~robby: Photos

gettysburg national military park, page six

After the action at Culp's Hill was finished, Lee decided to attack the center of the Union line believing it to be the weakest part of the Union forces. This assault would be remembered as Pickett's Charge.

It began with a barrage of cannon fire from the Confederate side. Immediately, Union cannons returned fire. Both sides continued to fire for two hous. It was so heavy and loud that it was heard as far away as Pittsburgh (180 miles). When the Confederate cannon fire lifted, Lee-believing that the Union line would be softened up-ordered his troops to advance.

To get to the Union forces, Confederate troops had to march almost one mile across an open field. To the left is a picture of the field. In the distance, the Virginia Memorial is visible at the edge of the woods on Seminary Ridge. It is from these woods the Confederate troops took the first steps in the march that would determine the outcome of the battle.

An alternate picture of the field is available.

 

As the Confederate troops marched toward the Union forces, Union cannons began to fire upon them. As the Union cannon fire decimated the Confederate lines, the Confederate soldiers closed ranks and continued to march toward the Union line. Once the Confederate line reached the Emmitsburg Road, shown in the picture above, Union gunfire errupted en masse, killing many more of the oncoming soldiers. And still they continued to march towards Cemetary Ridge.

This is a picture of the area around the High Water Mark taken from the field looking east towards where the Union line was. In the foreground is a stone wall the Union forces used for cover while firing at the approaching soldiers.

As the Confederate soliers approached the stone wall shown in the picture above, Union troops had to abandon it. The Confederates now had the advantage of cover and began to return fire from the relative safety of the stone wall. But if the Confederate Army was to carry the day, it would have to go beyond this point, breaking the Union line and dividing the Army of the Potomac in half. Recognizing this, Confederate Genreral Lewis Armistead lead his troops over the stone wall crying, "Give them the cold steel!"

The photo to the right shows the monument which markes the spot where Armistead was mortally wounded. Behind it the single tree marks a spot where the stone wall abruptly turns. Known as "the Angle", this is the spot where the Confederate Army crossed the wall and broke into the Union lines.

 

This is a picture of the Angle from where some of the Union cannons where located. To repulse the advancing Confederate troops, Union gun crews used special cannisters which turned their cannons into large shotguns.

Desperately, Confederate forces tried to force their way forward, but Union soldiers held their ground. The Confederate soldiers, who had suffered so much and marched so far, were forced to retreat.

 

This is where the battle would end. Known as the "High Water Mark", it signifies the depest advance of the Confederate Army in the Civil War. Never again would Confederate forces threaten Union territory. Because of the large number of casualties inflicted upon the Army of Northern Virginia, Lee could not continue the fight. His withdrawal from Gettysburg began the next day. The Civil War would continue for another two years, during which the Confederate army was forced to fight a defensive war.