Overview
During the first two days of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 and 2, 1863, Robert E. Lee’s Confederate forces tried unsuccessfully to attack both ends of the Union line. Lee believed Union commander George Meade had weakened the center of his position on Cemetery Ridge to strengthen his flanks. During a council of war on the night of July 2, Lee decided to launch a direct assault against the Union center. Lieutenant General James Longstreet opposed the attack, but Lee refused to change his plan.
Lee and Longstreet assigned divisions commanded by George Pickett, J. Johnston Pettigrew, and Isaac R. Trimble to carry out the assault. Meanwhile, Meade correctly predicted that Lee would attack the center of the Union line. He warned Winfield S. Hancock, who commanded the Union center, to strengthen his defenses and prepare for the attack.
Around 1:00 p.m. on July 3, about 135 Confederate cannons opened fire on Union positions along Cemetery Ridge. The bombardment caused little damage to the Union artillery. Between 2:00 and 3:00, roughly 12,500 Confederate infantrymen emerged from the woods near Seminary Ridge and advanced nearly a mile across open ground toward the Union position.
Union artillery and rifle fire bombarded the Confederate ranks as they crossed the fields. General Lewis Armistead and members of his brigade managed to break through the Union line, reaching a point later called the High Water Mark of the Confederacy. However, Union troops quickly counterattacked and drove them back.
The Confederate assault collapsed in less than an hour. More than half of the Confederate troops who participated were killed, wounded, or captured. The defeat helped secure the Union victory at Gettysburg, ended Lee’s second attempt to carry the war into the North, and weakened the Army of Northern Virginia’s reputation.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: The Pickett-Pettigrew Assault, The Pickett-Pettigrew Charge, Longstreet’s Charge, Longstreet’s Assault.
- Date: July 3, 1863.
- Location: Adams County, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
- USA Commanders: George G. Meade, Winfield S. Hancock.
- CSA Commanders: Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, George Pickett, J. Johnston Pettigrew, Isaac R. Trimble.
- Who Won: The United States won Pickett’s Charge.
- Campaign: Gettysburg Campaign.
- Era: Civil War, July–December, 1863.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: About 1,500 killed and wounded.
- Forces Engaged: 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 5,000.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: About 6,500 killed and wounded.
- Forces Engaged: Three divisions from the 1st and 3rd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 12,500.
Significance
Pickett’s Charge is important to American History because its failure helped secure the Union victory at Gettysburg. Robert E. Lee ordered roughly 12,500 Confederate infantrymen to attack the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge despite James Longstreet’s objections. Union forces held their position and inflicted approximately 6,500 Confederate casualties in less than an hour. The defeat ended Lee’s second attempt to bring the war into the North and weakened the reputation of the Army of Northern Virginia as an unbeatable fighting force. The furthest Confederate advance later became known as the High Water Mark of the Confederacy.
History
During the first two days of the Battle of Gettysburg — July 1 and 2, 1863 — Robert E. Lee and his Confederate forces tried unsuccessfully to flank each end of the Union line. Believing that Major General George Meade had weakened the middle of the federal line to defend his flanks, Lee decided, at a council of war during the night of July 2, to launch a frontal assault on the center of the federal line the next day. The corps commander assigned to lead the assault, Lieutenant General James Longstreet, argued against the attack, but Lee remained resolute.
Confederate Commanders
Longstreet and Lee chose three divisional commanders to lead the attack: Major General George Pickett, Brigadier General J. Johnston Pettigrew, and Major General Isaac R. Trimble. Pickett commanded a division, a part of Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s 1st Corps, one of three Confederate corps that took part in the Battle of Gettysburg. Pettigrew had assumed command of Major General Henry Heth’s division after Heth was wounded on July 1. Trimble had assumed command of Major General W. Dorsey Pender’s division after Pender was mortally wounded on July 2. Heth’s and Pender’s divisions were a part of Lieutenant General A. P. Hill’s 3rd Corps.
Federals Fortify Their Lines
At his own council of war on the night of July 2, General Meade correctly predicted that Lee would launch an attack the next day against the center of the federal lines positioned on Cemetery Ridge. Meade warned Major General Winfield S. Hancock, the commander of the center of the Union lines, to fortify his position and prepare for the Confederate assault.
