Pickett's Charge: A Modern Pictorial

The first to reach that point were Pettigrew's men on the left. As soon as his men were in close enough range, Pettigrew's troops were mowed down by the 1,700 muskets and the eleven cannon under General Alexander Hays. A Federal officer wrote that the lines "underwent an instantaneous transformation. They were at once enveloped in a dense cloud of dust. Arms, heads, blankets, guns, and knapsacks were tossed into the clear air. A moan went up from the field distinctly to be heard amid the storm of battle" (Clark, 1985, p. 139). While also taking heavy flanking fire from guns on Cemetery Hill, Pettigrew's men valiantly stormed Hays' line. They would soon be overwhelmed by Union fire, not coming closer than about 30 feet of the stone wall.

As Pettigrew's charge was faltering, the brunt of the assault was just becoming heavy. Pickett's division was attacking the Union center; the brigades of Garnett and Kemper in front, and that of Armistead in reserve. Once these men crossed into range, the entire Union line was ablaze, musket and cannon fire alike. Garnett's men, positioned on the left of Pickett's line, charged forward only to be consumed by a mass of blue uniforms and point-blank range cannon fire. Garnett himself was killed while giving command from his horse. On the right, Kemper's troops were facing similar problems. Three regiments of Vermonters emerged from the Union position, marched forward and poured an intense flanking fire into Kemper's line, tearing devastating holes in the ranks, and mortally wounding Kemper. They then did an about-face and extended the same fire to the straying brigades of Wilcox and Perry. Things were getting desperate for the Southerners.

This desperation was quickly recognized by General Armistead. With several regiments swarming over the stone wall in front of General Alexander Webb's troops and ceasing a Union artillery piece, Armistead knew that this could be their only chance. Putting his hat on the tip of his sword and raising his saber high in the air, he turned to his troops and shouted, "Come on, boys! Give them the cold steel! Who will follow me?" (Clark, 1985, p. 141). He leaped over the wall, leading his men into the mob of bluecoats. Soon, Armistead fell mortally wounded, and his men were consumed by the mass of Federals coming from all over their side of the

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