Gettysburg 1863
About 10 a.m. the next morning, Thursday, July 2, Gen. Longstreet was ordered by
Lee to attack. But Longstreet was quite slow in getting his troops into position and
didn't attack until 4 p.m. that afternoon thus giving the Union Army even more time
to strengthen its position.
When Longstreet attacked, some of the most bitter fighting of the Civil War erupted
at places now part of American military folklore such as Little Round Top, Devil's
Den, the Wheat Field and the Peach Orchard. Longstreet took the Peach Orchard
but was driven back at Little Round Top.
About 6:30 p.m. Gen. Ewell attacked the Union line from the north and east at
Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill. The attack lasted into darkness but was finally
unsuccessful at Cemetery Hill, although the Rebels seized some trenches on Culp's
Hill.
By about 10:30 p.m., the day's fighting came to an end. The Federals had lost some
ground during the Rebel onslaught but still held the strong defensive position
along Cemetery Ridge.
Both sides regrouped and counted their causalities while the moaning and sobbing
of thousands of wounded men on the slopes and meadows south of Gettysburg
could be heard throughout the night under the blue light of a full moon.
Generals from each side gathered in war councils to plan for the coming day. Union
commander Meade decided his army would remain in place and wait for Lee to
attack. On the Confederate side, Longstreet once again tried to talk Lee out of
attacking such a strong position. But Lee thought the battered Union soldiers were
nearly beaten and would collapse under one final push.
Lee decided to gamble to win the Battle of Gettysburg and in effect win the Civil War
by attacking the next day at the center of the Union line along Cemetery Ridge
where it would be least expected. To do this he would send in the fresh troops of
Gen. George Pickett. Along with this, Gen. Ewell would renew the assault on Culp's
hill.
But as dawn broke on Friday, July 3, about 4:30 a.m., Lee's timetable was
undermined as Union cannons pounded the Rebels on Culp's Hill to drive them
from the trenches. The Rebels did not withdraw, but instead attacked the Federals
around 8 a.m. Thus began a vicious three hour struggle with the Rebels charging
time after time up the hill only to be beaten back. The Federals finally counter
attacked and drove the Rebels off the hill and east across Rock Creek. Around 11
a.m. the fighting on Culp's Hill stopped. An eerie quiet settled over the whole
battlefield.
Once again Lee encountered opposition to his battle plan from Longstreet. Lee
estimated about 15,000 men would participate in the Rebel charge on Cemetery
Ridge. Longstreet responded, "It is my opinion that no 15,000 men ever arrayed for
battle can take that position." But Lee was unmoved. The plan would go on as
ordered.
Throughout the morning and into the afternoon amid 90° heat and stifling humidity
the Rebels moved into position in the woods opposite Cemetery Ridge for the
coming charge. Interestingly, some Union troops were moved away from Cemetery
Ridge on Meade's orders because he thought Lee would attack again in the south.
Several hours before, Meade had correctly predicted Lee would attack the center,
but now thought otherwise. He left only 5,750 infantrymen stretched out along the
half-mile front to initially face the 15,000 man Rebel charge.
Lee sent Jeb Stuart's recently returned cavalry to go behind the Union position in
order to divert Federal forces from the main battle area. Around noon, Union and
Confederate cavalry troops clashed three miles east of Gettysburg but Stuart was
eventually repulsed by punishing cannon fire and the Union cavalry led in part by
23 year old Gen. George Custer. The diversion attempt failed.
Back at the main battle site, just after 1 p.m. about 170 Confederate cannons
opened fire on the Union position on Cemetery Ridge to pave the way for the Rebel
charge. This was the heaviest artillery barrage of the war but many of the Rebel
shells missed their targets and flew harmlessly overhead.
The Federals returned heavy cannon fire and soon big clouds of blinding smoke
and dust hung over the battlefield. Around 2:30 p.m. the Federals slowed their rate
of fire, then ceased, to conserve ammunition and to fool the Rebels into thinking the
cannons were knocked out - exactly what the Rebels did think.
Pickett went to see Longstreet and asked, "General, shall I advance?" Longstreet,
now overwhelmed with emotion, did not respond, but simply bowed his head and
raised his hand. Thus the order was given.
"Charge the enemy and remember old Virginia!" yelled Pickett as 12,000 Rebels
formed an orderly line that stretched a mile from flank to flank. In deliberate silence
and with military pageantry from days gone by, they slowly headed toward the
Union Army a mile away on Cemetery Ridge as the Federals gazed in silent wonder
at this spectacular sight.
