Battle of Gettysburg: Day 2 July 2, 1863

Lee’s Attack Plan on Day 2 Longstreet opposed ANY attack; Lee decides he cannot redeploy. Plan of Attack: Primary assault on Union left flank. Diversionary attack on right. ‘En echelon attack’ rolls up Union line. Major issues: Bad intelligence Strong Union position

Confederate Problem #1: Dan Sickles Gen. Sickles moved his corps forward to “high point”: Peach Orchard Wheatfield Devil’s Den Move NOT authorized by Meade. Created a salient, but also a closer obstacle for Longstreet.

Sickles’ Position: Wheatfield, Peach Orchard, & Devil’s Den

Confederate Problem #2: Troop Delays Bad intel on attack route. Longstreet’s last brigades not in position until 3pm. Union troops use time to improve defenses.

Post-battle photograph showing Longstreet’s view of the Union left flank.

The Confederate Attack (Finally) Begins 4pm: Hood’s Division assaults Sickles’ Corps. Fierce fighting in “Valley of Death” and Devils Den. Hood badly wounded by artillery shell; attack loses focus. CSA Gen. Law moves 5 regiments against the Round Tops.

McLaws’ Attack Begins 5pm: Fierce assaults on the Peach Orchard and Wheatfield. See-saw battle until darkness falls. Confederates unable to capture Cemetery Hill.

Union Gen. Governeur K. Warren saw the Confederates turning the Union left flank, & immediately sought reinforcements.

View of Round Top (right) & Little Round Top (left) from post-battle1863.

Battle for Little Round Top Extreme left of the Union line. Col. Vincent told commanders to “hold to the last”. Union defenders arrived 10 min. before Confederates. Repeated assaults failed to break Union line.

Col. Chamberlain leading the 20th Maine in a bayonet charge at the end of the Battle of Little Round Top.

Monument to 1st Minnesota Volunteers As the Confederates under A.P Hill swarmed up Cemetery Ridge at dusk, Union Gen. Hancock ordered the 1st MN—the only reserve available—to charge to oncoming enemy. Outnumbered 8-1, the regiment lost 215 out of 262 men in 5 min.

The Battle of Culp’s Hill

The End of the Second Day Few Confederate objectives captured. Heavy losses on both sides: CSA: 6,800 casualties Union: 10,000 casualties Lee and Meade prepare for a third day. "If Lee attacks tomorrow, it will be in your front. ... he has made attacks on both our flanks and failed and if he concludes to try it again, it will be on our center.” --Gen. Meade to Gen. Gibbon, July 2

Gettysburg Celebrity: Sickles’ Leg Sickles’ leg on display at National Museum of Health & Medicine. Sickles at the 1st Gettysburg Reunion in 1913.

Gettysburg, Part II Focus on 2nd Day and Little Round Top. Answer the questions as we go.