A Confederate Recalls the Vibe Before Pickett's Charge

Charles Minor Blackford is remembered as an officer on Gen. James Longstreet's staff and for his 1894 memoirs, "Life in and Out of the Army in Virginia." But three years earlier he wrote another book, the "Annals of the Lynchburg Home Guard." It tells the story of his hometown company, which became Company G of the 11th Virginia Infantry. Blackford's Gettysburg chapter describes the mood before Pickett's Charge.
"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com.
This episode brought to you in part by the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, the finest historical Americana since 1938. See the latest additions at alincolnbookshop.com

[@homesteadgal4143]

Thank you for this video. My great-great grandfather, Pvt. William Patrick Goode, survived Pickett's Charge. He enlisted at 17 years of age, into Company B, 57th Infantry "Franklin Sharpshooters", Virginia Volunteers. in March 1862. By July, he was wounded in the Battle of Malvern Hill. After Pickett's Charge, he was captured and transferred to Fort McHenry, MD then on to Fort Delaware where he spent 23 months until the War ended. Pvt. Goode returned home after the war and married 2 years later. He had 9 children and was a farmer in Lincoln County, WV. After his wife died in 1895, he moved to Virginia and died in 1937. He is buried at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA, in Pickett's Row. (The Goode/Guth family immigrated from Germany and his forefather came in 1738, into Philadelphia.)

[@littlehummingbird1015]

Fascinating for you to have all that recorded information of a major part of your family. My gg-grandfather had a plantation west of Petersburg and was mustered by General Lee to find food for his troops .....he did the best he could. And while the Feds were chasing after Lee on his way from Petersburg, westward, the Feds stopped at my family's farm house and basically terrorized them....going into the house and getting some dresses of my gg grandmother and putting them on and whooping and hollarging around the front yard....also buring the chicken coop. It was terrifying for their little son , my great grandfather...not a good day at the Crowder homestead!

[@ricknorris1466]

My GG Grandfather Pvt. Daniel Goode Campbell was In Pickett’s Division and we always assumed that he survived the actual battle. It turned out that he was wounded months before from a cannon concussion and was released for further Military action AFTER Gettysburg. He had spent around a year in the Hospital. Either way my existence depended on his making it through that horrific war. Another GG Grandfather David Longley was in the Union Army. He was a part of the Ohio 111th Regiment and was part of Sherman’s March To The Sea to finish off the Insurrectionists. A portion of his group died of Smallpox before they could complete their mission. Fortunately family members on that side were already in place to make my life possible.

[@littlehummingbird1015]

@@ricknorris1466 Interesting that you might not be here but for the good fortunes of your ancestors. By the way, the southerners were not insurrectionists....they were defending their lands and homes from invasion and trying to repel the invaders from their states. You do know, don't you , that each seceding state VOTED to leave what was not yet a union....it was a collection of countries....13 of the originals.

[@edwardadams9358]

@@littlehummingbird1015 Legal arguments can be made but the moral argument is unassailable. They tried to leave the union in defense of slavery.

[@RH421939]

I was in full scale Pickett’s charge in the 1998 reenactment it was nuts I couldn’t even imagine the real thing

[@josephweaver5385]

it was a lot uglier!

[@scarystories190]

me too

[@briandesrochers1360]

I was there too.

[@nicholasmuro1742]

Was it bigger than the movie?

[@scarystories190]

I think they told us it was 30k reenactors. I never seen so many blue bellies ever lol. @@nicholasmuro1742

[@freddiefreihofer7716]

After the war, Pickett was often asked why his famous charge failed. One of his frequent answers was, " I think it had something to do with the Union army".

[@BSU55]

"That old man, had my division slaughtered". George Pickett's more famous statement, after the War had ended.

[@terryhancockroc6560]

Hancock had a lot to do with it

[@LesHaskell]

Maybe if he hadn't been hiding in the barn with the wounded it might have done a tad better. That's where my cousin John (of Haskell's Battery) found him anyway (mentioned it in his memoirs). John was with Longstreet when Custer came in and demanded his surrender at Appomattox. John thought Custer was a jerk who was full of himself, too.

[@neilpemberton5523]

​@@LesHaskell Pickett was a poor general but nothing he could have done would have made much difference. Don't make excuses for Lee. At Malvern Hill the Union guns of Henry Jackson Hunt stopped Lee. A year later the same thing happened at Gettysburg. Lee didn't learn. He thought God was going to win the day. God had other ideas.

[@marknewton6984]

​@@BSU55Pickett hid in a barn during the Charge. He was no Stonewall or Forrest.

[@lgude]

I’ve stood on both sides of this sweeping incline more than once and I’ll say one thing. That silence still lingers.

[@johnteets2921]

The problem with Pickett's charge was quality control. The Confederate Army ranged in its' artillery before the charge, but, after a few rounds they got into a batch of ammunition that performed differently, it went farther. They couldn't see this because they didn't have smokeless powder in those days. They couldn't see that their rounds were landing behind the main line of Union resistance. If their artillery had landed on the Union line, instead of behind it, it would have been a brilliant victory. And a military innovation. Perhaps Vicksburg would not have surrendered either.

