Nearby town: Gettysburg, PA
"I've been a soldier all my life. I've fought from the ranks on up, you know my service. But sir, I must tell you now, I believe this attack will fail. No 15,000 men could ever take that ridge. It's a distance of more than a mile, over open ground. When the men come out of the trees, they will be under fire from Yankee artillery from all over the field."
-from Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's memoirs. Longstreet recalled that this is what he said to Gen. Robert E. Lee on the eve of Pickett's charge.
"I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."
-Confederate Maj. Gen. George Pickett, when asked, years after the war, why his charge failed
It was June 1863. The Civil War had raged for just over two years, with no end in sight.
A month earlier, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia had repelled the Union Army of the Potomac's attempt to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond. Gen. Robert E. Lee accomplished an amazing victory at Chancellorsville even though he was vastly outnumbered. The Union Army, led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, had been routed and humiliated, and retreated back to Washington DC. President Lincoln, disappointed with the performance of yet another general, relieved Hooker and replaced him with Gen. George Meade, who had served with distinction and had some success at the Battles of South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Although victorious, Lee suffered an enormous loss for his army; after the battle of Chancellorsville, Lee's right-hand man, Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, was hit by friendly fire and passed away from his wounds.
The massive victory at Chancellorsville had lifted Confederate morale and emboldened Lee to again invade the North in an attempt to relieve war-torn Virginia and convince the North to give up the war and negotiate peace with the Confederacy. Lee's last attempt to invade the North had met with failure at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, but he felt that the time was now right to try it again.
(see my post about the battle of Antietam here:
On June 3, 1863, Lee began to move his army north and west of Washington DC into Maryland and eventually, into Pennsylvania. Meade moved the 100,000-strong Union army north as well, parallel to Lee's movements.
With Stonewall Jackson's passing, Lee now entrusted his army to the command of three Lt. Generals: James Longstreet, Richard Ewell, and A.P. Hill, each leading a corps. Lee's cavalry division remained under the command of Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. Lee issued a somewhat ambiguous order to Stuart, he allowed Stuart to ride the cavalry far ahead of Lee's army and beyond the Union's east flank. This proved costly, because even though Stuart's cavalry successfully harassed the Union army, it caused Stuart's absence for almost all of the ensuing battle at Gettysburg, a time when Stuart would have been needed the most.
The Confederate and Union armies converged at the town of Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania, about 130 miles west of Philadelphia. Union Cavalry Brig. Gen. John Buford arrived at the village first, he realized that the Confederates were approaching the town quickly from the northwest, and most of the Union Army was still a day's march or so behind Buford to the southeast. Just south of the village of Gettysburg were a series of bluffs, known as Cemetery Ridge, that would be a desirable high ground and easier to defend. Buford realized that he needed to stall the Confederates long enough to allow Meade and the Union Army to fortify this high ground. Therefore, Buford took a defensive position northwest of the town and waited for the onslaught by the Confederate Army.
That onslaught came on the morning of July 1, 1863. A.P. Hill's corps met Buford on the ground northwest of town and engaged in battle. Buford was greatly outnumbered but did his best to delay the Confederate advance. After a few hours of battle, Buford was reinforced by a division led by Union Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds. Shortly after Reynolds arrived on the field, he was shot off his horse by a Confederate sniper and died. Even with the loss of Reynolds, the Union held strong. But by the afternoon, Hill received reinforcements when Ewell's corps arrived. Now, the Confederates were simply too strong. The Union line started to buckle, and they started to retreat to Cemetery Ridge south of town. The Confederates quickly overran the village by the late afternoon and early evening. The Confederates were triumphant on the first day, but Buford and Reynolds' resilient stand did just enough to buy time for Meade to place the entire Union Army on Cemetery Ridge, the coveted high ground.
In 1938 (the 75th anniversary of the battle) the Eternal Light Peace Memorial was placed in the spot were Buford conducted this brave defense that allowed the Union to win the battle and, ultimately, the war.
On the second day of battle, Meade's Army of the Potomac now occupied the high-ground, Cemetery Ridge, directly south of the town. The Army was positioned like a giant, upside-down "fish-hook" on these hills. The Confederate Army's three corps, which had now fully arrived at the town (except for JEB Stuart's cavalry, much to Lee's dismay), planned how to dislodge the Union army off of this high ground.
overlooking the town of Gettysburg
They decided to launch a two-pronged attack. Ewell would lead an assault on the Union's right flank, at Culp's Hill and at Cemetery Hill. At the same time, Longstreet would lead an assault on the Union's left flank, at Devil's Den and Little Round Top.
