Battleground at Gettysburg
|
|
|
Battleground at Gettysburg
|
| On the morning of Wednesday, July 1st, both armies were relatively spreaded out across the Pennsylvania country. Although many, including generals, didn’t know it, the two armies were marching on converging roads leading toward Gettysburg. General Lee issued orders for his army to concentrate at Cashtown, about eight miles from Gettysburg. He also issued an order not to bring on any engagement. General Harvey Heth’s division of A. Hills III was in front of the rest of the Confederate Army headed toward Gettysburg to get shoes when John Buford’s division of cavalry was west of town. The Battle of Gettysburg had begun, and quite by accident. |
| On the third day of the Battle, Friday July 3rd, General Lee ordered Longstreet’s final division, George Pickett’s, which had arrived too late to take part of the battle of July 2nd, to assault the center of the Potomac’s line on Cemetery Ridge. Pickett’s division, supported by divisions from the III corps, was repulsed and suffered sixty casualties. This action ended the Battle of Gettysburg. |
| The casualties for the Army of the Potomac were 23,049. |
| The record from the Army of Northern Virginia only show near 20,000 casualties. However, the Army of Northern Virginia was not known to take good records, and generally agreed upon number 28,000. |
| The Battle of Gettysburg was the most deadliest and most costly ever in American History. |
|
|
| Stephen H. Light " General Lee's Old War-Horse and Battle of Gettysburg, <http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/gettysburg/articles/comment16.htm>, October 23, 2000" |
| " The World Book Encyclopedia-Battle of Gettysburg, Field Enterprises Educational Corporation, 1973, Page-163 |
| Created by:
Dustin Roduner |