[@littlehummingbird1015]

@@johnteets2921 I didn't know that about the ammunition change....how very tragic for the Confederates....if only they had known, history would be different and we would probably not have the corrupt Federal government of today.

[@brucebostick2521]

@@johnteets2921 it was actually an artilry duel, & union artillery/artillery troops were far superior. alexander did put a massive artillery barrage on union line, but had poor artillery/lesser artillerialists, fired over union lines. lee thought union line was desamated/their artillery disabled. union ldrs decided to pause, to create that very situation. the infantry attack was destroyed by union artillery b/f they got into range of union sm arms. total miscalulation by lee! longstreet tried to forwarn him. thank god he was not up to that task!

[@johnteets2921]

@@brucebostick2521 I didn't know those details, but apparently the Union recognized that the enemy was overshooting their target, and, realizing that they didn't know it, adapted to the situation and laid a trap. But I don't think that Lee had poor artillerists who couldn't range in their guns, but once they did, their calculations became obsolete, and they couldn't see that something was wrong. Why Longstreet thought something was wrong, I can't imagine, and i don't know. BTW, the rifles the infantry had in those days had an effective range of 800 paces, as I recall.

[@brucebostick2521]

@@johnteets2921 couple things---first, conferate armaments were nutorious for being poorer quality/inconsistant. the fuses were bad that they used on this day, causing misfires/difficulty in targeting. as well, they were never as good, either in quality of matls. or in training/expertize, of union artillerimen. but, its also true that they just plain overshot their taget, for vareity of reasons, thus miscalulated, thinking union line was in shambles, which it very much was NOT! union artillery, much more than sm arms, devastated that attack!

[@LanceRomanceF4E]

Thanks for participating in the reenactment and keeping history alive.

[@OcotilloTom]

As a Confederate reenactor I have had the honor of walking in their footsteps with about 1,000 other reenactors with a Park Ranger in command of our group. I was surprised how the landscape rises and falls. It's not flat as it appears. At times the Union reenactors behind the stone wall awaiting us could only see the tops of our colors. Tom Boyte, Capt. Norfolk Light Artillery Blues (Grandy's Battery) Army of Northern Virginia, CSA, National Civil War Assn.

[@ducktapepilot]

I love personal accounts of historical events, very cool! It amazes me the bravery of these men marching into what they knew to be almost impossible odds. It's incredible that any survived the charge.

[@gottadomor7438]

A sobering & humbling time to stand where Pickett's men charged; & gaze across that open flat ground - looking across that field it seemed to me like Lee's order a suicidal mission. How I revere those brave young men who obeyed their orders. So many never got to go home again, tears at the heart to know.

[@ericcrawford3453]

What was Lee thi king? Your right.

[@Sketch_Sesh]

@@ericcrawford3453All the commander s went to school together at West Point… all probably in the same secret handshake club too

[@ericcrawford3453]

@@Sketch_Sesh that's what makes the Civil so mind blowing , it's true what you say about most of the commanding Gen. & Westpoint then again there's Bedford Forrest started out private ended up a gen.

[@jgowin66]

I agree, the frontal assault on Cemetery Ridge was doomed from the start, much like the numerous Northern attacks on Confederate-held Marye's Heights, at Fredericksburg, 8 months earlier. The Union defenders on Cemetery Ridge must have remembered that horrible battle the previous December, as they chanted "FREDERICKSBURG...FREDERICKSBURG..." at the retreating Confederates after Pickett's charge failed.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

@@jgowin66 So many Generals, on both sides, made the costly mistake of ordering mass frontal assaults. With the Civil War's development in weaponry (rifled muskets, canister and grape shot...) that was usually disasterously wasteful of people. Lee with Picket's. Burnside with Fredricksburg (also incompetent at Antietam's bridge). Grant regretted ordering the Cold Harbor assault. With no dog tags yet, Union soldiers at Cold Harbor pinned I.D. papers to their backs or inside their uniform, hoping their loved ones would hear word and...and the soldiers knew they most likely would not survive.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you. My ancestors and relatives fought on both sides during the Civil War. The ferocity of the battles still amazes me to this day.

[@evanleehome2178]

And amazing that we have forgotten or sanitized the reality of that struggle. My family lines include 5 relatives who died fighting for the South. I see idiots on line (and attacking the US Capital) itching for another Civil War. Fools. Children playing with guns.

[@CSAFD]

My ancestor was confederate general John Bell Hood

[@heuristicnepenthean7727]

@@evanleehome2178 attacking the US Capitol? Ray epps and democrats?

[@edcarson3113]

@@evanleehome2178your relatives would embarrass you and vis a versa .

[@evanleehome2178]

@@edcarson3113 insults. excellent contribution to the conversation.

[@howardwells5228]

Thanks for the story. I'm a direct descendant of James Johnston Pettigrew who led the North Carolinas forces in Picketts change at Gettysburg.

[@ronaldmccutcheon1329]

God bless General Pettigrew.

[@josephweaver5385]

@@ronaldmccutcheon1329 God Bless the union forces who held off that crazy insane charge!

[@johnschuh8616]

Does your ancestor have a biographer?

[@theknowitall4090]

Great video. Took guts for those guys to jump in that fire like they did.