However, the execution of these plans was somewhat mismanaged, and there is great debate among historians as to exactly why. Ewell recalled that, at the last minute, Lee changed the orders for a simultaneous attack to one where Ewell would simply be a "diversion" and only commence a full-frontal attack on the right flank if it was "practicable." For reasons that are not entirely known, Longstreet did not commence his attack on the left flank until the late afternoon, allowing more time for the Union to fortify their position on the hills. Either way, Lee was hamstrung because of Stuart's absence from the field, a cavalry is a fast-moving unit able to quickly gather intelligence on enemy's movements, etc. and if Stuart was present, Lee could likely have more effectively communicated between his three corps.
Late in the afternoon, Longstreet (with divisions commanded by Maj. Gens. John Bell Hood and Lafayette McLaws) commenced the attack on the left flank. Commanding that left flank of the Union Army was Brig. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren. Warren's corps was positioned at the southernmost point of the Union line. They held the high ground and, although they suffered heavy losses, they beat back the Confederate advance again and again at a place now referred to as the "Devil's Den." Devil's Den saw some of the bloodiest and fiercest fighting of the entire war. Warren's quick thinking probably saved the entire Union Army from being completely overrun by the Confederates. Warren noticed that a small, rocky outcropping (dubbed Little Round Top) was not defended. From his vantage point, he could also see that Longstreet was likely planning to move a division up onto it. Without waiting for orders from his superiors, Warren ordered his men to fortify a position at Little Round Top, mere minutes before the Confederates swarmed up the hill.
the "Devil's Den" - on the right of the picture is the high ground where the Union Army was stationed
Union monument
looking down at Devil's Den from Little Round Top
spot known as the Peach Orchard (the orchard is no longer present)
statue of Brig. Gen. Warren, ordering his troops to fortify and hold Little Round Top
due to Warren's quick action, he was dubbed the "Hero of Little Round Top"
"At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet charge. The word was enough."
-from Col. Joshua Chamberlain's report of July 2, 1863
At the very, very south end of the Union line on Little Round Top was the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Col. Joshua Chamberlain. Chamberlain was a professor of Greek, Latin, rhetoric and oratory at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. He volunteered for the Union Army in 1862 and served at the Battle of Fredericksburg. His regiment now played a crucial role in Gettysburg. They were the last line of defense on the most exposed part of the Union's army left flank. His orders from Warren were clear, hold your position at all costs. If Chamberlain's line wavered, the Confederates would take the high ground, the flank would collapse, and the Union Army would be overrun. Again and again, Chamberlain held off the Confederate assault as they attempted to move up the wooded hill of Little Round Top.
Eventually, Chamberlain's unit ran out of ammunition. Chamberlain resorted to a bayonet charge. His brigade charged down the hill, with the left wing wheeling down to make the charging line swing down the hill like the hinge of a door. Chamberlain himself led the charge. The charge took the Confederates by surprise, and Chamberlain captured 101 Confederate soldiers. Facing heavy losses, the Confederates gave up their assault on the left flank.
Chamberlain was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for his "daring heroism and great tenacity in holding his position on the Little Round Top against repeated assaults." Chamberlain later served at the Battles of Petersburg, where he was wounded, and at Appomattox. After the war, he served as Governor of Maine from 1867-1871, and served as President of Bowdoin College until 1883. He died in 1914, at the age of 85 years old.
the wooden slope of Little Round Top, where Chamberlain ordered his brave bayonet charge
monument to the 20th Maine and Col. Joshua Chamberlain
came across this snake on Little Round Top
With the Confederates' flanking assaults thwarted, Lee began to plan for the third day of battle. In a bold move, Lee decided to concentrate all his forces on the very center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. Right at the heart of Meade's army. According to many sources, Lt. Gen. James Longstreet expressed his disagreement with the plan to Lee. Longstreet felt that it would bring certain defeat. The Confederate army was amassed on the low-lying, tree-covered Seminary Ridge, about a mile to the west of Cemetery Ridge. Between Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Ridge was a broad, tree-less plain. The Confederates would have to march for an entire mile or so, completely exposed, before they could even engage with the Union army, who was heavily fortified at the high ground of Cemetery Ridge. Lee felt that the Union would reinforce its flanks, thus leaving the center weakened. Therefore, if the Confederates concentrated all their firepower at the center, it would break, and the entire Union Army would fall, and the Confederates could claim a massive victory on Northern ground and thus end the war with the Confederacy preserved. Although Longstreet disagreed with the plan, he followed his orders. Longstreet would command three divisions (commanded by Maj. Gen. George Pickett, Brig. Gen. J. Johnson Pettigrew, and Maj. Gen. Isaac Trimble, respectively) to conduct a direct assault on the center of the Union line, in an attack that would become known as "Pickett's Charge."
