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At around 7:30 am on July 1st, 1863, Lieutenant Marcellus Jones, of the 8th Illinois Cavalry, noticed a column of rebel infantry through the humid mists while he was on picket duty along the Chambersburg Pike. He leveled a borrowed breech loading carbine on a fence rail, and fired the first shot of well over a million to be fired during the largest battle in the Western Hemisphere. General John Bufords men were stretched out over McPhersons Ridge and the Chambersburg Pike. Confederate General Harry Heth was unsure of what lay before him. Was it militia? Just a small regiment? He decided to press forward to brush these pesky cavalry men off. He ordered the 5th Alabama regiment into a skirmish line, to attack the dismounted troopers in his front.
Meanwhile, Buford himself was a short distance away, in the Cupola of the Lutheran Theological Seminary. It provided him with an excellent view of the battlefield, and the condition of his troops.
The Yankee horsemen quickly fired shot after shot at a very quick pace. These were cavalrymen, meaning that they used breech loading carbines. The Southerners used Muzzle loading rifled muskets. A good infantryman could fire about three rounds per minute- a cavalryman could fire six. It was this difference, that made the fighting somewhat equal. Buford had to hold the high ground until Reynolds could arrive with the I Corps.
General Heth ordered his two generals Archer and Davis to move forward. Then he ordered an artillery attack on Mcphersons Ridge.
By this time, at around nine in the morning, General Buford was in a worried state. The rebels were pushing, and pushing hard. Where in the heck was Reynolds!?
Then, in the distance, an aide noticed the flags of the I Corps, with General Reynolds at the lead. General Reynolds yelled up to the cupola, where Buford was standing, "What goes, John?" "There's the Devil to pay!" Buford shouted back . "Can you Hold?" questioned Reynolds. "I reckon I can" drawled the Kentucky native Buford. Buford held the line until he absolutely couldn't any more, an that's when the I Corps arrived.
The Union I corps contained the most famed, feared and spectacular Union brigade of all - the Iron Brigade. The units in the brigade consisted of Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin Regiments. They were the toughest soldiers in the army, and wore a signature black hat.
"It's the d***** Black Hats!" shouted a furious Heth. The rebels were falling back slowly, firing as they went. General Reynolds went forward with his men shouting, "Forward men! For Gods sake, forward!" No sooner than when he spoke those words, a rebel sharpshooters bullet pierced his temple, and the general fell forward in his saddle, dead.
General Reynolds
Attack of the 2nd Wisconsin
By now, Lee was angry at that an attack was made. He didn't want to engage the enemy until he was ready. But now an attack was here, and he ordered all of his command forward.
All up and down the union lines, from Mcphersons Ridge, to Barlows Knoll, the Yankees were having a tough time holding the confederates back. Men from the Pennsylvania "Bucktail" regiment held off the season veterans of the North Carolina "Tarheels" for a good long time, proving their battlefield worth. Union General Francis Barlow was severely wounded on the knoll that bears his name, and was left for dead. It has been said that a confederate Colonel John Gordon saw Barlow laying down in the field. He gave the general a drink of much needed water from his own canteen, and rushed back to rally his men. Whether this really happened or not is still a mystery.
By 4:00PM All hell broke loose on the union lines. The XI Corps buckled, and started to flee in every direction. The rebels gave chase, and finally broke through the union lines. The rebels captured the town of Gettysburg, and a bit of the surrounding countryside. General Lee was very pleased, but he asked CS General Ewell to take Cemetery Hill, "if practicable". General Ewell did not, despite protests from his subordinates. Within the hour, Union troops were on the hill, working on getting artillery placements. It is one of the biggest questions in all of Civil War history. If General Ewell took that hill, would they have won the battle? Would they have won the war? It s impossible to say, but historians agree it was probably the right decision at the time.
The sun fell that day with a Confederate victory, and over 9,000 Killed, wounded, or missing on either side.
Meanwhile, Buford himself was a short distance away, in the Cupola of the Lutheran Theological Seminary. It provided him with an excellent view of the battlefield, and the condition of his troops.
The Yankee horsemen quickly fired shot after shot at a very quick pace. These were cavalrymen, meaning that they used breech loading carbines. The Southerners used Muzzle loading rifled muskets. A good infantryman could fire about three rounds per minute- a cavalryman could fire six. It was this difference, that made the fighting somewhat equal. Buford had to hold the high ground until Reynolds could arrive with the I Corps.
General Heth ordered his two generals Archer and Davis to move forward. Then he ordered an artillery attack on Mcphersons Ridge.
By this time, at around nine in the morning, General Buford was in a worried state. The rebels were pushing, and pushing hard. Where in the heck was Reynolds!?
Then, in the distance, an aide noticed the flags of the I Corps, with General Reynolds at the lead. General Reynolds yelled up to the cupola, where Buford was standing, "What goes, John?" "There's the Devil to pay!" Buford shouted back . "Can you Hold?" questioned Reynolds. "I reckon I can" drawled the Kentucky native Buford. Buford held the line until he absolutely couldn't any more, an that's when the I Corps arrived.
The Union I corps contained the most famed, feared and spectacular Union brigade of all - the Iron Brigade. The units in the brigade consisted of Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin Regiments. They were the toughest soldiers in the army, and wore a signature black hat.
"It's the d***** Black Hats!" shouted a furious Heth. The rebels were falling back slowly, firing as they went. General Reynolds went forward with his men shouting, "Forward men! For Gods sake, forward!" No sooner than when he spoke those words, a rebel sharpshooters bullet pierced his temple, and the general fell forward in his saddle, dead.
General Reynolds
Attack of the 2nd Wisconsin
By now, Lee was angry at that an attack was made. He didn't want to engage the enemy until he was ready. But now an attack was here, and he ordered all of his command forward.
All up and down the union lines, from Mcphersons Ridge, to Barlows Knoll, the Yankees were having a tough time holding the confederates back. Men from the Pennsylvania "Bucktail" regiment held off the season veterans of the North Carolina "Tarheels" for a good long time, proving their battlefield worth. Union General Francis Barlow was severely wounded on the knoll that bears his name, and was left for dead. It has been said that a confederate Colonel John Gordon saw Barlow laying down in the field. He gave the general a drink of much needed water from his own canteen, and rushed back to rally his men. Whether this really happened or not is still a mystery.
By 4:00PM All hell broke loose on the union lines. The XI Corps buckled, and started to flee in every direction. The rebels gave chase, and finally broke through the union lines. The rebels captured the town of Gettysburg, and a bit of the surrounding countryside. General Lee was very pleased, but he asked CS General Ewell to take Cemetery Hill, "if practicable". General Ewell did not, despite protests from his subordinates. Within the hour, Union troops were on the hill, working on getting artillery placements. It is one of the biggest questions in all of Civil War history. If General Ewell took that hill, would they have won the battle? Would they have won the war? It s impossible to say, but historians agree it was probably the right decision at the time.
The sun fell that day with a Confederate victory, and over 9,000 Killed, wounded, or missing on either side.
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