Today, The Two Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Mingus, Sr., a former senior business executive in the private sector, now retired and producing fine historical books on the Civil War Era. He also is a licensed guide at Civil War battlefields.
Mr. Mingus today provided a discussion of his book Flames Beyond Gettysburg. The Confederates Expedition to the Susquehanna River, June 1863.
Mr. Mingus described Generals Lee’s late-June,1863, decision to send the 2nd Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia (ANV) — under Lieutenant-General Richard Stoddard Ewell — toward Pennsylvania’s capital at Harrisburg, with orders to capture that city if it was practicable. This move threw Pennsylvania into a panic and militia units from New York and New Jersey hurried toward Harrisburg to aid the Pennsylvanians.
Lee also ordered Ewell to strip the countryside through which he traveled of foodstuffs, wagons, horses, and other livestock and send them back to Virginia to assist in the state’s recovery from 18 straight months of combat. Ewell and his senior lieutenants — which included the profane, always irascible but hard fighting, Major General Jubal Early — accomplished this mission and the mentioned supplies flowed in a small river back to Virginia.
As Ewell prepared to move on Harrisburg, however, he received an order from Lee ordering him to rejoin the ANV in the area of Gettysburg, where the army had run into two regiments of Union cavalry and where Lee believed a large battle was brewing.
This summary does not do justice to Mr. Mingus’s fine presentation on this little known but quite significant event during the Gettysburg campaign.
We hope Mr. Mingus will return and discuss another of his books. All of his books can be found in one place at: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Mingus/e/B0028ONIJQ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share.
“Listening to Two Mikes will make you smarter!”
– Gov Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
Sponsors:
– Our Gold Guy – Talk to IRA about whether investing in gold is right for you. Let them know Two Mikes sent you at http://ourgoldguy.com
– Freedom First Coffee – Drink the coffee of Patriots. Use code TWOMIKES for 10% off at http://freedomfirstcoffee.com