[@swcrossii]

Wonderful presentation! Your passion for such things shines through. Thank you for sharing.

[@alangil3493]

Interesting note here, my great-great grandfather was in Company K, 11th WV Infantry. Love the history of the civil war

[@feedyourmind6713]

Mine w/ the 8th of Virginia.

[@ronaldmccutcheon1329]

Great grandfather's brother was there with 8th Alabama.

[@littlecrow6484]

"... the gallant Virginians pressed on..." My heart fluttered when you read that , and a lump formed in my throat. I'm a Virginian , and a relative of mine in the 18th Va was in that charge. I believe in the same brigade as the 11th Va. What incredibly devoted men they must have been ! There has never been a braver generation than those men in gray who bore 4 arduous years of strife , only to surrender to infinitely superior numbers but ...never superior in Spirit. Never.

[@michaeljohnson1157]

Magnificent 🌟 HISTORY Series 👏

[@edglass9912]

What a great treat this is to hear from my hometown boys!! Thanks for sharing this!! Ed from Lynchburg

[@ericwilkins6583]

I love the way Virginian veterans wrote their stories to maximize the valor and importance of their units. Pickett's charge could just as easily and probably more accurately be called Pettigrew's charge for the fact of the matter is Pettigrew's men traveled farther under far more ferocious fire from three sides and advanced farther on the field (approximately 150 yd) than did Picket's fine men going well past the angle where Pickets men were stopped. And let it be remembered that the remnants of Heth's division, that Pettigrew commanded, had been chewed up on the first day of battle and still achieved their remarkable advance. So to say that Pickets division was not supported is glaringly inaccurate but about par for the course for what was written by Virginians in the post war era. Recent forensic studies going over after action reports, casualty list, etc. Show that the North Carolina units suffered more casualties than any other states units. Moreover, recent scholarship has shown that the damage done to Picket's division was nowhere near as bad as the Virginia apologist would have one believe but since they had the printing presses and the "important" newspapers of the day it was their history that was written. One last tidbit to accentuate my point, Pettigrew's division went into battle numbering 800 men. At the end of it there were 80 men left standing. Longstreet was right. It was a fool's errand to make that assault.

[@dawood121derful]

thank you for sharing

[@ronaldmccutcheon1329]

And the 26th North Carolina got further than anyone on that terrible July 3.

[@alexanderh.5814]

It is human nature. You will find this in most soldiers accounts of battles regardless of the war

[@johndickinson8848]

More likely that Pickett got the recognition because his full division was committed and central. Today’s hand wringers name it the Trimble-Pickett-Pettigrew charge so as to not hurt anyone’s feelings. Not everything needs to be renamed and reframed to conform to present day views. Pickett was a very flawed commander but his name will always be remembered primarily for that assault.

[@ookapelirekkars6156]

You sir, write like a great author. Very well stated..

[@paststeve1]

Great video! Your reading of really brought home the essence of the charge. Thanks! Grace & Peace.

[@npdcpa]

Stumbled across this video and glad I did. As enjoyable as finding a $20 in the pocket of a winter coat. Keep up the good work!

[@pegrathwol]

Great pull on a primary source! Well done. They're out there in plain sight if we know where to look. I'm going to check out Blackford's book. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@frankrives9964]

The content is quite good. I like the telling of first-hand accounts of events. I also really enjoy that Ron starts every episode with a big smile and a greeting. It is very welcoming. He seems glad we tuned in.

[@alexkalish8288]

You really come up with the gems. I just subscribed to this superb channel. My old regiment was on the field The 12th US inf. Sykes division. My ancestors fought for the south, the most famous being Keith Boswell, my great great grandfathers brother.

[@johnschuh8616]

Indeed. Short, sweet and ringing with truth.

[@rudymartinez6242]

Great historical video. Thank you.

[@nancyconca9892]

Great vlog- thanks for posting in- depth history that I did not know👍 I am really interested in Civil War history 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻‼️‼️‼️

[@richardliles4415]

Thank you Ron for another informative video.

[@burkejones8277]

That was a wonderful description of something that is just so hard for me to imagine.

[@dannyhardesty3692]

Thanks for the video! Another breath-taking account---from the Union perspective--is the book written by Officer Frank Haskell---The Battle of Gettysburg. Could not put it down when I started reading it.

[@michaelthompson342]

Great presentation! Best wishes from Australia.

[@Joe-go6vc]

Before the attack a rabbit ran across the field in front of the Confederate troops and into some woods. A soldier called out: "Run old hare. If I were a hare, I'd be running too."

[@henryofthepeace4125]

Shelby Foote uses that quote in the Ken Burns Civil War documentary.

[@gsoe2132]

@@henryofthepeace4125it’s also in “the killer Angels”

[@brucebostick2521]

@@gsoe2132 liked the book. movie was garbage!

[@ericcrawford3453]

Thank you Sir! Very educational.

[@1notgilty]

Civil War historian and author Shelby Foote famously said that "Gettysburg was the price the South paid for having Robert E. Lee as commander."

[@jeffcoats2230]

Love the color and nuance these videos add to the facts of history.

