PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks: General Meade After Pickett's Charge
Did Meade want to fight at Gettysburg? Did Meade want to retreat on the evening of July 2nd? Why didn't Meade counter-assault the Army of Northern Virginia after the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge? National Park Service addresses these questions DVD

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American Civil War Battle
Gettysburg Pennsylvania
July 1-3 1863



In July of 1863, General Robert E. Lee's Army Of Northern Virginia of 75,000 men and the 97,000 man Union Army Of The Potomac under General George G. Meade met, by chance, when a Confederate brigade sent forward for supplies observed a forward column of Meade's cavalry.

Of the more than 2,000 land engagements of the Civil War, Gettysburg ranks supreme. Although the Battle of Gettysburg did not end the war, nor did it attain any major war aim for the North or the South, it remains the great battle of the war.

Here at Gettysburg on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863, more men actually fought and more men died than in any other battle before or since on North American soil.

Maps of Gettysburg
The Maps of Gettysburg:
The Gettysburg Campaign
June 3 - July 13, 1863

The Maps of Gettysburg plows new ground in the study of the campaign by breaking down the entire campaign in 140 detailed original maps.

Gettysburg Book Titles

Day 1

Gettysburg-July 1, 1863 In June, Robert E. Lee decided to take the war north. He planned to destroy the railroad bridge at Harrisburg, then "turn my attention to Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington as may seem best for our interest." After the long march north, Confederate troops were spread from Chambersburg, through Carlisle, and into York.

Towns across southern Pennsylvania were being "explored" for much needed supplies to continue the Southern offensive. While looking in Gettysburg, Pettigrew's brigade spotted Buford's cavalry on a ridge a mile west of town.

The Battle of Gettysburg Pennsylvania began on July 1 with Confederate troops attacking that Union cavalry division on McPherson Ridge, west of town. Out-numbered, the Union forces managed to hold, and even drive the Confederate army back, after the addition of John Reynold's Infantry division (and Reynold's subsequent death on the front lines).

They prevailed until afternoon, when they were overpowered by additional southern troops, and driven back through town. In the confusion, thousands of Union soldiers were captured before they could rally on Cemetery Hill, south of town.

Long into the night Union troops labored over their defenses while the bulk of Meade's army arrived and took positions.



Gettysburg--The First Day
A detailed tactical description of the first day's fighting. The engagements in McPherson Woods, at the Railroad Cuts, on Oak Ridge, on Seminary Ridge, and at Blocher's Knoll, and the retreat of Union forces through Gettysburg

Gettysburg Book Titles

Gettysburg Reenactor Loging Hotels and Camping
Gettysburg-July 2, 1863

Day 2

On July 2, the battle lines were drawn up in two sweeping arcs. The main portions of both armies were nearly a mile apart on two parallel ridges; Union forces on Cemetery Ridge in the famous "fish hook", facing Confederate forces on Seminary Ridge to the west. Lee ordered an attack against both Union flanks.
On the south, James Longstreet's thrust on the Union left broke through D.E. Sickles' advance lines at the Peach Orchard, left the Wheatfield and Plum Run (now known as Bloody Run) strewn with dead and wounded, and turned the rocky area called the "Devils Den", at the base of Little Round Top, into a shambles. Only a very observant General G. K. Warren saved Little Round Top for the Union, when he saw that the strategic hill was unmanned.
To the north, R. S. Ewell's attack ultimately proved futile against the entrenched Union right on East Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill, even though they were able to take possession of the southern slope of Culp's Hill on one occasion. The frequent lack of effective communication would prove the downfall of the Confederacy this day. If they had only known that they were only a few hundred yards away from taking the Unions supply trains...if only Rodes had moved through the streets of Gettysburg to aid in the attack on Cemetery Hill...

Selected Letters of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, 1865-1914
Known as the hero of Little Round Top and the commanding officer who accepted the Confederates' surrender at Appomattox.

