Day 1 July 1st 1863

In May of 1863 Confederate General and Commander of the southern army Robert E. Lee decided to take the war to the north with the ultimate goal of winning a victory on northern soil and forcing Washington, D.C. to settle for a peace agreement with the Confederate states. Up until this point the Confederate strategy had been a defensive and cautious one, letting the Union army take the offensive and be the invading force. However this time it would be the Confederate army that would be the invaders and on the offensive. Clearly Robert E. Lee's string of victories against the Union army during the first two years of the Civil War influenced Lee to carry out this bold plan for his army. Robert E. Lee led his three Confederate Corps north using the Blue Ridge Mountains to screen his movement as he pushed north into Pennsylvania. Robert E. Lee led the Confederate First Corps commanded by General James Longstreet, the Second Corps commanded by General Richard Ewell, and the Third Corps commanded by General A.P.Hill. The Union army began their pursuit of Lee's army and Lee's army was being shadowed by two brigades of Union cavalry under the command of General John Buford. As Lee pushed into Pennsylvania he was let down by General Jeb Stuart who commanded the Confederate cavalry. It was General Jeb Stuart's cavalry that was to be the eyes of the army as it pushed north and was to keep Lee informed as to the location and status of the pursuing northern army. Instead Stuart had been roaming around Pennsylvania near Harrisburg and York engaging in raids and getting in the Pennsylvania newspapers. When Lee finally learned of the close proximity of the northern army he was in a vulnerable state as his army was spread from Chambersburg to Carlisle to York. Lee knew he had to consolidate his army or else his army risked being destroyed piecemeal. As Lee viewed a map of Pennsylvania his eye caught a nearby town that had ten roads leading into it like a spider from from each direction on the map. That town that caught Lee's eye was the town of Gettysburg. It was Gettysburg that Lee ordered his troops to descend upon in order to consolidate their forces. It is important to realize the significance of the many roads leading into Gettysburg. To move an army of that size, nearly 80,000 men, multiple road ways were needed and the roads that led into Gettysburg provided that. However Robert E. Lee did not desire a full scale engagement with the Army of the Potomac. Lee wanted first to unite his forces which were spread between three towns north, northwest, and northeast of Gettysburg. As a result the Confederate troops approached first from the West (from Chambersburg) and then soon after from the north (from Carlisle), and then from the northeast (from York).

General John Buford, whose two brigades of Union cavalry were shadowing Robert E. Lee's army, realized the significance of Gettysburg and anticipated that Lee's army would try to occupy the town. The significance of Gettysburg was not only the many roads leading into it but also the many hills and ridges that dominated the land just south of the town. General John Buford was the first to notice the many strategic hills and ridges around Gettysburg. By this time it was June 30, 1863. Buford had a decision to make, should he withdraw from the town knowing that he did his duty in tracking and reporting the location of Lee's army and thus allow the Confederates to take the town and surrounding strategic ground or should he stay and try to make a stand the next morning against the Confederate infantry who for sure would be entering the town the next morning. General Buford had seen enough so far in the war of Union troops being sent to take high ground with an entrenched opponent and the ensuing Union losses and massive casualties. General Buford decided to stay and hold for as long as he could until the Union infantry arrives. This was a brave decision as cavalry is usually not expected to make a prolonged stand against blocks and columns of infantry. General Buford dismounted his cavalry troopers, assigning every fourth man to watch the horses, and deployed his men in a battle line west of the town at near Seminary Ridge. The next morning elements of the Confederate army began to enter Gettysburg from the west and the battle of Gettysburg begins. It was July 1st, 1863.

Enlarged Maps of Day 1 Gettysburg Battlefield

Robert E. Lee on the morning of July 1st did not desire a full scale engagement because his troops had not all arrived at Gettysburg and were still somewhat spread out. However events soon spun out of control as the initial Confederate troops who had expected to encounter militia when they entered the town ended up colliding with two brigades of dismounted cavalry. Buford's troopers were accomplishing their mission to buy time until the Union infantry arrived. They were able to repulse the initial waves of Confederate troops coming from the west. However Confederate troops began arriving north of the town and Buford's troopers were running out of time. Finally, relief arrived, Major John Reynolds, who days earlier had turned down command of the entire Union army, led the Union Army's First Corp and Eleventh Corps to Gettysburg. The newly arrived Union infantry relieved Buford's weary troopers and the First Corps took over the battle line west of town (north and south of the Chambersburg Road). Soon Confederate troops were observed approaching north of Gettysburg. The Federal Eleventh Corps arrived from the south and without a moment to spare raced through town to deploy in a battle line north of town to meet the Confederate threat coming from the north. For the first half of the day the battle went well for the Union. However remaining Confederate divisions began arriving at Gettysburg and pressure was increasingly mounting on the Union troops defending the town. A great tragedy for the Union had occurred that morning, Major John Reynold's had been killed soon after he deployed the Union infantry. He had been atop his horse west of the town leading the First Corps when he was shot and died instantly. Major General John Reynolds was most likely the Union's brightest and most dashing General. He was a gentlemen and possessed all the characteristics in being a leader.

