This Day in Civil War History July 3rd, 1863 Third Day of the batle of Gettysburg

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pickett-leads-his-infamous-charge-at-gettysburg ^

[mainepatsfan]

July 3rd, 1863

Pickett leads his infamous charge at Gettysburg

Troops under Confederate General George Pickett begin a massive attack against the center of the Union lines at Gettysburg on the climactic third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest engagement of the war. General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia encountered George Meade's Army of the Potomac in Pennsylvania and battered the Yankees for two days. The day before Pickett's charge, the Confederates had hammered each flank of the Union line but could not break through.

Now, on July 3, Lee decided to attack the Union center, stationed on Cemetery Ridge, after making another unsuccessful attempt on the Union right flank at Culp's Hill in the morning. The majority of the force consisted of Pickett's division, but there were other units represented among the 15,000 attackers.

[NavyCanDo]

Virtual Tour of Gettysburg. (Cool web site)

http://www.johnsmilitaryhistory.com/gettysburg.html

[Man50D]

The South could have easily won the war. The only thing necessary was to end the north’s will to fight, just like Vietnam.

That would have taken far greater resources than the South possessed.

[RegulatorCountry]

Oh, duh. Went back and re-read your original reply. Guess I need more caffeine, lol, misread it, and replied accordingly.

NC troops and NC in the Confederacy gets a peculiar treatment by either side. Didn’t secede until practicality dictated, not such a plantation economy. In for a penny, in for a pound, though. The largest contribution of men and materiel, and by far and away the largest death toll. That itself is turned around by revisionists, the honor and the dedication to their State spun into something ugly.

Mine, 123 of them in all my lines at last count, were largely with various companies of the NC 21st, but there were others scattered around, 18th, 53rd, etcetera. Stuart was a distant cousin, Lee as well but even further removed, back to the 1600’s. My great grandfather ran away and enlisted at age 14 to go find his older brother, who had been gut shot and died of peritonitis imprisoned at Point Lookout.

[matginzac]

Oh, phew! I’d hate to know that my grtgrtgdpa’s honor would be besmirched by a Texan - where I hope to move if TX seceeds!
My son is moving next week to Houston - has a great job there - and I’ll be hitting the Lone Star state for the first time...can’t wait...cheers...

[XRdsRev]

Very few Spencer carbines were used by the Federal cavalry on July 3, 1863. Mostly Sharps and Brunside carbines. The Confederate cavalry was not really outgunned, just outfought. Brandy Station in June 1863 marked the beginning of the end of Confederate cavalry supremecy over the Federal Army of the Potomac.

[Man50D]

And I think the big plan the south had, knowing they didn’t have a manufacturing base from which to draw, was to get the Brits to support them in that...there was a good “working relationship” from the cotton exports to the mills in Britain before the war so they thought if it looked good on the reb side (battle wins), the brits would get in financially, etc despite the blockade...but the south stumbled some, the brits found Egyptain cotton and Prince Albert (while dying of typhus) convinced the PM not to get involved ...I think I got that right...anyone else have an idea?

The Emancipation Proclamation killed any chance the South had to curry favor with Great Britain. They had abolished slavery years before and could not support the pro slavery south against the North knowing the latter had the same viewpoint as Great Britain. Lincoln understood the Emancipation Proclamation's political significance and used it to his advantage.

[tanknetter]

From what evidence we have,General Lee made a horrible mistake; a long march into cannon fire is suicidal or homicidal depending on if you are doing the marching or ordered the marching.

Read Lost Triumph. If the author is right, Pickett's charge was supposed to be more diversionary, to allow Stuart's Calvary to act as an interdiction force to get into the Union rear and break up the Army of the Potomac from behind.

[NavyCanDo]

Here is some great on-line reading for you.

DIARY OF
A TAR HEEL CONFEDERATE SOLDIER:

http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/leon/leon.html

PREFACE
This diary was commenced for the fun of writing down my experience as a soldier from the Old North State. I never thought for a moment that I would put it in print; but now that I am getting old and have read so many histories written by our officers, but have never seen in print a history written by a private.
I know that my diary is truly the life of the man behind the gun, therefore I make bold to publish it. I am sure my experience was that of other privates, and a true history of my companies and regiments, as well as the Brigade, Division, and even Corp that I belonged to. I am certain that the men of ‘61 to ‘65 who read this will recall most vividly the camping, marching, fighting and suffering they endured in those never-to-be-forgotten days of long ago. And to the younger generation of Southern-born it will show how we endured and suffered, but still fought on for the cause we know was right.

