Pickett's Charge at 145th Gettysburg

by William Chapman

I participated in the 145th annual reenactment of the battle of Gettysburg earlier this month. The whole event was great, but the thing that had the most impact on me was the reenactment of Pickett's charge.

It was sweltering hot, and reminiscent of the actual charge on July 3, 1863. We marched down a long dirt road to form up in lines of battle for the charge. The other musicians and I were playing, the men marched with unusual solemnity, and the sun beat down on the long, dusty line of gray-clad men. We passed a farmhouse on the way, where the 26th North Carolina brass band stood, playing tunes like Dixie and the Bonnie Blue flag. The men cheered and tossed their hats into the air. As I walked along, I found that some soldier had scattered his playing cards in the road, for fear of being found with them in his posession if he was killed.

We crossed a ditch and then marched out into the open on the field where the charge would take place. The artillery barrage began. Shells burst over our heads and errupted on the ground. I was standing behind my battalion, but I could see over their heads that a barn that was standing on the field had burst into flames. I could also see the long line of Yankees across the field. They cheered whenever a shell burst, and we yelled back when one of ours found its mark.

Finally, the artillery barrage ended and the charge began. The Rebel line surged forward like a great brown behemoth. The drums rattled, the bugles sounded, and the Federals released a crackling volley of musket fire on us. We reached a fence and quickly dismantled it. Our men were dropping like flies. We approached the stone wall, faster and faster. Our captain was yelling and the smell of smoke was heavy in the air. I looked to my left and saw a field full of casualties. Accoutrements, blankets, and guns were scattered on the field alongside their owners. The wall was very close now.

The Federals were pouring gunfire down on us. I could hear them yelling "Fredericksburg!". The ground under their feet was littered with cartridge papers. We were moving forward at a running pace now. I looked up and my battalion was gone. One of the drummers had charged ahead to the wall and made an attempt to go over, but he was killed. He fell over top of the wall. I stopped in my tracks for a moment, and then made an attempt to run, but I was wounded and I fell. In the last moments of the battle, as I was lying on the field, clutching my "wound", I saw one Confederate unit after another charge the wall, yelling like furies. I saw one reach the wall, waver momentarily, begin to fall back, but then get mowed down by the merciless Federal gunfire.

Some men limped back to the remnants of the fence and made a feeble attempt to rally there. There was no use. Others were taken prisoner and helped across the wall by the Federals. I made an attempt to crawl away, but there was no use. I just lay there and watched the battle end. There was a haze of smoke everywhere at the end of the battle. The field was scattered with men, fence rails, accoutrememnts, and the smouldering remains of the burning barn. The Confederates had lost.

Comments

[Your Ole Pa]

Very well written! And you look good in the video too.

[Sandy]

Wow! The video was great and so were you! For a fleeting moment I thought I heard someone yell "Michigan" and "Wolverines"... do you think? Awesome battle!!

[Tyler McHone]

this sounds cool I wish I was there

[william]

Thanks,

Sorry for the delayed nature of my reply.

Sandy- It's pretty likely that you heard someone say "Michigan". Most likely, it was a Federal officer trying to get the attention of his men. I don't know about "wolvrines", though! Thats an odd one.

Tyler- It was great. I had a good time during
Pickett's charge.

Your Ole Pa- I have no idea who you might be : ) but I am glad you enjoyed the post.

-Wm.

[Freebird]

William,

I was there, too, with the 5th Virginia Infantry, Longstreet's Corps. What a sight, thousands of butternut and gray clad warriors fighting for the Cause. I was one of those you were talking about who made it to the wall, limped back, and tried to re-form a line of battle. My passion is to teach, through reenacting, the truth about the War for Southern Independence.