[@SouthernStorm_61]

My Great-Great-Grandfather, John McCall enlisted as a private with Company H, 10th Georgia Infantry Regiment, Wilcox County Rifles, on 20 May, 1861. He was promoted to 4th Corporal on 15 June, 1861 and to First Lieutenant on 2 December, 1864. John W. McCall saw action in the following engagements: Seven Days Battle; Gettysburg; The Wilderness; Spotsylvania Court House; and the Shendandoah Valley Campaign.

[@trailer20001]

Good job. Thanks.

[@r.williamcomm7693]

Great stuff.

[@user-yr4mo3iz4d]

"Battle tactics of slow marching into cannon fire is underestimated. This lulls the enemy into thinking they are winning." Gen Lee

[@peteraldridge5210]

I was at Gettysburg in the 90 great visit but very eerie

[@matthewberkowitz9699]

The courage is unfathomable

[@drjjpak]

Lee had ordered a massive cannon bombardment of the Federals before the charge, but did not realize that his fire was sailing over the enemy lines. Too much smoke masked the field, the enemy was mostly untouched, and Pickett's men faced the consequences.

[@m444ss]

good stuff. so interesting

[@54blewis]

What’s amazing is that Lee thought that this attack would hit the federal army at its weakest point not realizing that Mead had reinforced the center,also an attack of this scale went in without direct cavalry support which was sent on a flanking maneuver to attempt to attack on the federal rear (which failed)…obviously Lee misread both the strength of the federal line and his faith in his troops ability to finally break that line….this charge took place at the confederacy’s high water mark….for Lee this was the culmination of the not just the battle but of the war….the failure of the charge probably affected Lee more than any other event (this just speculation)for not only did it prolong the war but sapped the offensive strength of the confederate army significant….perhaps Lee was desperate or was cocky but he was always audacious he sincerely believed that he could end the war which he why he took so many risky actions during the battle…..it also must be said that this was an “encounter battle” that is that both armies stumbled into each other,neither had planned to fight there….

[@deirdre108]

After Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville (despite the loss of Gen TJ Jackson) Lee must have felt he had the big momentum on his side. Also, the AotP had a new, replacement General in Meade which Lee also thought was to his advantage.

[@54blewis]

@@deirdre108 there’s been much controversy surrounding Mead as to his failure (or reluctance)to follow up the victory and destroy the remnants of Lee’s army….(in my opinion)it was quite possible for another officer to have done so..Lee’s forces were badly mauled and low on ammunition and supplies,a number of his guns were disabled and he lost many of the horses for the caissons (a number of which was also lost)he troops though exhausted still maintained a high morale but were in no shape for a prolonged battle….. The weather had changed dramatically and Lee was faced with a severe downpour which would make a river crossing hazardous at best..that being said the the army of northern Virginia withdrew in good order and for the most part better than most armies of that period. Mead on the other hand had been fighting a largely defensive battle and the army was in relatively good condition..in fact both the 5th and 7th corps could have been used to attack Lee during the retreat and if need be forces from the Washington garrison could have been deployed to hold Lee down while he attempted to cross back over the Potomac while units from Kilpatrick’s cavalry corps (those that were still intact)could be utilized to attack the confederate cavalry screening Lee’s withdrawal…. But Mead felt that his forces were equally exhausted and needed a break…but Mead himself may have suffered from nervous exhaustion and lack the energy needed for such a push…however a Sheridan, a Sherman or Thomas or a Rosecrans would have made a major effort inspite of the odds…

[@deirdre108]

@@54blewis You bring up excellent points. I think the "standoff" (if it could be called that) at the Potomac between the Armies is one of the most interesting aspects of the Gettysburg Campaign. I've also wondered why units from the DC garrison weren't brought into forward positions at the Potomac during Lee's retreat, although perhaps it was thought they wouldn't be needed. The AoNV lost Pettigrew at the Potomac. Amazing that he survived Pickett's Charge (Longstreet's Assault) only to be killed during the retreat. Too bad movies and documentaries leave out what we have touched on in our comments. In most cases the show ends with the AoNV heading back to where they began the charge--The End.

[@54blewis]

@@deirdre108 you mentioned the Loss of Pettigrew which was a serious blow,but for Lee and even more so for Longstreet the Loss of Armistead and Barksdale(among others)also weighed heavily against the ANV….same could be said about Reynolds death affected Mead and perhaps the possible conclusion to the battle (again in my opinion and pure speculation)if Reynolds had lived he would have urged Mead to “ride down Lee” as some officers undoubtedly did but didn’t have the capacity to compel Mead as Reynolds would had done…Reynolds was held in high regard and garnered serious prestige in the Federal army…Grant would have been different at Gettysburg..hold Lee’s front and swing around on which flank he thought would give the greatest opportunity…encounter battles were Grant’s forte and he coolness would have been decisive and its doubtful (at least in my mind)that the battle would have lasted three days again speculation on my part…

[@johnschuh8616]

Many sources have told us that Lee was physically weakened by his heart attack in the spring. He was outgeneraled by Mead, who as t he brand-new commander in charge of subordinates without loyalty to him, and having lost Reynolds and Hancock, deserves the greatest respect because his responsibility as as great as Lee’s. I feel that even if Lee had prevailed that the Union Army would have successfully fallen back on its earlier position further south.