But as the Rebels got within range, Federal cannons using grapeshot (a shell
containing iron balls that flew apart when fired) and deadly accurate rifle volleys
ripped into the Rebels killing many and tearing holes in the advancing line. What
had been, just moments before, a majestic line of Rebel infantry, quickly became a
horrible mess of dismembered bodies and dying wounded accompanied by a
mournful roar. But the Rebels continued on.
As they got very close, the Rebels stopped and fired their rifles once at the Federals
then lowered their bayonets and commenced a running charge while screaming the
Rebel yell.
A fierce battle raged for an hour with much brutal hand to hand fighting, shooting at
close range and stabbing with bayonets. For a brief moment, the Rebels nearly had
their chosen objective, a small clump of oak trees atop Cemetery Ridge. But Union
reinforcements and regrouped infantry units swarmed in and opened fire on the
Rebel ranks. The battered, outnumbered Rebels finally began to give way and this
great human wave that had been Pickett's Charge began to recede as the men
drifted back down the slope. The supreme effort of Lee's army had been beaten
back, leaving 7,500 of his men lying on the field of battle.
Lee rode out and met the survivors, telling them, "It is all my fault." And to Pickett he
said, "Upon my shoulders rests the blame." Later when he got back to
headquarters Lee exclaimed, "Too bad. Too bad! Oh, too bad!" The gamble had
failed. The tide of the war was now permanently turned against the South.
Confederate causalities in dead, wounded and missing were 28,000 out of 75,000.
Union casualties were 23,000 out of 88,000.
That night and into the next day, Saturday, July 4, Confederate wounded were
loaded aboard wagons that began the journey back toward the South. Lee was
forced to abandon his dead and begin a long slow withdrawal of his army back to
Virginia. Union commander Meade, out of fatigue and caution, did not immediately
pursue Lee, infuriating President Lincoln who wrote a bitter letter to Meade (never
delivered) saying he missed a "golden opportunity" to end the war right there.
On November 19, President Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate it as a military
cemetery. The main orator, Edward Everett of Massachusetts, delivered a two hour
formal address. The president then had his turn. He spoke in his high, penetrating
voice and in a little over two minutes delivered the Gettysburg Address, surprising
many in the audience by its shortness and leaving others quite unimpressed.
Over time, however, the speech and its words - government of the People, by the
People, for the People - have come to symbolize the definition of democracy itself.
Lee to attack. But Longstreet was quite slow in getting his troops into position and
didn't attack until 4 p.m. that afternoon thus giving the Union Army even more time
to strengthen its position.
When Longstreet attacked, some of the most bitter fighting of the Civil War erupted
at places now part of American military folklore such as Little Round Top, Devil's
Den, the Wheat Field and the Peach Orchard. Longstreet took the Peach Orchard
but was driven back at Little Round Top.
About 6:30 p.m. Gen. Ewell attacked the Union line from the north and east at
Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill. The attack lasted into darkness but was finally
unsuccessful at Cemetery Hill, although the Rebels seized some trenches on Culp's
Hill.
By about 10:30 p.m., the day's fighting came to an end. The Federals had lost some
ground during the Rebel onslaught but still held the strong defensive position
along Cemetery Ridge.
Both sides regrouped and counted their causalities while the moaning and sobbing
of thousands of wounded men on the slopes and meadows south of Gettysburg
could be heard throughout the night under the blue light of a full moon.
Generals from each side gathered in war councils to plan for the coming day. Union
commander Meade decided his army would remain in place and wait for Lee to
attack. On the Confederate side, Longstreet once again tried to talk Lee out of
attacking such a strong position. But Lee thought the battered Union soldiers were
nearly beaten and would collapse under one final push.
Lee decided to gamble to win the Battle of Gettysburg and in effect win the Civil War
by attacking the next day at the center of the Union line along Cemetery Ridge
where it would be least expected. To do this he would send in the fresh troops of
Gen. George Pickett. Along with this, Gen. Ewell would renew the assault on Culp's
hill.
But as dawn broke on Friday, July 3, about 4:30 a.m., Lee's timetable was
undermined as Union cannons pounded the Rebels on Culp's Hill to drive them
from the trenches. The Rebels did not withdraw, but instead attacked the Federals
around 8 a.m. Thus began a vicious three hour struggle with the Rebels charging
time after time up the hill only to be beaten back. The Federals finally counter
attacked and drove the Rebels off the hill and east across Rock Creek. Around 11
a.m. the fighting on Culp's Hill stopped. An eerie quiet settled over the whole
battlefield.
