Lee hoped to continue the attack early on the morning of the 3rd using Longstreet's Corps. But, Longstreet was not prepared that morning and Lee was forced to change his plan. Lee was encouraged by the near-penetrating attack by Anderson's Division in the Union center the day before.Day 3: July 3, 1863 - Pickett's Charge ... 1:30 PM
Lee's plan first called for an artillery barrage by Confederate artillery along Seminary Ridge and east of town. It was hoped that the barrage would reduce the Union Batteries and inflict heavy damage to the surrounding infantry. After the barrage, nearly 12,000 men, including 3 brigades under the command of MG George E. Pickett, would attack the Union center. Once the assault reached the Union line, reinforcements would arrive to exploit the breakthrough. In support, Lee ordered General Stuart's cavalry to head east and strike southward in hopes of reaching the Union's rear.The artillery barrage began at 13:00 and involved about 170 Confederate artillery pieces. The barrage covered the entire Union line but concentrated on its center. The Confederate guns were answered by about 80 Union guns and inflicted large numbers of casualties on the Confederate infantry. The Confederate guns also inflicted much damage on the Union batteries, but frequently tended to aim high and shoot over their targets due to poor visibility.
BG Henry J. Hunt, the Federal artillery commander, wished to conserve ammunition to counter any Confederate advance and ordered a Union cease-fire. The Confederate barrage continued for nearly two hours and soon became short of ammunition. But, the time had come for the attack...
Longstreet was reluctant about the attack that Lee had ordered. It called for nearly 12,000 men (nine brigades) to march over 1,000 yards across open ground. The Confederate line would stretch for over a mile. Pettigrew's Division (of A.P. Hill's Corps) would comprise of the northern portion of the attack while Pickett's Division (Longstreet's Corps) would be the southern wing.Day 3 July 3rd, 1863 - Stuart vs. GreggThe attack began with over one hundred Confederate guns opening fire along the Union lines. The Confederate shells tended to land over the Union lines and land amidst the rear (near the wagons and hospitals). In fact, Meade was forced to relocate his headquarters to Power's Hill. Colonel Alexander, commander of the Confederate I Corps, noticed that the Union batteries were momentarily withdrawing from their positions (only to be replenished and supported with replacement batteries) . If any time had come, this was the time. In effect, Colonel Alexander gave his opinion that the charge should proceed.
The attack started from Seminary Ridge with Pickett's and Trimble's Divisions and slowly marched eastward. Union batteries from Cemetery Hill to Little Round Top immediately opened fire on the advancing line, opening temporary gaps in the units. The Confederates kept coming and after 15 minutes, reformed their lines after crossing Emmitsburg Road. When the Confederates were within 400 yards, the Union artillery began firing canister and were also within Union rifle distance. The two wings of the Confederate advance converged as Pettigrew moved to the right and Pickett to the left. The line now compacted to about 1/2 mile long.
BG James L. Kemper's Brigade formed Pickett's lead right-front brigade. To his left was BG Richard B. Garnett's Brigade followed by BG Lewis A. Armistead's Brigade. Pickett ordered his men to turn to the northeast in order to link with Pettigrew's Division. This exposed his right flank to the artillery on Little Round Top and the southern portion of Cemetery Ridge. This allowed the Union artillery to fire along the Confederate line with little chance of missing a target.
Col. Robert Mayo's Brigade, Pettigrew's left brigade, was attacked by artillery of the XI Corps on Cemetery Hill. The 8th Ohio Regiment (of Carroll's Brigade), under the command of LtC. Franklin Sawyer, had been sent out earlier to form a skirmishing line. Instead of withdrawing (as skirmishers are usually required), Sawyer faced his men southwest to fire on Mayo's Brigade which was passing in front. Though Sawyer's Regiment was largely outnumbered, Mayo's men had sustained enormous losses from the artillery barrage on Cemetery Hill. Sawyer's attack was enough to send Mayo's men running to the rear. This now exposed the remaining Pettigrew Brigades to flanking fire.
Pettigrew now linked with Pickett and both continued steadily eastward up the slope. Hays' Division (Union) formed behind a stone wall and waited until Col. Birkett D. Fry's Brigade was within 200 yards. Now that Mayo's Brigade had fled the field, Hays was able to overlap Pettigrew's left. Hays ordered his right to overlap Pettigrew's left and face southwest. On the right flank of the Confederate advance (Kemper's Brigade), the exact same maneuver was being initiated by BG George J. Stannard's Brigade (13 VT, 14 VT, and 16 VT). Stannard was able to fire upon Kemper and inflict huge casualties with impunity. This caused Kemper's men to crowd to the north away from Stannard's fire.