[@stevenkarras3490]

"This was the vibe, dude."

[@alansewell7810]

This is an excellent insight, and I subscribed to your channel. An interesting aspect I recently learned is that Lee's men had reached the top of Cemetery Ridge rather easily the day before against light Union opposition. However, the Confederates also lacked the force to hold their position there. Because it had been relatively easy to get there on the second day, Lee thought it would be easy to get there the 3rd.

[@kevinpritchard3592]

The bravery on both sides is unreal.

[@MrCabimero]

As anyone who has been to that battleground will tell you , it was a suicide charge with virtually no where for the Confederates to hide and was very far from the Union line. I was astonished to see how it looked and could not imagine why the order to charge was given.

[@truth68-st3dc]

Medieval mentality. Ask Longstreet who was in adamite disagreement.

[@curious968]

@@truth68-st3dc Well, that and the fact they _thought_ they had largely eliminated the union artillery. But, yeah, frontal assaults on both sides failed with depressing regularity.

[@truth68-st3dc]

@@curious968 The Confed. had at least two days to gather intel. as to Union artillery positions and availability.

[@curious968]

@@truth68-st3dc But not about the barrage they made on the morning of Pickett's charge. They thought it worked. It didn't.

[@davidtrent399]

When you go into these situations you don’t think about it changing your life, just about what must be done.🙏

[@rickonline777]

My Great Great Grandfather James McPeak volunteered for the 69th PA Co. D and fought at Gettysburg and faced Pickets Charge - The 69th PA's memorial at Gettysburg is placed further Infront of the other memorials in recognition of their decisive part in the battle - he was one of only two volunteers in the 69th PA to return to Ireland and he is buried in Newbridge Co Derry - i think the other volunteer who returned was called Maynes and he is buried outside Ballyronan Co Derry - lot of respect for all the brave soldiers on both sides

[@garycombs5721]

Pickett’s charge was one of the dumbest moves in the history of warfare, and Lee’s star is rightly dimmed because of it.

[@tomtravis3077]

He thought his boys could do anything. Hubris and completely unexpected from a man of his experience. If only he kept at the flanks. Gotten around the federal position and placed his army between DC and the Federal army.

[@herecomesaregular8418]

@@tomtravis3077Not unexpected. Lee loved a good frontal assault.

[@tomtravis3077]

@herecomesaregular8418 agreed. However, the approach combined with the artillery and infantry arrayed against him should have given him pause. Too bad Stonewall was gone. He would have got around the flanks.

[@garycombs5721]

@@tomtravis3077 I agree 1000%.

[@edharley7254]

He didn’t know the fuse settings of the artillery barrage were flawed. The Union silenced their cannons intermittently to make him think the barrage was having the effect Lee desired. Also, Lee had fight like SunTzu up until then. At Gettysburg, he seemed to go war of attrition - never good. But ultimately he was stubborn to not use his reserve Calvary in the absence of Stewart. Oh one more thing! : He did not know that the then unknown Custer had stopped his cavalry attack from the rear! It was just a bad bad day all around. George Washington’s Vision says the dark, evil spirit that caused us all to fight, came from,.. drum roll, … AFRICA.

[@dadsongs]

A couple things strike me about this video: I know I've heard that passage before, about the Federal artillery making "great gaps" in the Confederate lines. I think it's been used a lot, and justifiably so! Next, I don't think I've heard a more concise description of Pickett's Charge. Lastly, I was thinking about how your job as a Civil War researcher is made...easier?...when you find passages like this that owes its effectiveness to feelings or vibes. Simply put, what better way to connect the present with the past than through emotions? Thanks for all you do.

[@manilajohn0182]

The Gettysburg campaign was carried out by the Lee's AoNV for three reasons: 1) the strategic objective was to remove pressure from the Confederate defenders at Vicksburg; 2) an operational objective was to forage off of the northern countryside (because Lee could not feed the AoNV in his position on the Rappahannock); and 3) to try and gain a victory on northern soil in the hope that the United States Government might agree to a compromise peace. However, Lee said in his after action report that "It had not been intended to fight a battle so far from our base unless attacked"- so the victory he hoped to achieve was originally supposed to be gained by encouraging the AotP to attack him. But the unexpected meeting engagement of 1 July at Gettysburg ruined Lee's plan of campaign and effectively eliminated any chance of a Union offensive. This left Lee in close contact with the AotP with the (originally unwanted) tactical initiative in his lap, and unable to remain in any one place for more than a few days because he was living off of the land. Because of his army's performance in previous battles and with the press of circumstances at his back, it's probably no surprise that Lee attacked on 2 July. By 3 July, Lee clearly felt that he was unable to simply withdraw from the field at Gettysburg and maneuver around the AotP. The man was human and made mistakes. He gave his cavalry commander conflicting orders which coincided in time, failed to make use of the cavalry left behind for reconnaissance, and (like so many others in the AoNV at the time) believed that the army could do almost anything. Considering all of the pressure on him however, few other men could have done as well with the resources he had available.

