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BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG -- FIRST CONTACT AND PICKETT'S CHARGE

Of the more than 2,000 land engagements of the Civil War, Gettysburg ranks supreme. Although the Battle of Gettysburg did not end the conflict, it remains the most renowned battle of the Civil War. We offer a unique view of this historical event, by recapturing the essence of the beginning and the end of this battle.

FIRST CONTACT

In the humid, late afternoon of June 30, 1863, General John Buford, commander of the forward guard for the Union's massive Army of the Potomac, observed a Confederate brigade near Gettysburg. Buford established a picket line with his troops on a ridge just west of town, and sent a message to the Army of the Potomac that he planned to hold the tactical ground until infantry support could arrive.

On Wednesday morning, July 1, as Confederate General Heth marched his regiment towards Gettysburg, one of Buford's pickets took aim and fired the first shot of the Battle of Gettysburg.

PICKETT'S CHARGE

On July 3rd, the third day of a horrific battle that had been fought to a virtual standoff, General Lee called for an all-out assault on the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. To soften up the Union troops, Lee ordered artillery bombardment at 1 p.m. Union guns responded and the barrage could be heard in Pittsburgh, 140 miles away.

By 3 p.m., Lee ordered his infantry to attack Cemetery Ridge. Spearheaded by Major General George E. Pickett, the 12,000-troop infantry stretched out in a line a mile wide and began marching toward Cemetery Ridge. Union guns opened up and gouged huge holes in the Confederate ranks. The attack was a disaster. In just 50 minutes, 10,000 Confederate soldiers died.

The Gettysburg National Military Park is the largest battlefield shrine in America. Your family will be moved and awed by the experience of Gettysburg. The park offers a variety of tour options and several museums featuring everything from actual Civil War weaponry and uniforms to live reenactments and art inspired by the battle.