Gettysburg: Pickett's Charge Breaks on Cemetery Ridge

What happened

Lee invaded Pennsylvania in June 1863, hoping a victory on Northern soil would strengthen Northern peace sentiment and again attract European recognition. His army collided with the Army of the Potomac, now under George Meade, at Gettysburg on July 1, and three days of fighting followed across Seminary Ridge, Little Round Top, Culp's Hill, and Cemetery Ridge. On July 3, Lee ordered nearly 12,500 Confederate soldiers under George Pickett and others to charge across almost a mile of open ground directly at the Union center on Cemetery Ridge, a decision Lieutenant General James Longstreet argued against beforehand. Union artillery and rifle fire tore the advancing lines apart; only a small number of Confederates briefly reached the Union line before being killed, captured, or driven back. Confederate casualties in the charge alone approached 50 percent, and Lee retreated to Virginia, having lost roughly a third of his army over the three days.

How we know

The National Park Service's account of Pickett's Charge and the American Battlefield Trust's battle summary both draw on official Union and Confederate reports and the memoirs of surviving officers, including Longstreet's own account of his objections to the charge.

Sources

• National Park Service. Charge for Victory or Defeat at Gettysburg · Reputable sourcenps.gov · The domain "nps.gov" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
• American Battlefield Trust. Gettysburg Battle Facts and Summary · Reputable sourcebattlefields.org · The domain "battlefields.org" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)