[@josephstevens9888]

Very good detail analysis.... it seems Lee was brilliant on the defense, but miscalculated badly when he undertook his two offensive campaigns. Longstreet strongly objected to both the invasion of Maryland in September 1862, then the campaign that resulted in the Battle of Gettysburg the following summer.

[@nicholasmuro1742]

What were the conflcting orders to the cavalry?

[@manilajohn0182]

@@nicholasmuro1742 In two separate letters to Stuart, Lee instructed him to gather both information and provisions for the army. The former was required to further the strategic objective of the campaign- namely, to maneuver the AotP into attacking the AoNV. The latter was the operational objective of the campaign, which was to forage off of enemy territory and restock the army's supply train. They were contradictory in nature because gathering information required mobility which only the cavalry could provide, while gathering provisions was guaranteed to impede that mobility- which is exactly what took place during the campaign. Lee failed to designate either as a priority objective, while Stuart lacked the strength to accomplish both simultaneously- or the time to accomplish first one and then the other. Stuart attempted to accomplish both and predictably failed.

[@nicholasmuro1742]

@manilajohn0182 Then why does Stuart get such a bad rap for being derelict? He was doing what he was told. He knew the ANV was in need of supplies. This is like what happened at the Little Big Horn to Benteen. He was told to "come quick, bring packs". Can't do both.

[@manilajohn0182]

@@nicholasmuro1742 Stuart is (and was, as early as just after the battle) blamed for the same reason as both Longstreet and Ewell are blamed; to obscure the fact that the critical errors of the campaign were made by Lee before the battle at Gettysburg even began. As an army commander idolized by the officers and men of the AoNV, few wish to accept the fact that the leader of the most successful army of the Confederacy might be human and capable of making errors.

[@donb7113]

I’m in Gettysburg right now.

[@Jamestele1]

My family came from Wales, then settled in Kentucky, and joined the Union's 52nd Cavalry Regiment, fighting Southern Guerilla, to prevent them from burning down Lincoln supporters' houses, and robbing Armories, etc. I had other ancestors who fought for the South, believing they had to defend their homes. No easy answers.

[@marknewton6984]

I had an ancestor Jacob Sebastion who fought with the Kentucky 45th, Co. D. I also had Confederate relatives from VA

[@kleddit6400]

Even back then, people’s was vibin😌

[@debbiehall7016]

My gg grandfather NC confederate Allen/Allan Stancil fought at Gettysburg on July 3. He was shot in the "fleshy part of his neck" and was hit in the head, but he survived.

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

Allen Stancill Residence was not listed; Enlisted as a Private (date unknown). On 11/4/1863 he transferred into "F" Co. NC 13th Battn (date and method of discharge not given) He was listed as: * On rolls 12/31/1864 (place not stated) He also had service in: "H" Co. NC 40th Infantry Source: www.civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?C&200000

[@xxxxxx-tq4mw]

Marye’s Heights in the Battle of Fredericksburg had to be just as insane.

[@copycat307]

Worse! Cold Harbor too.

[@marknewton6984]

Cold Harbor. Murder...

[@mechcavandy986]

My 2x grandfather, Pvt. Joel Hamilton Carpenter, and my wife’s 2x grandfather, Lt. J.T. Stanford, both survived Pickett’s Charge with the 11 th Mississippi Infantry. My gf was in Company G, the Noxubee Rifles. I forgot her’s grandfather’s company. They made it to “the high water mark” and were both captured. Deo Vindice. 🤠

[@rchrdjms62]

Talking of Long Street, he was the reason Pickett wasn't supported because there were still units available to support the charge and Longstreet did not send them in.

[@jasonwilliamson8416]

I have ancestors that fought on both sides. 4th, 7th, and 10th West Virginia, 19th Indiana, 36th Virginia, and Wheat's Louisiana Tiger Battalion.

[@CrazyFeathers]

It wasn’t Gettysburg. It was at Resaca. My Company was misplaced on field, and we were basically engulfed by opposing army. Simple, but eye opening encounter between “real life” what if situation..

[@paulkoza8652]

I wonder how many on both side thought, "Oh, f**k! What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

[@ballhawk387]

The charge was a perfect example of an army fighting the previous war, and what happens as a result.

[@decimated550]

I would like to know does anybody have any alternatives to the charge? Should they have simply retreated to Virginia, or did the charge and it's horrors damage the union army enough or disrupted to prevent them from a successful pursuit? Was there some mad logic in the assault? Should he have attacked somewhere else? I don't think the battle could have succeeded or that even the campaign could have succeeded.

[@ballhawk387]

@@decimated550 *Any* alternative would have been better. They could have feinted preparation for such an attack and gone around the flank toward Washington, putting the onus on Union forces to pursue them, and set up entrenched positions, for example. But the headlong charge into massed lines was no longer a viable tactic against artillery and rifles that could hit from 1/4 mile away.

[@prairiedweller8917]

Pickett's Charge, my ass. Let's call it what it really was - Pickett's Mass Suicide.

[@Legendary_UA]

That's BS

[@brucebostick2521]

@@Legendary_UA actually, it amost succeeded! had pettigrew troops been closer/hit same point, it wouldve! as well, stuart had a large calvary unit sweeping b/hind union line, had it not been derailed by a far smaller unit led by custer, it wouldve struck union line from the rear, crushed union line.