In the afternoon, the Eleventh Corp lines north of town began to crumble at the right flank as more Confederate troops arrived from the northeast. This additonal pressure was too much. Starting from right to left the Eleventh Corp battle line began to crumble. The area where the Union line north of town began to crumble is known as Barlow's Knoll. Soon the entire Eleventh Corp was in full retreat through the streets of Gettysburg as they headed to an assigned location to regroup in case of such a disaster. That designated spot was Cemetery Hill just south of town. The collapse of Union line north of town spelled disaster for the Union's First Corp who was still holding their ground west of town. The break of the Union line north of town meant the Union line west of town would be flanked and rolled up like a carpet it did not withdraw, for it was the Eleventh Corp that was protecting the First Corp right flank. Therefore in afternoon of July 1st the entire Union command at Gettysburg was in full retreat. The retreating troops poured into the streets of Gettysburg as they headed to Cemetery Hill just south of town. The Confederates pursued the retreating Union troops as mayhem reigned in the streets of Gettysburg. As a result of the first day's fighting the Confederates were victorious and occupied the town. However the Confederate army missed key opportunites. Robert E. Lee's generals did not press the attack on Cemetery Hill when the Union troops retreated there. The critical delay allowed the Union troops to regroup and dig in on Cemetery Hill and the adjacent and wooded Culp's Hill. Though the Union army lost the first day it still held high ground and was being strengthened by the arrival of more Union Corp's coming from the south.

Day 2 July 2nd, 1863

(above & below) Photos of the McPherson Farm where Buford's dismounted cavalry made their stand against Confederate infantry.

(above) A view of the McPherson Farm from the east, Chambersburg Pike can be seen to the right. The swale that exists between McPherson's Ridge (pictured above) and Seminary Ridge became the sight of intense fighting as elements of A.P.Hill's Corp tried to dislodge the I Corp Union troops that retreated from McPherson's Ridge and displaced to Seminary Ridge, to the breastworks that were thrown up in front of the main seminary building. Confederate troops that crossed the swale were bombarded with intense artillery fire and musketry. However the I Corp Union troops that made their final stand at the seminary buildings were eventually overwhelmed and retreated through town to Cemetery Hill.

(above) The Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg, note the cupola, it was from there that General John Buford anxiously watched the road south waiting for Union reinforcements to appear.

(above) Monument marking part of the I Corp's battle line that formed west of the town. This monument to the 147th Pennsylvania is just north of Chambersburg Pike and the railroad cut would be off to the rear right of the photo. The 147th Pennsylvania was part of Brigadier General Lysander Cutler's 2nd Brigade of the I Corp's 1st Division. Three of Cutler's five regiments would be outflanked by General Davis' Brigade whose battle line was longer than than that of Cutler's Brigade. Cutler's Brigade was forced to retreat, however the two regiments of Cutler's Brigade posted south of the Chambersburg Pike turned and faced north, marched to the road and opened a flanking fire on Davis's Brigade as it pursued the fleeing regiments of Cutler's Brigade. Cutler's two regiments south of the Chambersburg Pike were joined by the 6th Wisconsin, at this point Davis' Brigade sought cover in an unfinished railroad cut. From their cover in the cut the men of Davis's Brigade poured fire into the three Federal regiments along the Chambersburg Pike. This led to the famous charge towards the railroad cut of the 6th Wisconsin and the 95th New York followed by the 14th Brooklyn. 180 men of the 6th Wisconsin fell in the charge. After brief fighting along the top of the railroad cut the trapped Confederates inside the railroad cut surrendered. In this action Confederate General Davis had lost 2300 men.

(above) General Francis Barlow unwisely placed his division on a rise of ground now known as "Barlow's Knoll". The position was too far forward from the rest of the 11th Corp line and was exposed and difficult to defend. The collapse of the 11th Corp line north of the town began here.

(above) A statue of John Burns the "hero of Gettysburg" (1794-1872). John Burns was an older civilian living in Gettysburg at the time of the battle. John Burns lived on the southeastern corner of the intersection of Chambersburg St. and High St. When the fighting broke out in the morning of July 1st, 1863, John Burns who had been a veteran of the war of 1812, grabbed his old musket, dressed in formal attire, and headed for the Union line at McPherson Ridge. There he joined the 150th PA and fought with the regiment. There are claims that John Burns also fought with the Iron Brigade on McPherson Ridge however that claim is doubted by some. It is generally agreed upon and confirmed that John Burns fought on McPherson Ridge and that he was wounded three times before throwing aside his musket and burying his cartidges so he would not be executed as a civilian taking up arms. The first Confederate soldiers to come into contact with Burns seemed to have believed that he was a wounded civilian caught in the crossfire. However John Burns, while recovering in his house during the remainder of the battle, had a close call when a minie ball crashed through his room. He did believe that it was an assassination attempt and that perhaps the Confederates had suspicions about his involvement on the first day's field. John Burns was hailed by many after the battle as being a hero, however to the men who refused to fight as he did, he was resented.