Gettysburg Remembered

July 3, 2006 in 4th of July, Gettysburg, History, Independence Day, Uncategorized

 On the morning of June 30, a Confederate column under Brigadier General James J. Pettigrew approached Gettysburg on the Chambersburg Road. Halting his men outside of town, the general rode ahead to Seminary Ridge from which he had a clear view of Gettysburg and the land around it. Within a few minutes he was startled by the report of a blue-clad column approaching Gettysburg from the south. Were these men just more bothersome Yankee militia or troopers from their old nemesis the Army of the Potomac? Under strict orders not to engage in any fighting, he ordered his troops to reverse their course, back toward Cashtown, Pennsylvania. What to do about this column of soldiers would be the decision of his corps commander, General A.P. Hill to whom Pettigrew would report that afternoon.

Over the next few days the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia would suffer casualties of over 50,000 men. Fully 1/3 of the Confederate forces and 27% of the Union forces would be listed as casualties in a battle that played a crucial role in determining the outcome of the Civil War.

The Army of Northern Virginia had won the first two days of the battle but the overall outcome would be decided on the third. General Robert E. Lee amassed 18,000 infantry for a frontal assault on the center of the Union lines accross a mile of open ground. Following a long artillery bombardment, General George Pickett’s division led the charge and General Lewis A. Armistead’s Brigade was briefly able to pierce the Union lines, but was ultimately driven back.

A lot of very good men on both sides sacrificed their lives fighting for what they believed their country should be that day. As a result of the fighting those three days the Union Awarded 63 Congressional Medals of Honor to soldiers for their actions on the Battlefiled. The Confederates added 53 to the Confederate Roll of honor for their soldiers courage and good conduct on the filed of battle.  

We celebrate our nations 230th birthday this weekend. Take some time to remember those that have fought and died, made the ultimate sacrafice in making our nation what it is today. From Concord, to Gettysburg, to Normandy, to Chosin Reservoir, to Fallujah; Men and Women have faught and died for this country, take a moment to remember them. 

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. 
George S. Patton 

Rightwing Nuthouse has a series on Gettysburg here, here, here, here, here, and here   

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