[@curious968]

@@brucebostick2521 It did not succeed. This is romantic nonsense. The Rebs were cut down and slaughtered. They did reach the angle, but there was no way they had the forces to hold it as, in fact, they did not. Too many died in the charge. They were damn luck to be able to retreat into Virginia and (relative) safety after the battle. The truth is, the outcome could have been even worse. And, sorry, frontal assaults were tried, regularly by both sides, and they just never worked.

[@brucebostick2521]

@@curious968 my point exactly! had the confederate assualt been better coordinated, it wouldve succeeded. stuart was swinging around the union flank. had custer not headed them off, it wouldve destroyed the union army.

[@curious968]

@@brucebostick2521 Maybe. But this was also the difference between 1863 and earlier years. The union army by then was the better force. We all of us got into the habit of treating the rebs as the elite army. Not, in my judgement, by 1863. The union now was more flexible, more veteran, harder to rout. I saw a very good presentation by a pro historian that documented the loss of not just Stonewall Jackson, but hundreds of other officers and men of quality by 1863, never to be replaced. In Gettysburg, there was always someone -- a Chamberlain, a Custer, that robbed the rebs of their dream of glory. Heck even whole units like the First Minnesota made suicidal charges (and knew they were doing so) just to blunt the rebs' advance. This is what the rebs were used to doing and it started to be done to them at Gettysburg. Just as it was at Vicksburg. At Gettysburg, it was always something. Every time. If it wasn't Custer, it's not clear that something else wouldn't have happened. There were several will-o-the-wisp dreams, but that's all they were. Shadows they grabbed at that vanished at the touch, only to be replaced with horrid losses instead. The whole shoulda woulda we all enjoy engaging in is actually quite instructive if we allow it to be so. Pickett had it right when he suggested the Yankees had something to do with it.

[@jeffadkins5812]

It starts at 2:18

[@Macarena22279]

" never fight uphill, me boys"!

[@wallaceralston2057]

My opinion is that the aftermath of being in combat resonates more than anticipation. Prior to, we are scared and when young, have little comprehension of what is happening.

[@Gaviid]

Awesome video Sir. Im excited to be one of your first 1,000 subscribers. Looking forward to watching your channel.

[@rolotomassi9806]

My Great Great Grandfather was on Pickett’s Charge. He was captured right after he crossed the wall at The Angle. He was also at Antietam. Truthfully, I think he had seen enough and said that’s it… I’m done.

[@tinknal6449]

The valiant bayonet charge of the First Minnesota changed the tide. 250 ran in, 47 came back.

[@andylarson19591]

The day before Picketts charge. Outnumbered 4 to 1 the Minnesota men stopped Wilcox's brigade cold.

[@Pwelvr]

A romantic description of a stupid order and resultant slaughter. If an officer upon reflection of actions in battle, writes such a glowing description of such a mistake, he is not fit to serve in that position.

[@josephweaver5385]

lee was the reason the southern states lost at gettysburg. His famous quote. But the enemy is here! i thought he was given a pass, and had no enemies, just an allegiance to Virginia! They made a scapegoat of longstreet who showed up at a reunion. He was unwavering of his right of say I opposed Lee's tactics! I was right and we lost the war!

[@marknewton6984]

True. Cold Harbor. Malvern Hill.

[@sarabrown7689]

Everyone calls it "Pickett's Charge." But the entire Confederate line charged. Pickett just happened to have the unfortunate luck to be positioned in that spot. The most amazing thing to me is that some Confederate troops actually made it all the way up the slope and across the stone wall.

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

Thanks, Sara. I'll have a video next week to offer thoughts on this subject based on my research.

[@timmellin2815]

I webcast HS sports and tend to give creative description of something that might happen; I never know what it will be or what I might say....sometimes a situation develops and a description will pop into my head from who knows where. Last year at a game, there was what the defensive team thought was a 15 yd. penalty, so they marched back 15 yds, and when they turned around, they realized it wasn't a penalty and the offense was set to snap the ball. Suddenly, the defense tried to run quickly across the 15 yards, back to the line of scrimmage. Instantly I said it looked like Picket's charge, w/ the defense trying to cover that open space towards the main action. Weird how that stuff works.

[@RonLPitts]

""Were all gonna get kilt"" that was the vibe

[@kenbash2951]

This account rings true. Pettigrew's men (more than half) ran from the battlefield leaving Pickett's men to do most of the fighting and most of the dying that day.

[@seabertotter4325]

They had Playtex Living Gloves in those days?

[@MGrant-bj1dc]

I had ancestors on both sides, but my great great grandfather was in the 38th Va and was wounded twice during Pickett's Charge and captured. I've often wondered how far he made it? Was he over the stone wall where Armistead fell? All I have to go on are pension records, but it's crazy to think about.

[@brianniegemann4788]

It's likely that he got close to the wall before he was wounded, otherwise he would have been carried off the field by the retreating Pickett dicision. It amazes me that any human being could have the courage to march through such a storm of grapeshot, exploding shells and Minie rounds.