Confederates Advance
The attack began at roughly 1 p.m. on July 3, when about 135 Confederate cannons began bombarding Union positions on Cemetery Ridge. Between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., the shelling ended and about 12,500 Confederate infantrymen emerged from their positions in the woods below Seminary Ridge and marched toward their target nearly a mile away. Unfortunately for the foot soldiers, the Confederate bombardment had done little damage to the Union artillery, and they suffered from heavy fire as they crossed a valley of wide-open terrain.
Confederate Bloodbath
The result was a Confederate bloodbath. Of the Confederate troops who advanced close enough to the Northern position to mount a charge, only General Lewis Armistead and his brigade breached the Union line. A federal counterattack quickly drove the Confederates back. Some historians have referred to Armistead’s advance as the High Water Mark of the Confederacy. In less than an hour, the assault crumbled; the Confederates retreated; and the defenders of Cemetery Ridge cemented a noteworthy Union victory at Gettysburg. Over half of the Confederate troops who began the assault became casualties (killed, wounded, or captured). The Union suffered about 1,500 casualties, compared to approximately 6,500 Confederate casualties, including at least 1,123 killed. Reportedly, General Pickett was inconsolable after the assault and never forgave General Lee for ordering the advance.
Outcome
Pickett’s Charge was a pivotal event in the American Civil War. By assuring the Union of a much-needed victory at Gettysburg, the defenders of Cemetery Ridge ended Robert E. Lee’s second attempt to bring the war to the North, and they disproved the invincibility of the Army of Northern Virginia.
During the late 20th Century, popular media romanticized Pickett’s Charge through works such as Ken Burns’ public television documentary, The Civil War, Michael Shaara’s novel, The Killer Angels, and its movie adaptation, Gettysburg.
Timeline
- 1863, April 30–May 6 — Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia defeated Joseph Hooker and the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
- 1863, June 3 — Confederate troop movements started as Lee gathered his army near Culpeper, Virginia, for his invasion of the North.
- 1863, June 5 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Franklin’s Crossing.
- 1863, June 9 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Brandy Station.
- 1863, June 13–15 — The Confederates won the Second Battle of Winchester.
- 1863, June 17 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Aldie.
- 1863, June 17–19 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Middleburg.
- 1863, June 21 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Upperville.
- 1863, June 27 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Fairfax Court House.
- 1863, June 20 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Upperville.
- 1863, June 30 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Westminster, also known as Corbitt’s Charge.
- 1863, June 30 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Hanover.
- 1863, June 30 — Union forces won the Battle of Sporting Hill.
- 1863, July 1 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Carlisle.
- 1863, July 1 — Confederate and Union forces fought the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, and Major General Henry Heth was wounded.
- 1863, July 2
- Confederate forces unsuccessfully attacked the ends of the Union line, and Major General W. Dorsey Pender was mortally wounded.
- Robert E. Lee decided during a council of war to attack the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge the next day.
- George Meade correctly predicted that Lee would attack the Union center and warned Winfield S. Hancock to strengthen his position.
- 1863, July 3
- About 135 Confederate cannons opened fire on Union positions along Cemetery Ridge around 1:00 p.m.
- Roughly 12,500 Confederate infantrymen advanced from Seminary Ridge toward Cemetery Ridge between 2:00 and 3:00.
- Lewis Armistead and members of his brigade breached the Union line before a Union counterattack drove them back.
- The Confederate assault collapsed in less than an hour, securing a Union victory.
AP US History
Definition
Pickett’s Charge (1863) — Pickett’s Charge was a major Confederate assault against the Union center at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. Robert E. Lee ordered the attack despite James Longstreet’s objections. About 135 Confederate cannons bombarded Cemetery Ridge before roughly 12,500 infantrymen advanced across open ground. Lewis Armistead’s brigade briefly breached the Union line, but a Union counterattack drove it back. The failed assault suffered about 6,500 Confederate casualties and helped secure the Union victory.
Alignment
Pickett’s Charge is part of the following AP US History sections:
