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The third day began early, as the Confederates made a rush to grab Culps Hill at around 4:00AM , but the Union XII Corps counterattacked before they could reach it.
Culps Hill, an underappreciated section of the battlefield, was heavily contested for on July 2nd, and even more so on July 3rd. It could be said, that if the Confederates would have taken that hill, Gettysburg would be a Southern victory. Volley after volley, smashed into the rocks and trees making shrieking ricochet sounds. After multiple charges and heavy losses, the confederates pulled back at around 10:00AM. As the bloodied and battered rebel columns marched by, Confederate general Steuart, whose brigade of North Carolina and Maryland troops were in the thick of battle, wrung his hands and woefully moaned, "my poor boys! My poor boys!"
By this time, Lee had a problem. The loss of Culps Hill meant a drastic change in plans. After a while of thought, he came up with his master plan. Bombard the Union center, its weakest point, and afterwards a charge of over 18,000 men to assault the center. In his eyes, it was perfect. General Longstreet thought otherwise.
"No 10,000 men can ever take that ridge" he said. Lee told him that with the artillery, they would prevail. The enemy was here, and he wasn't going to let them there.
At around 1:00PM, General Longstreet rode up to the commander of the Washington Artillery, a Famous Louisiana regiment, to fire the signal shots from the Peach Orchard. What followed was a violent, terrific blast from over 120 Confederate cannon simultaneously. Union soldiers were surprised, as they weren't expecting an attack. Never the less, Union gunners quickly began to return fire. For almost three hours, the air was filled with the sounds of booming cannons, shrieking shells, and violent explosions. The ground quite literally shook with the sounds of almost 200 artillery pieces from both sides. Confederate soldiers and Union soldiers alike both suffered from the noise. A few reports of men going insane exist, some soldiers ears bled, and others simply went into shock. Due to a strange atmospheric occurrence, people as far away as Baltimore Maryland heard the battle. Citizens in Philadelphia, heard the noise as well as citizens in Pittsburgh and New York.
Colonel Porter, a young commander of artillery, rushed pleas to Longstreet to commence the attack, or they would run out of ammunition. Longstreet held off for as long as possible. General Pickett, whose charge his name bears, came to Longstreet, and asked if he could commence the attack. Longstreet bowed his head, and nodded.
The Call to Battle was played on the drums as regiment after regiment came out of the woods. A little under 18,000 men came out in a long line, ready to march. General Pickett rode to the lines, and in a speech that most couldn't hear, declared, "Up men! Up, and to your posts! And let no man forget that today, you are from, old VIRGINIA!" The Virginians gave a wild cheer, as the North Carolinian's looked on.
With that, they marched forward. Almost immediately, they came under fire from long range artillery. Case shot ripped through the lines. The rebels marched as if they were on parade. Union soldiers crouched behind a stone wall, waiting for the assault. The rebels had to march a distance of almost a mile, mostly uphill. The whole time, they were being ripped apart by artillery fire. As they neared the fence bordering the Emmitsburg road, they were temporarily halted. As they struggled to jump the fence, the were in range of Canister shot, shells packed with hundreds of round balls, shredded bodies. They were also in range of Union muskets, and they began to pour volleys into the now thinning rebel lines. Only about 200 men reached the stone wall, and they, along with their beloved general Lewis Armistead, began to overrun the Yankees. Yankee reinforcements rushed in, and repulsed the attack, and ended up mortally wounding Armistead. The attack was a failure, and Lee rode out to the men as they came in trom the field, bloodied, beaten and hanging on to life.
"Its all my fault!" Lee said. "It is entirely my fault!" The men quickly cried out that Lee wan't wrong. "Let us reform, and hit them again! They will surely break this time!" exclaimed one soldier.
Lee then found General Pickett standing, and staring into the field. "General Pickett, you must look to your division" Lee said. "General Lee. I have no division" was Pickett's morose reply.
After it was all said and done, over 51,000 casualties marked the end of the biggest battle in the western hemisphere. Lee had lost a major battle on Northern soil, and worse yet, Union general Grant captured Vicksburg Mississippi. Lee would pull out the next morning, defeated, but not finished.
