This is the story of the events and the drama that took place on the afternoon of July 3, 1863 in the once quiet town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. General Robert E. Lee's troops nearly won the fight two days prior, gained ground on the previous day, and was ready to finish the Federals off and end this terrible conflict on the third. After contemplating numerous strategies, General Lee determined that because his army had been repulsed on each flank, that the weakest part of the Union line would be at the center. Therefore, an attack coordinated by General James Longstreet, led by General George Pickett's division, and supported by the divisions of Generals Isaac Trimble and J. Johnston Pettigrew, would take place on the Union center. This necessitated a march of between ten and twelve thousand men from Seminary Ridge across an open field nearly one mile to the Federal position on Cemetery Ridge.
The infantry attack was to be preceded by a cannonade consisting of over 150 guns. Thus, at a little after 1:00 p.m., Col. E. Porter Alexander's batteries opened fire on the Union positions, a sight described by Union artillery chief, Henry Hunt, as "indescribably grand" (Foote, 1994, p. 197). The Union guns responded in a timely fashion, the troops quickly took cover, and within several minutes the field was covered with smoke. The duel of cannon persisted for about two hours, with the Union ceasing its fire early in order to preserve ammunition for the infantry attack they knew would follow.
At roughly 3:00 p.m., the first of the Confederate divisions--Pettigrew's men--emerged from the woods a mile away from the Union line. Soon after, all 12,000 troops were lined on the crest of the woods preparing to advance. First led by several lines of skirmishers who were met by the advanced Union line along the Emmitsburg Road, the brave Rebels began their march across the open field, with both ends of the line (Pickett on the right and Pettigrew the left) coordinating well to start at the same time. Union skirmishers along the Emmitsburg road held ground briefly, but quickly fell back to army's stronger position behind the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge.
Across the field they marched at a pace of roughly 100 yards a minute (Foote, 1994, p. 218) losing hundreds of men to the Yankee long-range artillery fire. Even so, the Confederates would not waver. They soon reached the fence at the Emmitsburg Road, where they were now in range of short-range artillery soon ripped gaping holes in the line, ten to twenty men at a time. Occasional infantry musket fire was thrown into the mix, but the Confederates, doing well to maintain their ranks, surged forward. It did not take long after that for the first Confederates would be within musket range.
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