On this day, after three days of hard fighting, the Battle of Gettysburg ended. As one of the bloodiest battles in American history, it is unsurprising that the battle ended as bloodily as it started with the brutal Pickett’s Charge. Many have described this attack as proof of the ferocity of the Confederate Army. Still, while the soldiers were undoubtedly brave, this charge has also gone down in history as an unmitigated disaster, resulting in countless casualties for no tangible gain.
The Lead-Up to Pickett’s Charge
On July 3, 1863 Pickett’s Charge, the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union and Confederate Armies were locked in a death struggle. General Robert E. Lee decided to try and break the standoff with a fresh attack on Culp’s Hill. However, this failed as General George G. Meade reinforced this position and halted the attack.
Seeing this and believing that this meant the Union center was weakened, he tried to smash through the middle. He ordered Virginia General George E. Pickett to assemble a force of nearly 12,500 men to launch the attack. Although named after him, in reality, Pickett was not in command of this attack and only contributed a third of the force. However, his troops were untouched from the previous days of battle, leaving them at full strength.
The Confederates opened up with an artillery bombardment to weaken the Union position. However once ammunition ran low, the infantry prepared to charge. This attack was placed under General James Longstreet who all rushed up the hill to try and storm the positions.
However, as they reached the top of Cemetery Ridge, they discovered the Union Forces were not nearly as weak as they thought. Artillery fire rained down on their tightly packed lines while obstacles like holes, fences, and bushes slowed their advance.
As the Confederate survivors drew closer, they spotted what they believed was a break in the lines. They attempted to storm this position but came right into a large Union Force sent to secure it. This led to brutal hand-to-hand combat where the Confederates were eventually driven back.
In less than an hour, it is estimated that the Confederates lost over 8,000 men, either being killed, wounded, or captured. This was a quarter of all Confederate casualties in this battle. Pickett’s Charge own unit lost about half its men in this battle.
The sheer ferocity of the battle was attested to by countless sources both during and after the battle, including by the Union army.
They were at once enveloped in a dense cloud of smoke and dust. Arms, heads, blankets, guns and knapsacks were thrown and tossed into the clear air. … A moan went up from the field, distinctly to be heard amid the storm of battle.
Lt. Col. Franklin Sawyer, Union soldier.
The Pickett’s Charge Aftermath
The aftermath of Pickett’s Charge was devastating for the Confederate Army. The failed assault resulted in immense casualties, severely depleting Lee’s forces and marking a turning point in the Civil War. The Confederate retreat from Gettysburg, coupled with the Union victory at Vicksburg on the same day, July 4, 1863, shifted the momentum in favor of the Union. The bravery displayed by the soldiers on both sides did not go unnoticed, with numerous accounts highlighting the intensity and horror of the battle.
Pickett’s Charge has become synonymous with bravery and futility, serving as a powerful reminder of the human cost of the war. In the broader context of the Civil War, this Charge underscored the strategic challenges faced by the Confederacy and highlighted the resilience and tactical advantage of Union forces.
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