The Confederates began to bunch near the center and became "a mingled mass, from fifteen to thirty deep." Opposite the main assault was the "Angle" - a point in the Union line where it formed a 90-degree angle. Positioned in the Angle, behind a stone wall, was the 71st PA Regiment (250 men). To their left, was the 69th PA, supported by five guns of Cowan's 1st NY Battery. As the Confederates pushed forward, the men and artillery in the Angle poured devastating fire into the approaching units. Still, the Confederates came, this time reaching the stone wall of the Angle. General Armistead led the Confederate attack with a group of about 200 men and overran most of the 69th and 71st PA before reaching Cowan's Battery. General Webb, who watched the attack, ordered the 72nd PA into battle.
The 72nd PA halted the Confederate advance and forced many of the enemy to seek cover behind the western side of the stone wall. Hand-to-hand fighting raged in the Angle and Webb ordered a charge by the 72nd. The Regiment refused the order and Webb gave up the attempt. By this time, Col. Devereux's 19th MA Regiment and the 42nd NY Regiment rushed into the Angle to drive the Confederates out.
The Confederates were now outnumbered and cutoff from any reinforcements. Soon, anyone left in the Angle was either captured or killed. The remaining Confederate units near the Angle slowly retreated and made their way back towards Seminary Ridge after realizing no reinforcements were to come.
Pickett lost nearly 3,000 men (over half) of his Division. He lost all 15 regimental commanders, including two BG's and six Col's. When Pickett returned to Lee, he was ordered to prepare against a possible Union counterattack. Pickett then replied, "General Lee, I have no division now."
Despite the Confederate retreat, the Southerners were still a formidable force. Meade, having assumed command only 6 days earlier, was in no mood to face the Confederate guns lining Seminary Ridge. In addition, nightfall was soon approaching. The following day, July 4th, erupted in rainfall and saw the retreat of Lee's army.
General Stuart, with four brigades (Chambliss, Hampton, Fitz Lee, and Jenkins), had arrived to the Gettysburg area on the afternoon of July 2nd. Lee, charged Stuart with guarding the army's left and flanking the Union right in the event the infantry captured Cemetery Ridge.The two cavalry forces met three miles east of Gettysburg near the Rummel farm about noon on July the 3rd. Stuart deployed his brigades (about 6,300 men) in the woods on Cress Ridge to the north. Gregg's Division, along with George Custer's Brigade (totalling about 4,500 men) was situated along Hanover road to the south.
The fighting began as skirmishers between the two forces from both sides exchanged fire. Stuart then sent the 1st Virginia charging into the Union cavalry. Gregg then ordered a countercharge by the 7th Michigan that halted the Confederates. Stuart then ordered most of Hampton's and Fitz Lee's Brigades into a column to attack Gregg's position. The Confederate column - extremely vulnerable enroute, ran headlong into Custer's 1st Michigan. The clash of the two forces was spectacular.
The cavalry battle continued with fierce hand-to-hand combat with neither side gaining the upper hand. Finally, the 3rd Pennsylvania attacked the Confederate column from the east and the forced the rear portion of the column to retreat from the rest of the body. Eventually, the Confederates, cutoff and attacked from all sides, were forced to retreat back to Cress Ridge. The total Confederate loss numbered about 230 men, while the Union lost about 250. Neither side lost ground and both would claim victory, but Stuart was denied access to the Union rear.
Kilpatrick (Farnsworth) vs. Longstreet
During Stuart's battle, BG Judson Kilpatrick ordered a frontal cavalry assault against Longstreet's heavily entrenched and fortified right wing near Little Round Top. BG Elon Farnsworth, seeing the futility of such an attack against infantry, protested strongly against it. Nonetheless, Farnsworth obeyed his orders and led a disastrous charge against the Confederate infantry. Farnsworth's Brigade suffered immensely and he himself was killed, shot five times.
We may have forgotten, but this historic moment was delivered as a tribute to the fallen on the field of battle as a dedication of the Gettysburg Memorial Cemetery. President Lincoln sought to bring to some comfort to those who were left behind, and remind the survivors that this conflict was a struggle between good people who profoundly, but honestly disagree in the fundamentals of our union..."The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here".....
Mr. President... sadly, we will never forget..... Nor should we
The Gettysburg Address
"Fourscore 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 a 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 cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot 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."
BKMRK