In a little less than one hour from now, exactly 156 years ago then men from Pickett’s, Pettigrew’s, and Trimble’s divisions set forth across the open ground towards the Union troops entrenched on the high ground around Cemetery Hill.
The Army of Northern Virginia (of which my gg grandpa was an infantry soldier in the 29th VA infantry) failed to take the high ground of Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill on day 1. It easily could’ve been taken. This inaction allowed the Union to dig in and have superb defensive positions in which they could easily move troops to and fro via their horseshoe style placement of their lines. The ANV never really had a chance at Gettysburg thereafter.
Now, one could say the Union simply would’ve retreated and taken the high ground some 30 odd miles away where they thought the big fight was going to be anyway and Gettysburg would’ve simply been a small skirmish in the bowels of Civil War history, but.... maybe they wouldn’t have retreated. We’ll never know.
Pickett’s Charge, which was ill-conceived, was Lee’s only real option left on the 3rd day. I think he knew it was very likely to fail, but he had not other option than to try to ‘close the deal’.
I’ve been to Gettysburg many times... it’s hallowed ground, with amazing energy and the battlefield is very much like it was in July of ‘63.
Really not all that long ago....
Ewell should’ve take that hill.
Lee should’ve listened to Longstreet.
Stuart should’ve been there by the 1st.
It wasn’t just one mistake that cost them the battle.
Do not forget about Vicksburg. It was just as important as Gettysburg.
Visitors to Gettysburg should also take the opportunity to visit President Eisenhower’s ranch, which can be reached by shuttle bus from the visitors center. It’s just a few miles from the battlefield and is filled with original artifacts from the time Eisenhower and his wife lived there during the 1950’s and 1960’s.
CSA 12 pounders did not have the distinctive bell shape at the end of the muzzle.
I had ancestors in the 1st, 6th, and 8th Florida and 18th Alabama. Have done a little research mostly on the 18th Alabama. I do think all of them were in a lot of battles.
Can’t recall about Gettysburg but probably.
Stuart’s cavalry unable to break through custard's cavalry in the rear and support pickett’s charge ...
lost opportunities ...
“For every Southern boy fourteen years old, not once but whenever he wants it, there is the instant when it’s still not yet two o’clock on that July afternoon in 1863, the brigades are in position behind the rail fence, the guns are laid and ready in the woods and the furled flags are already loosened to break out and Pickett himself with his long oiled ringlets and his hat in one hand probably and his sword in the other looking up the hill waiting for Longstreet to give the word and it’s all in the balance, it hasn’t happened yet, it hasn’t even begun yet, it not only hasn’t begun yet but there is still time for it not to begin against that position and those circumstances which made more men than Garnett and Kemper and Armistead and Wilcox look grave yet it’s going to begin, we all know that, we have come too far with too much at stake and that moment doesn’t need even a fourteen-year-old boy to think This time. Maybe this time with all this much to lose than all this much to gain: Pennsylvania, Maryland, the world, the golden dome of Washington itself to crown with desperate and unbelievable victory the desperate gamble, the cast made two years ago.”
- William Faulkner
Longstreet gets a lot of flack for giving his blunt assessment to Lee but heck, he almost pulled off the impossible that day. The fighting on cemetery ridge was a close run thing.
“If the spirit of America were killed, even though the Nation’s body ... lived on, the America we know would have perished.” And this is exactly the purpose of the left today, pushed on by their elected officials, media allies and now sports figures who daily display their hatred of our ideals and country.
While Gettysburg is easily the most fascinating Battle of the war, I’ve always considered Chattanooga to be the turning point. That’s the Union victory that convinced Lincoln (and congress) to promote Grant to military commander in chief in charge of all union forces and for Lincoln to give him carte blanche in whatever he wanted to do. After that it was only a matter of time.
lee’s plan was to use stuart’s cavalry to smash the union from behind during pickett’s charge. custer’s cavalry engaged stuart’s men and prevented that from happening ...
put me in that camp of belief ...
I hope this thread gets some action. Being a civil war buff I always love a good civil war thread, and FR has had some good ones over the years. Lot’s of well studied civil war buffs on FR and the threads are always educational, lively and interesting. If you’re in to that sort of thing.
Saying Civil War is racist.