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Touring the Battlefield

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Touring the Battlefield Touring the Battlefield Barlow Knoll When Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early’s Confederates smashed Union defend- ers here at 3 p.m., the Federal line north of Gettysburg collapsed. East Cavalry Battlefield Site Here on July 3, during the cannonade that pre- ceded Pickett’s Charge, Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. David McM. Gregg intercepted and then checked Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s Confederate cav- alry. For more informa- tion, ask for the free self- guiding tour brochure at the park visitor center in- formation desk. Self-Guiding Auto Tour The complete 24-mile auto July 2, 1863 Federal cannon bombard- 12,000-man “Pickett’s tour starts at the visitor ed South ern forces cross- Charge” against the Fed- cen ter and includes the 4 North Carolina Memorial ing the Rose Farm toward eral center. This was the following 16 tour stops, Early in the day, the Con- the Wheatfield until about climactic moment of the the Barlow Knoll Loop, federate army positioned 6:30 p.m., when Confeder- battle. On July 4, Lee’s and the Historic Down- itself on high ground here ate attacks overran this army began retreating. town Gettysburg Tour. The along Seminary Ridge, position. route traces the three- through town, and north Total casualties (killed, day battle in chron o logi- of Cemetery and Culp’s 11 Plum Run wounded, captured, and cal order. It is flexible hills. Union forces occu- While fighting raged to missing) for the three days enough to allow you to pied Culp’s and Cemetery the south at the Wheat- of fighting were 23,000 include, or skip, cer tain hills, and along Cemetery field and Little Round Top, for the Union army and as points and/or stops, based Ridge south to the Round retreating Union soldiers many as 28,000 for the on your interest. Allow a Tops. The lines of both crossed this ground on Confederate army. minimum of three hours armies formed two paral- their way from the Peach to complete the tour. lel “fishhooks.” Orchard to Cemetery 16 National Cemetery Ridge. This was the setting for July 1, 1863 5 Virginia Memorial Lincoln’s Gettysburg Ad- The large open field to 12 Pennsylvania Memorial dress, delivered at the 1 McPherson Ridge the east is where the last Union artillery held the cemetery’s dedication on The Battle of Gettysburg Con­­­federate as sault of the line alone here on Ceme- November 19, 1863. Use be gan about 8 a.m. to bat­­­­tle, known as “Pickett’s tery Ridge late in the day the Soldiers’ National the west beyond the Mc- Charge,” oc curred July 3. as Meade called for in fan- Cemetery parking area Pherson barn as Union try from Culp’s Hill and on Taneytown Road. cavalry confronted Con- 6 Pitzer Woods other areas to strengthen fed erate in fantry advanc- In the afternoon of July 2, and hold the center of the Historic Downtown ing east along Chambers- Lt. Gen. James Longstreet Union position. Gettysburg Tour burg Pike. Heavy fighting placed his Confederate spread north and south troops along Warfield 13 Spangler’s Spring A David Wills House along this ridgeline as ad- Ridge, an choring the left About 7 p.m., Confeder- Home of the prominent ditional forces from both of his line in these woods. ates at tacked the right Gettysburg attorney who sides arrived. flank of the Union army oversaw the creation of 7 Warfield Ridge and occupied the lower the Soldiers’ National 2 Eternal Light Peace Longstreet’s assaults be- slopes of Culp’s Hill. The Cemetery. Abraham Lin- Memorial gan here at 4 p.m. They next morn ing the Confed- coln finished his Gettys- At 1 p.m. Maj. Gen. Rob ert were directed against erates were driven off after burg Address here the E. Rodes’s Confederates Un ion troops occupying seven hours of fighting. night before the ceme- attacked from this hill, Dev il’s Den, the Wheat- tery dedication. Under threatening Union forces field, and Peach Or chard, 14 East Cemetery Hill renovation. Will reopen on McPherson and Oak and against Meade’s un- At dusk, Union forces November 2008. ridges. Sev­­enty-five years defend ed left flank at re pelled a Confederate later, over 1,800 Civil War the Round Tops. as sault that reached the B Gettysburg Train Station veterans helped dedicate crest of this hill. Abraham Lincoln arrived this me morial to “Peace 8 Little Round Top here on November 18. Eternal in a Nation United.” Quick action by Brig. Gen. By day’s end, both flanks This structure was also a Gouverneur K. Warren, of the Union army had vital part of the recovery 3 Oak Ridge Meade’s chief engineer, been attacked and both efforts after the battle, as Union soldiers here held alerted Union officers to had held, despite losing a depot for delivery of stubbornly against Rodes’s the Confederate threat ground. In a council of supplies and evacuation advance. By 3:30 p.m., and brought Federal rein- war, Meade, anticipating of the wounded. however, the entire Union forcements to defend this an assault on the center line from here to McPher- position. of his line, determined son Ridge had begun to that his army would stay crumble, finally falling 9 The Wheatfield and fight. back to Cem etery Hill. Charge and counter- charge left this field and July 3, 1863 When the first day end ed, the nearby woods strewn the Confederates held the with over 4,000 dead and 15 High Water Mark upper hand. Lee de cided wounded. Late in the afternoon, Look for these signs as to continue the of fensive, af ter a two-hour cannon- you drive the battlefield. pitting his 70,000-man 10 The Peach Orchard ade, some 7,000 Union They identify the Auto army against Meade’s The Union line extended soldiers posted around Tour Route. Union army of 93,000. from Devil’s Den to here, the Copse of Trees, The then angled northward Angle, and the Brian Barn, on Emmitsburg Road. re pulsed the bulk of the .
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