The Battle of Gettysburg July 3

After being unable to move the Union from their positions on July 2. General Lee decided on a frontal assault of the Union line believing the Union army was near devastation from the previous 2 days of engagements. The 12500 confederates would plow directly into the Union army what would be called Pickett's charge with the cavalry hitting the south and east part the Union lines. General Longstreet disagreed with the plan.

At 1pm cannon's from the Confederate lines open fire to soften up the Union positions. A round of the first cannon barrage split a servant in 2 while he was serving refreshments to General Meade and his staff. While the Confederate cannons were firing, only a few Union cannons returned fire leading the Confederates into believing the Union artillery was devastated from the initial barrage. At 2pm General Longstreet with reluctance, ordered his troops to march forward toward the Union center, 12500 men emerged from the wooded line with banners waving, in formation, with a line stretching a mile long. Their mission was the cross the open field and take a copse of trees. As the confederates started their approach toward the Union center and across the field, Union artillery fired their own barrage on the advancing confederates, cutting the men to pieces. Waller Tazewell Patton, General George S. Patton's own great grand uncle was killed in the charge.

As the remaining Confederates approached the Union center, Union troops in waiting opened fire with their own barrage. General Winfield Scott Hancock in charge of the Union Center was wounded. General Lewis Armistead was wounded and died, a person famous for sticking his hat on his sword to rally his men as they approached the Union line. The Confederates only made it as far as The Angle in the line, now called High-water mark of the Confederacy. When General Lee wanted to gather his troops together to defend a possible Union offensive after the charge. General Pickett reported back to General Lee saying to him, "General sir, I have no division." General Pickett never forgave Lee for slaughtering his division. The next day late in the evening, General Lee turned around and headed back for the Confederacy. General Meade decided not to pursue and President Lincoln was furious over his decision.

Another part from the complete idiot's guide

Day Three: Massive Assault

As July 2 melted into July 3, the Union army continued to hold its high ground, but, as Robert E. Lee saw it, tenuously. For Lee, it was a tempting situation. He had won significant victories on the 1st, and while he had failed to crush the Union army on the 2nd, he believed that he had worn it down sufficiently to destroy it on the 3rd.

As Lee saw it, he had been repulsed on July 2, repeatedly, but each time just barely. He now proposed an all-out attack. Longstreet protested the plan, but Lee insisted that too much blood had been invested to withdraw now.

Meade's forces had hardly been idle during the night and early morning. In addition to retaking Culp??s Hill, they greatly improved their defenses and positioned final reinforcements, bracing for the attack.
Pickett's Charge

The massive assault Lee had in mind was destined to be perhaps the single most celebrated operation of the war. By noon, they were arrayed: disciplined veteran soldiers perfectly aligned in battle ranks across an open field, facing the Union soldiers dug in on Cemetery Ridge a mile away. In preparation for the operation that came to be called —Pickett's Charge,?? 150 Confederate cannon pounded the ridge, only to be answered by equally devastating fire from Union artillery. Such a duel of cannon was unprecedented in war up to this time.

At 1:45 in the afternoon, 12,500 Confederates, in closely formed ranks, advanced. The Union artillerists replaced their solid ammunition with canister, shot consisting of iron balls packed into cans, which burst apart, spraying the field of fire with hundreds of deadly projectiles.

Still, the Confederates men advanced. When they were close enough, the Union infantry, from cover and from the high ground, opened up with musket fire.

Two of Pickett's three brigadier generals were cut down in the charge, and the third was gravely wounded. All 15 regimental commanders engaged were killed or wounded. At a place called the Angle, 150 men led by Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead actually succeeded in raising the Confederate colors above Cemetery Ridge, but they were soon killed or captured. Of the 12,500 soldiers who charged Cemetery Ridge, only 5,000 survived.

The Aftermath

The Battle of Gettysburg had the largest number of casualties in the Civil War—between 46,000 and 51,000 soldiers from both armies were killed, wounded, captured, or missing. More than 8,000 men died on the field of battle. The Union listed 23,055 casualties (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured or missing), and it is estimated that the Confederates had 23,231 casualties (4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded, 5,830 captured or missing). In addition, Gen. Lee had nearly one-third of his general officers killed, wounded, or captured.

COL Chamberlain was the man!

Thank God that General Meade didn't turn, run or hesitate in battle.

Instead, he grabbed the high ground and dug in HARD.

Gettysburg would have probably been a complete disaster for the Federals if JEB Stuart had done his job and conducted proper recon and surveillance missions for Lee's advancing Army.