[NavyCanDo]

I had two of my ancestors in the 11TH NC.

[Kenny Bunk]

Yes, the men of Kentucky deserve recognition. But Kentucky, like Maryland, was a state in which loyalties were divided, even between family members. Maine, being in Boston's orbit, had superior PR, a tremendous PR Resource in Col.(later General) Chamberlain, and undivided Union sympathies.

But The War Between the States leaves us with many more questions than it does answers. Where does Federal Power Begin, and especially End? Can a state withdraw from the Union? Can a state return to the tradition of legislature selection of Senators? (The Amendment seems to leave that option.) Does the end of the Civil War mean the eventual end of States' Rights?

[rockrr]

Thanks for the pictures. I remember exploring those hills as a boy and would very much like to revisit them.

[Nuc 1.1]

With due respect I don't believe the south ever had a chance. The naval blockade and operation Anaconda more than made up for Lil Mac's ineptitude in eastern fighting. A look at the wars overall history shows a pretty much unending string of union victories. Yes the south had some tactical victories. However, the union military victory was never in doubt. As long as the will to fight remained strong. It is simply a romantic fantasy to believe otherwise. Full disclosure...I am a Virginian and I know that the real reason the south lost the civil war was there weren’t enough Virginians to go around. ;D)

[NavyCanDo]

With the South providing 2 thirds of the World's supply of Cotton, that blockade could of just as easily been turned against the North. Both textile plants in the North and in England were outraged by the blockade.

[BnBlFlag]

http://www.wtblock.com/wtblockjr/fletcher1.htm

“Rebel Private, Front and Rear” by William Fletcher of Beaumont, Texas. The Elementary School I attended in Beaumont was named after him.

[RegulatorCountry]

Carolina! Carolina! heaven's blessings attend her,
While we live we will cherish, protect and defend her,
Tho' the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her,
Still our hearts swell with gladness whenever we name her.

Tho' she envies not others, their merited glory,
Say whose name stands the foremost, in liberty's story,
Tho' too true to herself e'er to crouch to oppression,
Who can yield to just rule a more loyal submission.

Then let all those who love us, love the land that we live in,
As happy a region as on this side of heaven,
Where plenty and peace, love and joy smile before us,
Raise aloud, raise together the heart thrilling chorus.

Hurrah! Hurrah! the Old North State forever,
Hurrah! Hurrah! the good Old North State.

- "The Old North State," written by William Gaston, composed by Mrs. E. E. Randolph

[Nuc 1.1]

Perhaps. But breaking the naval blockade would have required the intervention of world powers. I don't really think there was any serious chance of that. Robert Toombs argued with Davis against war at all. Correctly forecasting the end results. One thing though, the idea of succession was not settled by the civil war. It just demonstrates once again that if you have the will and the means you can prevent people form achieving independence. Sorry, I have to go Moma wants breakfast.

[Kartographer]

Let's talk PR. Custer, Stuart, Forest all it is true were great cavalry, but how many know Col. Benjamin Grierson? The commander of the longest and arguable the most successful Calvary raid of the war.

[MBB1984]

Not at all. In 1863 the north was quite sick of the war. Draft riots were terrible that year. Copperheads were popular. Men were coming back home dead or with legs and arms amputated. If Lee had won Gettysburg and destroyed DC, the north likely would have lost its will to fight. If the South could have captured or killed Lincoln, the north would have quit. Even if they didn’t, the election year was only a little over a year away.

[MBB1984]

If Lee won Gettysburg, he would be free to obtain all the supplies he wanted by raiding Union garrisons. The blockade would have had little effect to him. The North would have been in chaos politically which probably would have lasted past the 1864 election.

[GreenLanternCorps]

Yet it was a Virginian by birth and sentiment, Woodrow Wilson, who nationalized whole industries and imprisoned opponents. And who set the stage for the New Deal and Great Society, which, by the way, was imposed by a Texan.

Thanks a lot, with Southerners like that, who needs Northern liberals?.