The Battle: Day 3
- General Lee was unfazed by the events of July 2nd, where the Confederate forces gained little ground- early in the morning on July 3rd, Longstreet, who was reinforced by Major General George Pickett's division, renewed his assault on the Union forces
- General Meade of the Army of the Potomac ordered a concentrated bombardment of artillery on the forces led by Longstreet
- Longstreet misunderstood his orders, and assaulted the wrong part of the Union army
- Lee was forced to modify his plans because of Longstreet's mistake
- He wanted to send Pickett, Pettigrew, and a third of Trimble's men into the center of the Army of the Potomac on Cemetery Ridge after a long bombardment by cannon on the Union forces
- This attack by the Confederacy became known as Pickett's Charge, and it ended in disaster, with almost 5600 Confederate casualties
- The Confederate army was forced to retreat, and the battle was basically over
- Union losses= 23,000
- Confederate losses= 20,000-29,000
Pickett's Charge
- An attack launched by General Lee on the Union forces defending Cemetery Ridge
- Led by Major General George Pickett
- After a bombardment of artillery, nearly 12,000 men charged Cemetery Ridge in hopes of overwhelming the Union defenses on the strategic hill.
- The Confederates were fended off by counter attacks from the Army of the Potomac
- The Confederates were forced to retreat from Gettysburg after suffering heavy casualties at Pickett's Charge