Culps Hill, an underappreciated section of the battlefield, was heavily contested for on July 2nd, and even more so on July 3rd. It could be said, that if the Confederates would have taken that hill, Gettysburg would be a Southern victory. Volley after volley, smashed into the rocks and trees making shrieking ricochet sounds. After multiple charges and heavy losses, the confederates pulled back at around 10:00AM. As the bloodied and battered rebel columns marched by, Confederate general Steuart, whose brigade of North Carolina and Maryland troops were in the thick of battle, wrung his hands and woefully moaned, "my poor boys! My poor boys!"
By this time, Lee had a problem. The loss of Culps Hill meant a drastic change in plans. After a while of thought, he came up with his master plan. Bombard the Union center, its weakest point, and afterwards a charge of over 18,000 men to assault the center. In his eyes, it was perfect. General Longstreet thought otherwise.
"No 10,000 men can ever take that ridge" he said. Lee told him that with the artillery, they would prevail. The enemy was here, and he wasn't going to let them there.
At around 1:00PM, General Longstreet rode up to the commander of the Washington Artillery, a Famous Louisiana regiment, to fire the signal shots from the Peach Orchard. What followed was a violent, terrific blast from over 120 Confederate cannon simultaneously. Union soldiers were surprised, as they weren't expecting an attack. Never the less, Union gunners quickly began to return fire. For almost three hours, the air was filled with the sounds of booming cannons, shrieking shells, and violent explosions. The ground quite literally shook with the sounds of almost 200 artillery pieces from both sides. Confederate soldiers and Union soldiers alike both suffered from the noise. A few reports of men going insane exist, some soldiers ears bled, and others simply went into shock. Due to a strange atmospheric occurrence, people as far away as Baltimore Maryland heard the battle. Citizens in Philadelphia, heard the noise as well as citizens in Pittsburgh and New York.
Colonel Porter, a young commander of artillery, rushed pleas to Longstreet to commence the attack, or they would run out of ammunition. Longstreet held off for as long as possible. General Pickett, whose charge his name bears, came to Longstreet, and asked if he could commence the attack. Longstreet bowed his head, and nodded.
The Call to Battle was played on the drums as regiment after regiment came out of the woods. A little under 18,000 men came out in a long line, ready to march. General Pickett rode to the lines, and in a speech that most couldn't hear, declared, "Up men! Up, and to your posts! And let no man forget that today, you are from, old VIRGINIA!" The Virginians gave a wild cheer, as the North Carolinian's looked on.
With that, they marched forward. Almost immediately, they came under fire from long range artillery. Case shot ripped through the lines. The rebels marched as if they were on parade. Union soldiers crouched behind a stone wall, waiting for the assault. The rebels had to march a distance of almost a mile, mostly uphill. The whole time, they were being ripped apart by artillery fire. As they neared the fence bordering the Emmitsburg road, they were temporarily halted. As they struggled to jump the fence, the were in range of Canister shot, shells packed with hundreds of round balls, shredded bodies. They were also in range of Union muskets, and they began to pour volleys into the now thinning rebel lines. Only about 200 men reached the stone wall, and they, along with their beloved general Lewis Armistead, began to overrun the Yankees. Yankee reinforcements rushed in, and repulsed the attack, and ended up mortally wounding Armistead. The attack was a failure, and Lee rode out to the men as they came in trom the field, bloodied, beaten and hanging on to life.
"Its all my fault!" Lee said. "It is entirely my fault!" The men quickly cried out that Lee wan't wrong. "Let us reform, and hit them again! They will surely break this time!" exclaimed one soldier.
Lee then found General Pickett standing, and staring into the field. "General Pickett, you must look to your division" Lee said. "General Lee. I have no division" was Pickett's morose reply.
After it was all said and done, over 51,000 casualties marked the end of the biggest battle in the western hemisphere. Lee had lost a major battle on Northern soil, and worse yet, Union general Grant captured Vicksburg Mississippi. Lee would pull out the next morning, defeated, but not finished.
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