What Was The Relationship Between Lee And Longstreet

Lee developed a plan to conduct a double envelopment, attacking the Federal left and right flanks simultaneously. He planned to make Ewell his main effort, but after Ewell and his subordinate division commanders attempted to dissuade Lee from attempting an uphill attack, Lee decided to make Longstreet the main effort on the opposite flank.13 Of course, Longstreet also expressed reservations in attacking uphill. He attempted to coax Lee into revising his plan, asserting that Longstreet and the remainder of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia should march south, maneuver between Washington, D.C. and Meade’s Army of the Potomac, and force Meade to descend from the high ground to attack at a more advantageous point that Lee could choose instead.14,15,16 Lee, still without Stuart’s cavalry on the second day of the battle, did not have the ability to reconnoiter an avenue to the south and elected to remain at Gettysburg to attack.17 …show more content…
Though Lee attempted to create unity of effort by assembling his subordinate generals the night before, he was late to issue the order to execute. As such, Longstreet delayed his initial maneuver. Additionally, many scholars believe that Longstreet executed Lee’s plan begrudgingly due to his personal disagreement with Lee’s plan and his desire to march south