The Gettysburg Campaign
In June, 1863, General Lee launched his second invasion of the north. He advanced down the Shenandoah Valley toward Harper's Ferry, brushing aside smaller union forces near Winchester June 13 and 14. Marching through Maryland into Pennsylvania, the Confederates reached Chambersburg and turned east. They occupied York, east of Gettysburg near the Susquehanna River, and harassed Carlisle and Harrisburg to the north. Learning to his surprise that General George Meade (who replaced Hooker) had moved Union forces north of the Potomac River, General Lee hastened to concentrate his far-flung forces. The two hostile armies came together unexpectedly at the important crossroads town of Gettysburg.
Attacking from the north and west into the city of Gettysburg, on July 1, 1863, over 28,000 Confederate soldiers finally prevailed after nine hours of desperate fighting with 18,000 union soldiers. The weight of the Confederates forced General Abner Doubleday's Union troops back through the streets of Gettysburg, to the strategic Cemetery Ridge south of town. Here, General Meade assembled the rest of his force that night.
On the second day of the battle Meade's 88,000 troops were heavily shored up in a strong fish-hook shaped defensive position. Union lines ran north from the Round Tops hills, along Cemetery Ridge, turning eastward to Culp's Hill. Lee ordered Longstreet's Corps to attack diagonally from Little Round Top northward, while General Ewell's units attacked Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill. The Confederate attack, coming late in the afternoon, saw Longstreet capture the positions west of Little Round Top known as Peach Orchard, Wheat Field, and Devil's Den on the Federal left. But, he failed to seize the vital Little Round Top. General Kershaw had the following to say about the actions of W.T. Wofford's men of the Texas Brigade in the thick of battle:
| “ | ...I feared the brave men around me would be surrounded by the large force of the enemy constantly increasing in numbers, and all the while gradually enveloping us. In order to avoid such a catastrophe, I ordered a retreat to the buildings at Rose's. On emerging from the wood as I followed the retreat, I saw Wofford riding in the head of his fine brigade, then coming in, his left being in the Peach Orchard, which was then clear of the enemy. His movement was such as to strike the stony hill on the left, and thus turn the flank of the troops that had driven us from that position. On his approach the enemy retreated across the wheat field, where, with the regiments of my left wing, Wofford attacked with great effect, driving the Federals upon and near to Little Round Top. I now ascertained that Barksdale had advanced upon the Peach Orchard after I had become engaged; thus he had cleared that position with the assistance of my 8th South Carolina regiment, driving all before him, and having advanced far beyond that point, until enveloped by superior forces, had fallen mortally wounded, and been left in the Federals hands. He had passed too far to my left to afford me any relief except in silencing the batteries that had so cruelly punished my left. When Barksdale passed to the left, the regiments of my left wing moved up into the wood on the left of the stony hill, and maintained that position against heavy odds until the advance of Wofford's brigade.
When the enemy fell back from the stony hill on General Wofford's advance, the 15th South Carolina and a portion of Semmes's brigade followed that and joined Wofford in his attack upon the retreating column. I rallied the remainder of my brigade and Semmes's at Rose's, with the assistance of Colonel Sorrel of Longstreet's staff, and advanced with them to the support of Wofford, taking position at the stone wall overlooking the forest to the right of Rose's house, some two hundred yards in front. Finding that Wofford's men were coming out, I retained them at that point to check any attempt of the enemy to follow. It was near nightfall, and the operations of the day were over. That night we occupied the ground over which we had fought, with my left at the Peach Orchard, on the hill, and gathered the dead and wounded—a long list of brave and efficient officers and men. Captain Cunningham's company of the 2d Regiment was reported to have gone into action with forty men, of whom only four remained unhurt to bury their fallen comrades. My losses exceeded 600 men killed and wounded—about one-half the force engaged... |
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The third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee ordered General Pickett to lead a heroic frontal assault on the center line of Cemetery Ridge with some 15,000 soldiers. After a terrible two hour artillery battle, and the heroic uphill charge of thousands, only a few hundred temporarily broke the Union lines. They were thrown back suffering nearly sixty percent casualties.
The Confederates suffered 28,063 dead or wounded, and the Union forces suffered 23,049 at Gettysburg. Meade was unable to counterattack, and Lee conducted an adroit retreat into Northern Virginia. George Smith's 18th Georgia Regiment retreated to an area near Manassas Gap, in Virginia. They fought a skirmish at Snicker's Gap, Virginia on July 23, 1863, and did not see action again until October.
Read more about this topic: George Right Smith
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