One of the largest military conflicts in North American history begins on July 1, 1863, when Union and Confederate forces collide at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The epic battle lasted three days and resulted in a retreat to Virginia by Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.
Two months prior to Gettysburg, Lee had dealt a stunning defeat to the Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville, Virginia. He then made plans for a Northern invasion in order to relieve pressure on war-weary Virginia and to seize the initiative from the Yankees. His army, numbering about 80,000, began moving on June 3. The Army of the Potomac, commanded by Joseph Hooker and numbering just under 100,000, began moving shortly thereafter, staying between Lee and Washington, D.C. But on June 28, frustrated by the Lincoln administration’s restrictions on his autonomy as commander, Hooker resigned and was replaced by George G. Meade.
Meade took command of the Army of the Potomac as Lee’s army moved into Pennsylvania. On the morning of July 1, advance units of the forces came into contact with one another just outside of Gettysburg. The sound of battle attracted other units, and by noon the conflict was raging. During the first hours of battle, Union General John Reynolds was killed, and the Yankees found that they were outnumbered. The battle lines ran around the northwestern rim of Gettysburg. The Confederates applied pressure all along the Union front, and they slowly drove the Yankees through the town.
By evening, the Federal troops rallied on high ground on the southeastern edge of Gettysburg. As more troops arrived, Meade’s army formed a three-mile long, fishhook-shaped line running from Culp’s Hill on the right flank, along Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge, to the base of Little Round Top. The Confederates held Gettysburg, and stretched along a six-mile arc around the Union position. Lee’s forces would continue to batter each end of the Union position, before launching the infamous Pickett’s Charge against the Union center on July 3.
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The largest and last meeting engagement in the civil war.
In hindsight Lee should have listened to Longstreet and sidled off to Meade’s left.
The tourists and re-enactaters are already taking up positions for their battle to get through the two-lane streets as the locals use the alleys to flank and out-maneuver them.
The greatest challenge for local forces is getting caught in the infamous “Square” in the center of town. Once a tourist noses their vehicle into the circle of traffic they often get “stuck”, impeding everyone else as their brain tries to see “lanes” where there are none. The rule is simple. “Circle traffic has the right of way”. Practically, that means everyone else goes before you do. Often, one will try to drive around the outer edge, impeding everyone else. Locals see a little daylight, and dive in ahead of the rest, quickly escaping into one of the side streets.
Digital internet connected parking meters allow for quick attacks by parking enforcement, often before the victim has a chance to get more than a block away. They might look behind them and actually see the ticket being placed as the enforcement officer darts between houses to make a clean getaway.
The “Man Store” on the square has triple priced goods that any self absorbed twinkie might want, especially the counter with tiny Swiss Army knives an inch long or so, good for the tweezers that help with eyebrow plucking. I walked in once, and pulled out the 5-1/2 inch full sized Victorinox, which opens with a “CLACK” sound, and told the twinkie “you should carry these. It’s more of a man’s knife for doing real work”. By the look on his face you’d a thunk I snotted on him or something. After all, it’s called “The Man Store”…..
Pickett’s Charge was tragic. Here’s a video of the retreat from Gettysburg. It’s very good and very well done. How the wounded Confederates suffered in the back of the wagons was also tragic. They edited that portion out of this video but many men were begging to be let out and to let them die beside the road.
As a kid on the farm less than a half mile from East Cavalry Field, I often thought “I shoulda been there, I coulda saved Jeb Stuart and led his troop the back way around, to come up behind Culp’s Hill.
East Cavalry field was a meeting between the two greatest cavalry commanders in history, Stuart and Custer. Custer always said he owed his whole career to the battle at East Cavalry Field and to the Spencer Repeating Rifle, which won the day. There were dozens and dozens of dead Confederate horses everywhere. It’s a very under-visited part of the battlefield, and my favorite place for a walk. Very quiet with a beautiful view.
I remember as a kid picking up a book about the battle in my Junior HS library. This may sound weird but I was exhilarated and energized reading it and wishing I was a Confederate back then. The thought of independence and freedom from authority was important to me.
I visited the battlefield (amongst others) several times and thought it’d be so cool to talk with a Confederate ghost or see a line of Confederates marching to battle.
This is a very good bio that I’ve listened to several times. It’s very good.
Thomas Jefferson: Go to Vicksburg , bruh and free up the Mississippi for re-supply and troop re-enforcement.
Robert E Lee: Nah, bruh…Imma’ takin’ the fight North. Imma’ either goin’ whup them or they gonna’ whup me , but heads up. Get your dress and bonnet ready cuz’ you may have to run.
Generals always know best.
Thomas Jefferson?
Lol…Jefferson Davis, after coffee, of course.
Are you completely awake, Flash? reeeeeeeee
I am now….reeeeeee
Since “Bike Week” is a week later, and since bikers have the same style beards and mustaches as civil war soldiers, many of them stay an extra week for Bike Week. I once saw General Longstreet in full dress uniform complete with hat and saber, riding down the street on an Electra Glide. Looked ok to me…