Once again Lee encountered opposition to his battle plan from Longstreet. Lee
estimated about 15,000 men would participate in the Rebel charge on Cemetery
Ridge. Longstreet responded, "It is my opinion that no 15,000 men ever arrayed for
battle can take that position." But Lee was unmoved. The plan would go on as
ordered.
Throughout the morning and into the afternoon amid 90° heat and stifling humidity
the Rebels moved into position in the woods opposite Cemetery Ridge for the
coming charge. Interestingly, some Union troops were moved away from Cemetery
Ridge on Meade's orders because he thought Lee would attack again in the south.
Several hours before, Meade had correctly predicted Lee would attack the center,
but now thought otherwise. He left only 5,750 infantrymen stretched out along the
half-mile front to initially face the 15,000 man Rebel charge.
Lee sent Jeb Stuart's recently returned cavalry to go behind the Union position in
order to divert Federal forces from the main battle area. Around noon, Union and
Confederate cavalry troops clashed three miles east of Gettysburg but Stuart was
eventually repulsed by punishing cannon fire and the Union cavalry led in part by
23 year old Gen. George Custer. The diversion attempt failed.
Back at the main battle site, just after 1 p.m. about 170 Confederate cannons
opened fire on the Union position on Cemetery Ridge to pave the way for the Rebel
charge. This was the heaviest artillery barrage of the war but many of the Rebel
shells missed their targets and flew harmlessly overhead.
The Federals returned heavy cannon fire and soon big clouds of blinding smoke
and dust hung over the battlefield. Around 2:30 p.m. the Federals slowed their rate
of fire, then ceased, to conserve ammunition and to fool the Rebels into thinking the
cannons were knocked out - exactly what the Rebels did think.
Pickett went to see Longstreet and asked, "General, shall I advance?" Longstreet,
now overwhelmed with emotion, did not respond, but simply bowed his head and
raised his hand. Thus the order was given.
"Charge the enemy and remember old Virginia!" yelled Pickett as 12,000 Rebels
formed an orderly line that stretched a mile from flank to flank. In deliberate silence
and with military pageantry from days gone by, they slowly headed toward the
Union Army a mile away on Cemetery Ridge as the Federals gazed in silent wonder
at this spectacular sight.
But as the Rebels got within range, Federal cannons using grapeshot (a shell
containing iron balls that flew apart when fired) and deadly accurate rifle volleys
ripped into the Rebels killing many and tearing holes in the advancing line. What
had been, just moments before, a majestic line of Rebel infantry, quickly became a
horrible mess of dismembered bodies and dying wounded accompanied by a
mournful roar. But the Rebels continued on.
As they got very close, the Rebels stopped and fired their rifles once at the Federals
then lowered their bayonets and commenced a running charge while screaming the
Rebel yell.
A fierce battle raged for an hour with much brutal hand to hand fighting, shooting at
close range and stabbing with bayonets. For a brief moment, the Rebels nearly had
their chosen objective, a small clump of oak trees atop Cemetery Ridge. But Union
reinforcements and regrouped infantry units swarmed in and opened fire on the
Rebel ranks. The battered, outnumbered Rebels finally began to give way and this
great human wave that had been Pickett's Charge began to recede as the men
drifted back down the slope. The supreme effort of Lee's army had been beaten
back, leaving 7,500 of his men lying on the field of battle.
Lee rode out and met the survivors, telling them, "It is all my fault." And to Pickett he
said, "Upon my shoulders rests the blame." Later when he got back to
headquarters Lee exclaimed, "Too bad. Too bad! Oh, too bad!" The gamble had
failed. The tide of the war was now permanently turned against the South.
Confederate causalities in dead, wounded and missing were 28,000 out of 75,000.
Union casualties were 23,000 out of 88,000.
That night and into the next day, Saturday, July 4, Confederate wounded were
loaded aboard wagons that began the journey back toward the South. Lee was
forced to abandon his dead and begin a long slow withdrawal of his army back to
Virginia. Union commander Meade, out of fatigue and caution, did not immediately
pursue Lee, infuriating President Lincoln who wrote a bitter letter to Meade (never
delivered) saying he missed a "golden opportunity" to end the war right there.
On November 19, President Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate it as a military
cemetery. The main orator, Edward Everett of Massachusetts, delivered a two hour
formal address. The president then had his turn. He spoke in his high, penetrating
voice and in a little over two minutes delivered the Gettysburg Address, surprising
many in the audience by its shortness and leaving others quite unimpressed.
Over time, however, the speech and its words - government of the People, by the
People, for the People - have come to symbolize the definition of democracy itself.
Continued
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