Gettysburg-July 3, 1863

Day 3

On July 3, Lee decided to press the attack to the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. At 1 in the afternoon, the southern artillery opened a bombardment that for a time engaged the massed guns of both sides in a thundering duel for supremacy, but did little to soften up the Union battle lines.
Then came the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg...with a salute from Longstreet, General George E. Pickett, in a desperate attempt to recapture the partial success of the preceding day, spearheaded one of the most incredible efforts in military history...a massed infantry assault of 15,000 Confederate troops across the open field toward the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. One mile they marched, while being pounded by artillery and rifle fire. Through it all, Pickett's men reached but failed to break the Union line, and the magnificent effort ended in disaster. The tide of the Confederacy had "swept to its crest, paused, and receded." In 50 minutes, 10,000 in the assault had become casualties, and the attack - forever to be known as Pickett's Charge - was now history.

Pickett's Charge--The Last Attack at Gettysburg
Pickett's July 3, 1863 charge up Cemetery Ridge is the climactic event of the Battle of Gettysburg and a defining moment of the Civil War


July 3  3:00 PM
3:30 PM

Click to enlarge
3:45 PM
picketts Charge gettysburg PA civil war

With the failure of Pickett's Charge, the battle was over - the Union was saved. Lee's retreat began on the afternoon of July 4. Behind him, this small town of only 2,400 was left with a total (from both sides) of over 51,000 casualties. Over 172,000 men and 634 cannon had been positioned in an area encompassing 25 square miles. Additionally, an estimated 569 tons of ammunition was expended and, when the battle had ended, 5,000 dead horses and the other wreckage of war presented a scene of terrible devastation.

The Confederate army that staggered back from the fight at Gettysburg was physically and spiritually exhausted. Lee would never again attempt an offensive operation of such proportions. Meade, though he was criticized for not immediately pursuing Lee's army, had carried the day in the battle that has become known as the High Water Mark of the Confederacy.

The war was to rage for two more terrible and tormenting years but the Confederacy never recovered from the losses of Gettysburg. And through the deepening twilight of Confederate military might, all who had been to Gettysburg would remember.


PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks: Pickett's Charge - Pettigrew's Perspective
The legendary exploits of the Union and Confederate armies come to life with these informative tours of Gettysburg National Park

Large Area Map
The cemetery after the Battle
Gettysburg Campaign Map

Gettysburg Battle map

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Headquarters of General George G. Meade on Cemetery Ridge
Gettysburg Headquarters General Meade

Unfinished Confederate grave near the center of battle-field of Gettysburg. [Stereograph]
Click to enlarge Picture
Confederate Soldier Grave Gettysburg Pennsylvania



Meade: Victor of Gettysburg
Meade took command only hours before his forces stumbled upon Robert E. Lee's Confederates at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1863. He led his men to victory in one of the most famous battles in history, but Meade was soon embroiled in political battles with fellow generals and Washington politicians






In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War
The professor-turned-soldier who led the Twentieth Maine Regiment to glory at Gettysburg, earned a battlefield promotion to brigadier general from Ulysses S. Grant at Petersburg, and was wounded six times during the course of the Civil War






Custer Victorious: The Civil War Battles of General George Armstrong Custer
Custer was promoted to major general and the helm of the Third Cavalry Division when he was only twenty-four. Urwin describes the Boy General's vital contributions to Union victories from Gettysburg to Appomattox.
Gettysburg Address
Kids Zone Gettysburg
Pennsylvania Battle Map
Civil War Exhibits
Civil War Maps
General Robert E. Lee
General Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Ships and Naval Battles
Civil War Store
Civil War Revolver Pistol
Civil War Model 1851 Naval Pistol with Engraved Silver Tone / Gold Tone Finish and Wooden Grips - Replica of Revolver Used by Both USA / Union and CSA / Confederate Forces



