The bloodiest battle in American History was fought in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which in map view looks like the center of a wheel hub with over a half dozen roads converging on this small town of around 2,500 souls who were caught in the middle of the American civil war. Here on July 1st to the 3rd 1863 180,000 men met in a Napoleonic style battle. In the end around 50,000 were killed, wounded, captured, or missing. About half of them from the Union did so in their “devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion”.
Looking due north along Cemetery Ridge from near the Pennsylvania Memorial.
The high tide of the rebellion occurred here when Lt. General James Longstreet, under orders from General Robert E. Lee, sent his Corps led by Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble in a futile charge across an open field up a rise against Cemetery Ridge. The high water mark for the Confederacy was reached when Armistead’s brigade of Pickett’s division breached the Union line at the “Angle” on Cemetery Ridge only to be repulsed in a very heavy battle. The ebb tide flowed back red at the feet of General Lee and Lt. General Longstreet. General Lee took full responsibility for the results after a miserable retreat back to Virginia.
In the end, the result of their incredible sacrifice was “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, did not perish from the earth”.
Walking towards the site where Robert E. Lee and Lt. General James Longstreet conferred prior to “Pickett’s Charge”.
Round Top and Little Round Top in the upper left horizon viewed from one of the Confederate gun batteries along Seminary Ridge looking south southeast.
Codori Farm house and barn viewed from the Union Position along Cemetery Ridge.
The K2R2 and the town of Gettysburg seen from the observation tower at the summit of Culp’s Hill.
One Response
What that battle must have been like.