Unbeknownst to Lee, the night before this charge, Meade correctly predicted that the Confederates would strike his center, and therefore, he did not reinforce his flanks, but rather fortified the center. They were ready for the onslaught.
Around 1 p.m., the Confederates unloaded a massive artillery bombardment on the Union line, in preparation for the infantry assault. The Union, anticipating an infantry attack after the cannon barrage, saved ammunition and did not return fire for an hour or so.
At 3 p.m., the Confederate cannon subsided, and 12,500 Confederate soldiers emerged from the trees on Seminary Ridge and began to march across the open field to initiate the attack. The Confederates met with heavy Union fire. The Confederates eventually reached the Union line, and for a brief moment, Confederate Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead's brigade broke through the line at a location called the "Angle". Although the Union line wavered, they fought back and pushed Armistead from the ridge and off the field of battle. This brief success at the Angle has been dubbed the "high-water mark of the Confederacy." It was the closest the South got to winning the war. In the end, Meade's line held, and Lee was forced to retreat back into Virginia.
statue of Confederate soldiers from North Carolina, along Seminary Ridge
statue of Robert E. Lee and Virginia soldiers along Seminary Ridge
along Seminary Ridge, looking across the field to Cemetery Ridge. This would have been the view of the Confederate soldiers as they began "Pickett's charge"
statue of Gen. George Meade
Pennsylvania Monument on Cemetery Ridge
President Lincoln
Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin
Generals Meade (on left) and Reynolds (on right)
these rocks mark the Union line along Cemetery Ridge. This spot is known as the "Angle" - where Armistead briefly broke through the Union line. It represents the High-water mark of the Confederacy
Union line at Cemetery Ridge
statue of Confederate Gen. James Longstreet. After the war, Longstreet published his memoirs (which were critical of Lee's actions at Gettysburg) and joined the Republican Party, supported Pres. Ulysses S. Grant, and led an African-American militia. Because of this, many former Confederate colleagues considered Longstreet a turncoat and traitor, and blamed him for the loss at Gettysburg. Longstreet passed away in 1904, at the age of 82.
statue of a Union soldier at the "Angle" - the high-water mark of the Confederacy
Between the two armies, there were 46,000-51,000 casualties over the three-day Battle of Gettysburg. Suffering these heavy losses (particularly after Pickett's unsuccessful charge), the Confederate army began to retreat back into Virginia. The Confederates would never again stage a major attack on Union soil. Lincoln was dismayed that Meade did not aggressively counterattack as Lee retreated, but the Union had faced heavy losses as well, and Meade was content to defensively maneuver as Lee retreated. Still, Lincoln was relieved at the news from Gettysburg. Shortly after the news of victory at Gettysburg, Grant achieved a massive victory in Vicksburg, Mississippi, effectively cutting the Confederate territory in two. These victories emboldened Lincoln, he cut-off any attempt to meet with Southern leaders and negotiate a peace. After the southern losses, European leaders ended all diplomatic efforts to officially recognize the Confederacy.
Gettysburg was a major turning point of the war. Although the war would rage on for another two years, at this point, it was clear that the South could not win the war. It was only a matter of time before the North would emerge victorious and the Union would be preserved with slavery abolished.
On November 19, 1863, approximately four months after the battle, the Soldiers National Cemetery was dedicated in Gettysburg. Pres. Lincoln arrived in Gettysburg from Washington DC via train in order to deliver a speech at the dedication. Lincoln stayed the night before the dedication in the home of local attorney, David Wills. You can visit the house today.
Lincoln stayed the night in this room and supposedly composed most of his speech here.
The dedication began with a speech by renowned Pastor, politician, and Harvard President, Edward Everett. Everett spoke for two hours and recounted the details of the battle.
After Everett's well-received remarks, Lincoln took the stand and spoke for a few minutes. His words have become legendary:
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on that great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. it is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" is generally regarded has one of the greatest speeches of all-time.
No trip to Gettysburg is complete without a stop at the hallowed grounds of the cemetery.
Start your visit to Gettysburg at the excellent museum and visitor's center. Watch the film and then view the incredible cyclorama (it's part diorama, part painting). It puts you right in the middle of battle on Cemetery Ridge. There's a narrator that goes through the battle as you look at the painting. It's incredible.
You can then go on a guided tour with one of the very knowledgeable, expert Rangers, or take the self-guided driving tour around town. It does a great job of taking you chronologically through the battle.
Gettysburg is one of most incredible historical sites I have visited.