Reenactors Row Supplies
Confederate Collectibles
Top Book Titles

Gettysburg Book Titles
Gettysburg Hallowed Ground
Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg
The events that occurred at Gettysburg are etched into our collective memory, as they served to change the course of the Civil War and with it the course of history. More than any other place in the United States, Gettysburg is indeed hallowed ground. It's no surprise that it is one of the nation's most visited sites (nearly two million annual visitors), attracting tourists, military buffs, and students of American history.
General Sickles at Gettysburg
Sickles at Gettysburg: The Controversial Civil War General Who Committed Murder, Abandoned Little Round Top, and Declared Himself the Hero of Gettysburg
No individual who fought at Gettysburg was more controversial, both personally and professionally, than Major General Daniel E. Sickles. By 1863, Sickles was notorious as a disgraced former Congressman who murdered his wife's lover on the streets of Washington and used America's first temporary insanity defense to escape justice
Louisiana Tiger at Gettysburg
The Louisiana Tigers in the Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863
A sweeping history of the Louisiana Tigers; their predecessors, Wheat's Tigers; the organizational structure and leadership of the brigade in 1863; and the personnel that made up its ranks. Covering the Tigers' movements and battle actions in depth
Gettysburg Sea of Misery
A Vast Sea of Misery: A History and Guide to the Union and Confederate Field Hospitals at Gettysburg, July 1-November 20, 1863
Virtually everything you would want to know about post-battle medical care for Union and Confederate soldiers at Gettysburg can be found in this thorough and highly detailed book. Both Civil War and Medical historians will find this book to be very appealing. It is well-illustrated and full of first-hand accounts of the locations

Brigades of Gettysburg: The Union and Confederate Brigades at the Battle of Gettysburg
Brigades of Gettysburg fills this void by presenting a complete account of every brigade unit at Gettysburg and providing a fresh perspective of the battle.Using the words of enlisted men and officers, the author-well-known Civil War historian Bradley Gottfried-weaves a fascinating narrative of the role played by every brigade at the famous three-day battle

George Gordon Meade and the War in the East
To most students of the Civil War, he is merely the man who was lucky enough to benefit from Confederate mistakes at Gettysburg, but whose shortcomings as a commander compelled Abraham Lincoln to bring in Ulysses S. Grant from the West to achieve victory

Those Damned Black Hats! The Iron Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign
Memorable Battles at South Mountain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Mine Run, the Overland Campaign, and the grueling fighting around Petersburg. None of these battles compared with the "four long hours" of July 1, 1863, at Gettysburg, where the Iron Brigade was all but wrecked.

The Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech That Nobody Knows
Reconstructs what really happened in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863.

American Civil War Gettysburg DVD Titles

Horses of Gettysburg
Civil War Minutes

Filmed in high definition with charging horses, battlefield panoramas and no "talking heads," this cinematic documentary tells the story of the estimated 72,000 horses and mules that fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and uncovers the strategies employed to ensure that the millions of animals in service with the North and South remained healthy and well-trained for action.

Gettysburg and Stories of Valor - Civil War Minutes III DVD Box Set
This 3-hour documentary captures the scenic beauty of the Gettysburg battlefield, examines rare Civil War artifacts and tells the personal stories of the men who fought in the war.

Gettysburg / Gods and Generals
The tide of the war changes during three fierce days of combat at Gettysburg [Disc 1] the gripping saga of the tactics command errors and sacrifices behind the bloodiest battle ever fought on U.S. soil. Gods and Generals [Disc 2] reveals the spirited allegiances and fierce combat of earlier Civil War struggles

Civil War Journal
West Point Classmates - Civil War Enemies

Beyond the pages of history and into the personal stories behind the Great Conflict

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Lee's Retreat Through Monterey Pass

PCN Gettysburg Battlewalks:
The First Shots

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
The Valley of Death


PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Armistead's Brigade

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Culp's Hill

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
The Codori Farm

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Awe-Inspiring Confusion at Devil's Den


PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Maj. General Pender on Seminary Ridge


PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Spangler's Spring

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Power's Hill

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Henry Hunt at Cemetery Ridge

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
The Wounded and the Dead

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Bucktail Brigade

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Herbst Woods


PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
The Wiekert, Trostle, and Klingle Farms

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
The 13th Vermont Infantry

The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns
Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks: Pickett's Charge - Pettigrew's Perspective
The legendary exploits of the Union and Confederate armies come to life with these informative tours of Gettysburg National Park

PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks: General Meade After Pickett's Charge
Did Meade want to fight at Gettysburg? Did Meade want to retreat on the evening of July 2nd? Why didn't Meade counter-assault the Army of Northern Virginia after the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge? National Park Service addresses these questions

History Channel Presents The Civil War
From Harper's Ferry, Fort Sumter, and First Bull Run to Shiloh, Antietam, and Gettysburg. The most legendary Civil War battles in brilliant detail. A selection of the soldiers and legendary leaders.

Sources:
Library of Congress
Federal Citizen


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