[@MGrant-bj1dc]

@@brianniegemann4788 Thanks for the reply. His pension records say he took a grapeshot to the foot and a minie ball to the hip. He claimed he couldn't do a full days work after the war. He was listed in his local paper as missing until it was confirmed he was captured.

[@richiephillips1541]

My Great-great Grand Uncle (is that a word?) Arthur carried the flag of Company C 8th Louisiana Regiment up Cemetery Hill until he was shot in the arm. The fellow who took up the flag next was killed. Arthur was later killed (shot) carrying the flag while the company was being repositioned at Spotsylvania Court House in May 1864.

[@jagsdomain203]

I am reading a book called here and there. Its about historical places and markers thay know one knows about. He mentioned Hawaii's that fought for the Union. Do you know anything about them?

[@gyges5495]

Two places I wouldn’t want to be on the attacking side: Picketts Charge and Battle of Franklin (confederate side). Of the two Franklin was worse , but at Gettysburg those units had a long attack, unless you are sprinting across, plus there’s fences in the way.

[@wntu4]

So sad and yet such a credit to Picketts men that they made it so far as to plant their flags. If Lee had only had a follow on division in support they would have succeeded.

[@feedyourmind6713]

Meade had at least another Corps in reserve.

[@terryhancockroc6560]

💯 Reserves were there. Not needed. Assistance wouldn't have changed anything.

[@henryofthepeace4125]

Only one sentence "recalls" the vibe. The rest tells what happened.

[@ksrmk]

Fascinating account of the action. So many lives wasted.

[@markmahosky532]

“ Don’t fight uphill me boys” R E Lee

[@d.a.2742]

Only problems with what you said was that from where Stuart was on East Cemetery no cannon shot from Lee's side of the field could have been heard or delineated from the cannon shots from Stuarts battle going on with Gregg and Custer to tell him when Lee started the charge ....no order has ever been found or any officer recorded in their memories of Gettysburg stating that Stuart was ordered by Lee to attack the Union rear ...this was made clear by the American Battlefield Trust in their discussion of the third day of Gettysburg .

[@christopherhardy8937]

So what were Stuart's orders?

[@d.a.2742]

@@christopherhardy8937 It was the role of Jeb Stuart’s troopers, reinforced by Albert Jenkins and numbering some 3,500, to strike the Union far right while Pickett's attack was being made. If Pickett’s great charge was successful, there was hope that Stuart would be in position to exploit the breakthrough and cut-off lines of retreat.

[@christopherhardy8937]

@@d.a.2742 thank you for explaining 🤙

[@jeffbendoski8364]

Never fight uphill, me boys.

[@kensilverstone1656]

From the current viewpoint, the strategy seems insane; the bravery of the men, the same.

[@hughmanatee7657]

Written thirty years after the event-albeit by one who participated-would not there have been an artificial element of composition involved, as opposed to an expression of the raw feelings at the time of the charge?

[@bryanharrison7847]

Good vibes of course.

[@robertjohnson8938]

If Pickett was supported the battle might been different

[@lurking0death]

If, if, if. If Pickett's men were ten foot tall and had assault rifles, the battle might HAVE been different.

[@marksandor2830]

A sad day….

[@bradleysmall2230]

One of Reagan’s best Jokes. Soviet apparatchik: OK you can have a new car. Pay for it now and you can collect it in 10 years from today. Russian asks: Morning or afternoon. Soviet: why would that matter. Russian: the plumber is coming in the morning.

[@vietcombatvet1289]

So what was the vibe?Before battle you are anxious after the shooting starts adrenaline kicks in and you may not even hear explosions next to you I didn't even when limbs were blown off

[@bh5606]

Billy Bob Thornton?

[@ralphh.2200]

There were almost 13,000 Confederate soldiers who formed out of those woods.The line was 1.5 miles long and 6 ranks deep. Average age was 19...After 25 minutes, over 3000 were dead or dying on the field.

[@whitemountainapache3297]

Rather than doing suicidal shit like that, they should have followed more the tactics of Nathan Bedford Forrest.

[@grahamwritesagain]

Shoot, what happened to the North Carolinians? Wasn't it boys from a North Carolina Infantry regiment who penetrated deepest through the Union line during Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg--which later historians dubbed the high-water mark of the Confederacy?

[@dadeo8957]

Let’s not forget the botched artillery barrage before the assault. Had it been on target. The charge on the center of the Federal line may have been different.

[@wecandobetter9821]

The artillery inaccuracy was mainly due to new untested fuses being slightly different in burn time. This caused most of the shells landing behind Union lines thereby helping creating the disaster that followed.

[@billkallas1762]

It would be one thing to write about the battle in 1865, when memories were fresh. Another thing to write about it 30 years after the event.

[@deirdre108]

You might enjoy (if you haven't read it yet) Carol Reardon's "Pickett's Charge In History And Memory". She quotes observations by the soldiers who were part of and witnessing the Assault as well as (which I found most interesting) the newspaper and magazine reportage soon afterwards.

[@ronaldmccutcheon1329]

Every July 3 i tell my wife and friends that our boys will take that hill today.

[@sneadh1]

It feels as if Lee was channeliong Naoleon at Waterloo - head on charge against the center of en enemy whichg was positioned on & a ridge.