Gettysburg, PA

[Battle of Gettysburg by Currier and Ives - Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Date(s): July 1-3, 1863

Campaign(s): Gettysburg Campaign [June-August 1863]

Location: Please click on link below for map.

Battles in Campaign:

• Brandy Station, VA - June 9, 1863 B

• Winchester II, VA - June 13-15, 1863 B

• Aldie, VA - June 17, 1863 C¹

• Middleburg, VA - June 17-19, 1863 C¹

• Upperville, VA - June 21, 1863 C¹

• Hanover, PA - June 30, 1863 C¹

• Gettysburg, PA - July 1-3, 1863

• A

• Williamsport, MD - July 6-16, 1863 C¹

• Boonsboro, MD - July 8, 1863 D¹

• Manassas Gap, VA - July 23, 1863 D¹

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union: Maj. Gen. George G. Meade

• Confederate: Gen. Robert E. Lee

Principal Forces:

• Union: 83,289

• Confederate: 75,054

Description:

• Gen. Robert E. Lee concentrated his full strength against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade’s Army of the Potomac at the crossroads county seat of Gettysburg.

• On July 1, Confederate forces converged on the town from west and north, driving Union defenders back through the streets to Cemetery Hill.

• During the night, reinforcements arrived for both sides.

• On July 2, Lee attempted to envelop the Federals, first striking the Union left flank at the Peach Orchard, Wheatfield, Devil’s Den, and the Round Tops with Longstreet’s and Hill’s divisions, and then attacking the Union right at Culp’s and East Cemetery Hills with Ewell’s divisions. By evening, the Federals retained Little Round Top and had repulsed most of Ewell’s men.

• During the morning of July 3, the Confederate infantry were driven from their last toe-hold on Culp’s Hill.

• In the afternoon, after a preliminary artillery bombardment, Lee attacked the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. The Pickett-Pettigrew assault (more popularly, Pickett’s Charge) momentarily pierced the Union line but was driven back with severe casualties.

• Stuart’s cavalry attempted to gain the Union rear but was repulsed.

• On July 4th, Lee began withdrawing his army toward Williamsport on the Potomac River. His train of wounded stretched more than fourteen miles.

Photo Gallery:¹

Entering Gettysburg	Cannon and Limber	Union Troops	Union Soldier's Tent
Officer's Field Tent	Various Artillery Barrels	Visitor Center Electric Map	Gettysburg National Cemetery
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Monument	Gettysburg National Cemetery	Gettysburg National Cemetery
	Grave Markers	New York Monument	New York Monument
Maj. Gen John A. Reynolds Monument
Attack on Cemetery Hill - Second Day		Friend to Friend - A Brotherhood Undivided	Friend to Friend - A Brotherhood Undivided
Gettysburg National Cemetery			Battery L - 1st New York Light Artillery - 1st Corps
Reynolds Woods	Sixth New York Cavalry - Ira Harris Guard - 2nd Brigade - 1st Division	Sixth New York Cavalry - Ira Harris Guard - 2nd Brigade - 1st Division
Peace Eternal in a Nation United	General Rodes Attacks
		Army of Northern Virginia - Hurt's Battery - Hardaway's Alabama Artillery
Oak Ridge
		Barlow Knoll	Culp's Hill - "The Barb of the Hook"
	Williams Avenue	John White Geary Monument	Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers - Birney's Zouaves
29th Ohio Infantry - 1st Brigade - 2nd Div - 12th Corps	Defense of Culp's Hill	Maj. Gen. George Sears Greene
Battlefield Landmarks - South and West
Battlefield Landmarks - West and North			Maj. Gen Henry Warner Slocum
	Stevens Knoll	East Cemetery Hill
	Confederate Line of Battle - Seminary Ridge
11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment	Army of Northern Virginia - Hill's Corps - Pender's Division
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet Monument	Inscription on Lt. Gen. James Longstreet Monument	Farnsworth's Cavalry Charge - Third Day
Gen. Gouverneur Kemble Warren Monument	Gen. Gouverneur Kemble Warren Monument		Defense of Little Round Top
		124th New York Infantry
4th New York Ind 'P' Battery - 3rd Corps
Confederate Sharpshooter	Site Where Sharpshooter Picture Was Taken		The Fight for Devil's Den
	From Cemetery Ridge	From Cemetery Ridge

Part Two

Reenactment Pictures - July 4-6, 2008

• Day One

  • "The Devil's to Pay" - First Day Struggle at Willoughby Run

  • "Holding the High Ground" - Defending East Cemetery Ridge

• Day Two

  • "Polished Sabers Dazzling in the Sun" - Cavalry Engagement at Hanover Road

  • "Hold the Line" - Gallant Rally at the Klingle Farm

  • "The 20th Maine Saves Little Round Top"

• Day Three

  • "We Must Cross the Potomac to Virginia" - Protecting the Retreat

  • "The High Tide Crashes" - Pickett's Charge

• Generals at the Reenactment

• Demonstrations

  • Mortar and Cannons

  • Music

• Re-enactors and Living Historians

Classification³: A

Casualties⁴:

• Union: 23,000

• Confederate: 28,000

Results: Union Victory

Battlefield Websites:

• Gettysburg National Military Park - National Park Service

• Battle of Gettysburg - Wikipedia

• The Battle of Gettysburg - Military History Online

• March to Destiny - Reenactment

• Battle of Gettysburg - Reenactment

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² Please click on the image to enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link with each image: "Courtesy of civil-war-journeys.org."

³ Classification:

• A - having a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war

• B - having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign

• C - having observable influence on the outcome of a campaign

• D - having a limited influence on the outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important local objectives

⁴ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 07/17/2008