Pickett’s Doomed Charge Killed Confederate Dreams of Victory in This Pennsylvania Battlefield

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Three days in July 1863 put Gettysburg on every American history map.

Before that, it was simply a crossroads town where ten roads met, surrounded by wheat fields and peach orchards. After 165,000 soldiers converged here, everything changed forever.

The battle ended, but Gettysburg’s story was just beginning.

Here’s what happened to the town that hosted America’s turning point.

The Confederate Invasion of Pennsylvania

In June 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee led his Army of Northern Virginia with about 75,000 soldiers across the Potomac River.

This was his second invasion of the North. Lee started moving through the Shenandoah Valley on June 3, using the mountains to hide from Union scouts.

He wanted to move fighting away from war-torn Virginia and maybe capture Northern cities. Success might force Northern politicians to make peace.

Union forces under newly appointed General George G. Meade chased them. By June 28, Confederate forces had reached the Susquehanna River deep in Pennsylvania.

The First Day’s Battle – July 1, 1863

Early July 1, Confederate General Henry Heth’s troops approached Gettysburg looking for shoes and supplies.

They ran into Union cavalry under Brigadier General John Buford. Union General John Reynolds rushed help but was shot dead by a Confederate sniper while moving troops in McPherson’s Woods.

Confederate reinforcements under A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell arrived all day, outnumbering Union forces.

Around 4:00 p.m., Union positions north and west of Gettysburg broke. Federal troops retreated through town to Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill, forming a fishhook-shaped line along Cemetery Ridge.

The Union’s Defensive Anchor

Cemetery Hill rises 80 feet above Gettysburg, named for the civilian Evergreen Cemetery built there in 1854.

Major General Oliver O. Howard and his XI Corps took this high ground after retreating from broken positions north of town.

The hill became the center of the Union army’s fishhook-shaped line. Its height made it perfect for artillery.

Union guns could fire in all directions, covering approaches from town and protecting other parts of the Federal line.

During July 2-3, Confederate artillery and infantry attacks against Cemetery Hill all failed.

The Second Day’s Battle – July 2, 1863

Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered attacks on both ends of the Union line.

General James Longstreet would hit the Union left while General Richard Ewell attacked the right at Culp’s Hill.

Longstreet’s attack didn’t start until around 4:00 p.m. because of delays from rough ground and confusion.

Union General Daniel Sickles moved his III Corps forward without orders to higher ground near the Peach Orchard, creating a weak spot. Brutal fighting broke out at Devil’s Den, Little Round Top, and the Wheatfield, which changed hands six times in three hours.

Sickles’ move backfired, costing heavy losses including his own leg.

The Battle for the Union Right

Culp’s Hill stands about 630 feet above sea level on the Union army’s right side, protecting the Baltimore Pike—the Union army’s main supply road to Washington D.C.

Union General George S. Greene ordered his men to build strong walls using fallen trees, rocks, and dirt.

July 2 evening, Confederate forces under Richard Ewell attacked, getting footholds on lower slopes.

Fighting started again at 4:30 a.m. July 3 and went on for seven hours—the longest fighting of the whole battle.

Despite repeated Confederate attacks, Union forces held their fortified spots and by noon had taken back the entire hill.

The Union’s Left Flank

Little Round Top rises 650 feet above sea level, two miles south of Gettysburg.

This rocky hill had no defenders until Union General Gouverneur K. Warren saw how important it was while checking the battlefield. Colonel Strong Vincent rushed his troops there without waiting for orders.

Vincent put the 20th Maine Regiment under Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at the far left of the Union line.

The 20th Maine fought off repeated attacks from the 15th Alabama Regiment, almost running out of bullets.

Chamberlain ordered a desperate bayonet charge down the hill, surprising the tired Confederates and saving the Union flank. The fighting cost over 1,700 casualties from both sides.

The High Water Mark

July 3, General Robert E. Lee ordered a frontal attack against the Union center at Cemetery Ridge.

Pickett’s division had about 5,500 Virginians in three groups led by Generals Lewis Armistead, James Kemper, and Richard Garnett. The full attack force numbered around 12,500 men.

Around 1:00 p.m., about 150 Confederate guns opened a massive two-hour bombardment.

Union artillery shot back at first but then deliberately stopped to save bullets and trick the Confederates. Around 3:00 p.m., Confederate infantry marched across nearly a mile of open ground under heavy fire.

Only General Lewis Armistead’s small group briefly broke through at “the Angle” before being pushed back

The Confederate Retreat and Union Victory

Pickett’s Charge was a disaster. Over half of the 12,500 men became casualties.

General George Pickett lost all three group commanders—Armistead was mortally wounded, Kemper seriously wounded, and Garnett killed.

When survivors returned, Lee said, “It is all my fault.”

July 4, Lee started pulling his army south in heavy rain. His forces got stuck north of the flooded Potomac River until July 13.

The three-day battle cost about 51,000 total casualties: 23,049 Union and 28,063 Confederate. Combined with Vicksburg’s fall the same day, Gettysburg marked the Civil War’s turning point.

The Gettysburg Address and National Cemetery

After the battle, lawyer David Wills bought 17 acres next to Evergreen Cemetery for Union burials.

The Soldiers’ National Cemetery was dedicated November 19, 1863. Lincoln’s invitation came as an afterthought just two weeks before, asking for “a few appropriate remarks.”

Edward Everett, the main speaker, gave a traditional two-hour speech.

Lincoln’s talk lasted just two minutes, starting with “Four score and seven years ago,” meaning the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

In 272 words, Lincoln said the Civil War was about making sure government “of the people, by the people, for the people” would survive.

The cemetery eventually held remains of more than 3,500 Union soldiers.

Battlefield Preservation and Monuments

September 1863, lawyer David McConaughy bought 600 acres of battlefield land, focusing on Culp’s Hill, East Cemetery Hill, and Little Round Top.

He helped start the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association in April 1864 to continue saving the battlefield.

The first monument was a marble urn honoring the 1st Minnesota Infantry, placed in the National Cemetery in 1867.

Confederate monuments weren’t allowed at first; the first appeared in 1884. The park came under federal control February 11, 1895, moving from the Memorial Association to the War Department.

Today the park has over 1,300 monuments and markers honoring those who fought.

Visiting Gettysburg National Military Park

Located at 1195 Baltimore Pike in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the national military park welcomes nearly one million visitors annually.

The park provides a complete experience for those interested in Civil War history.

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center serves as the recommended starting point for battlefield exploration.

Inside the visitor center, guests can explore the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War, which houses many of the park’s 43,000 artifacts.

One of the center’s highlights is the Gettysburg Cyclorama, a massive 360-degree painting completed in 1884 by French artist Paul Philippoteaux.

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