Ask A Gettysburg Guide #59- Fighting at the Bliss Farm- with LBG Mike Rupert

LBG Mike Rupert joins us for his first Ask A Gettysburg Guide. In this episode, we cover the fighting at the Bliss Farm. The Bliss Farm no longer stands in GNMP, but its ruins are still there between the Union and Confederate lines near the Bryan Farm and the modern day Colt Park neighborhood.
In this episode we talk about the see-saw struggles for the property and the inevitable burning of the buildings.
Support the Show by:
Becoming a Patron- / addressinggettysburg
Grabbing some merch- www.addressinggettysburg.com/...
Getting a book- www.addressinggettysburg.com/...
Joining our book club. Email [e-mail]
Supporting Our Sponsors:
Mike Scott Voice- www.mikescottvoice.com
GettysBike Tours- Call 717-752-7752 to book your tour and receive 15% off if you mention Addressing Gettysburg
Gettysburg: A Nation Divided. Available in your phone's App Store
The Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides- gettysburgtourguides.org/
Seminary Ridge Museum- www.seminaryridgemuseum.org/
For the Historian- Mention us for 20% off retail sales (in store) plus free shipping (online)- www.forthehistorian.com
The Badgemaker- www.civilwarcorpsbadges.com
Civil War Trails- www.civilwartrails.com
Buy Billy Webster's Music- Billy Webster arranged and performed the rendition of "Garryowen" that you hear at the end of the show. billysongs.com
Music by:
"Garryowen" by Billy Webster
Camp Chase Fifes & Drums and our website is www.campchasefifesanddrums.org
California Consolidated Drum Band check them out here: / ccdrumband

[@thatguychip]

Great guest. Please have Mike Rupert on again

[@addressinggettysburg]

Oh we will. Actually we did just a few weeks after this one. He’s on the July 2 anniversary episode.

[@troyb9609]

I am a Bliss we never got compinsated for are farm from the gov for $3500 big ones still wating

[@addressinggettysburg]

Adjusted for inflation, that should be a pretty Penny. Do you know much about your family’s history? I’d love to have you in to talk about it, if you do

[@ChrisWeil]

I was listening and when you guys were speaking about the photos they were not visible on youtube. Is there a version where the photos are included that I am missing? Thanks.

[@addressinggettysburg]

Yes. I just haven’t gotten around to editing it and releasing it yet.

[@RobbyHouseIV]

The protracted fighting that broke out in and around the Bliss Farm was indirectly if not directly responsible for the collapse of the Confederate attack-in-echelon against Union dispositions across the Emmitsburg Road as it gravitated towards the ultimate ground that Lee wished to possess: Cemetery Hill. The represented the last chance for victory at Gettysburg for the Confederates. As the attack-in-echelon sequence of attacks reached Carnot Posey's brigade of Mississippians he had lost effective control of the formation which had just recaptured the large Bliss barn and Bliss house however a large Union presence of skirmishers to his northeast and the absence of Confederate pickets to pin them (ostensibly from Mahone's brigade) meant his advance across Emmitsburg Road would be in danger of flanking fire on his left and rear. At this point in the battle Anderson's poor choice of deployment along Seminary Ridge was making itself felt. Unlike Hood, McLaws, and Pender's Divisions his division was arrayed along Seminary Ridge just one brigade deep from south to north. Posey knew there was nothing coming from his rear to support his advance towards Union dispositions along Cemetery Hill/Ridge and was unable to render assistance to Wright's Georgia brigade which found itself on the threshold of a massive, yawning gap in the Union center unable to exploit the vulnerability for lack of support that better deployment choices made by Anderson could have prevented. Making matters worse for the Confederates was Mahone's insubordination in refusing to participate in the battle at the critical most point of the fighting. Mahone's brigade location BEHIND Thomas's brigade belonging to Pender's Division to the north begs the question as to who was in charge up there? As the echelon attacks moved north towards Anderson's Division did no one see the potential problem that Anderson's shallow deployment choice on Seminary Ridge would soon have? At the very least did Posey not notice that Mahone's brigade was BEHIND one of Pender's brigades (Thomas) which would likely prove problematic when the echelon assaults reached his portion of the line?
We definitely see a failure of leadership in this neck of the woods within the larger battle that was unfolding on the 2nd. I can only conclude Lee's generals where under false impressions as to who was in charge where. Based on what I have learned from my own studies Lee had intended that Longstreet coordinate the assaults with his two I Corps divisions of Hood and McLaws and A.P. Hill's two divisions of Anderson and Pender, basically executing the attack-in-echelon all the way through 4 divisions deployed along Seminary Ridge. Apparently, Longstreet did not get the memo on this or did not understand this when he had met with Lee in the morning of the 2nd. I believe the evidence certainly points to A.P. Hill understanding this which is why we don't hear from him for much of the rest of the day. "Longstreet's running the show so I'll just rest me and my weary prostate gland that feels like the size of a ripe grapefruit at my headquarters near Pitzer's Woods." So, after Wofford's brigade set off across Emmitsburg Road (the last I Corps Brigade) into Sherfy's peach orchard and beyond the attacks that occurred afterwards in Anderson's Division (Wilcox, Lang, and Wright) were done so by the individual initiatives of each brigade commander who really didn't need to be told what to do having watched the progression of echeloned assaults wind up in the direction of their own positions.
It was to the detriment of the Confederates that there was a vacuum of leadership authority amongst the ranks of Anderson's III Corps Division in the early evening hours of July 2nd. Had Longstreet been present like Lee had intended I would think at the very least he would have addressed the "confusion" Mahone seemed to have with respect to what was expected of him the evening of July 2nd as well as put him in front of Thomas's brigade. Had he been more plugged into the situation earlier he might have even come across the depth issue regarding Anderson's shallow dispositions along Seminary Ridge having them redeploy to have a brigade behind the other. With Anderson's Division at 5 brigades this would mean Mahone's brigade would be followed by a brigade belonging to Pender's brigade. The Confederates really should have been more aggressive in pushing their pickets forward, especially as the battle crept up close to Anderson's Division.
🙃

[@addressinggettysburg]

On the Hood/McLaws issue. Were they supposed to join or is it that, initially, Lee wanted them to resume their attack from July 2 but Longstreet convinced Lee that would be a bad idea since they had taken many casualties, causing Lee to scrap that idea and turn to Picket/Pettigrew/Trimble attacking the center?

[@francishasuly3510]

I think you mentioned it but a book by John M. Archer (Fury on the Bliss Farm at Gettysburg) is supportive of what you covered - the after what happened in wwi & ww2

[@addressinggettysburg]

👍

[@BillsHistoricSites-ip3su]

Elwood Woody Christ was the king of knowledge of the Bliss Farm

[@addressinggettysburg]

💯

[@user-yi6ty1ef3b]

I could get a tune up AND a tour at same time ?

[@addressinggettysburg]

I’d love to come up with a witty answer but I don’t know which part of the show you’re referring to lol

[@addressinggettysburg]

Oh I get it! Mike is a mechanic. Lol I’m with you now.