptions makes you part of the chaos and confusion of men running everywhere and commanders asking “What’s happening?” You see the horror of war in the image of a horse’s severed foot. You feel Lee’s mounting anger and frustration.
In the midst of the chaos of thousands of men marching to fight, a band plays happy tunes. To the modern reader, it’s seems strange. However, the bands boost morale, energize weary soldiers on a march, and inspire men before and sometimes during a battle.
