This famous event gets way too much comment and this is a micro analysis that does away with a lot of natural assumptions. It also compares well to other civil War assaults and not so surprising.
By the time this assault was launched, union forces were up to full strength making the assault likely impossible. this would not have been obvious considering the lack of reccon. So away they went.
As it was, it produced a mauling which allowed Lee to break off and pull out. Both sidees swapped casulty counts which was exactly Grants strategy thereafter. No longer trying to actually win an encounter which no one had really done in the East.
That Picketts charge
Marko Self
I’ve been a civil war buff since childhood Updated Wed
https://www.quora.com/
During Pickett's charge at Gettysburg, why didn't the confederate soldiers ram themselves through the fence instead of trying to climb over it? How much did the fence cost the confederate's chance for victory?
One reason the confederates didn’t ram themselves through the fence or climb over it is because a lot of them stayed right where they were. There was a slight depression in the lane of Emmitsburg Road and many refused to advance. In fact, many soldiers were taken prisoner after the assault. So in reality, the fence actually saved lives for the confederates and fence or no fence, there’s no chance of victory for the rebels. In fact, if the fence isn’t there and more confederate soldiers were in higher numbers attacking from that point to the defensive position the union held, it would have been more casualties. More deaths and wounded and more prisoners taken.
The “fence” along Emmitsburg Road (aka) Emmitsburg Pike was a well built fence that lined both sides of the lane. Instead of the split rail fencing xxxx, it was a post and rail |==|==|… with the posts driven into the ground fairly solid and the poles notched to the posts. There’s the reason why it wasn’t easily taken down and those that tried crossing over were made much easier targets for the union defenders along the top of the slightly elevated position on Cemetery Ridge. It was a gradual slope from the road (pike) to the angle and copse of trees.
From the Emmitsburg Road to the angle and copse of trees, the confederates faced double and triple canister from the artillery placed there and the ferocious musketry coming in rapid volleys.
What few did make it to the “angle “ were quickly either killed, wounded or captured. There’s too much made about Armistead and his heroic efforts along with the 150–250 that breeched the wall. Actual casualty figures shows numbers that are misconstrued as if the entire force that made up the charge were slaughtered and that’s not true.
I’m not saying there wasn’t a lot of casualties from the confederates, but it’s been over calculated in the actual numbers in a lot of people’s minds. It’s not what you would think but nonetheless, many were killed and wounded from the minute they stepped out of the tree line on Seminary Ridge. They became targets from artillery coming not only from the center of the line on Cemetery Ridge but from the flanks also.
The assault was a wide ranging front that extended almost as wide as the 3/4 to a mile field they crossed. As numbers dwindled, they were funneled more from the left and right into a more concentrated force. We tend to view the action specifically at the angle and copse of trees when in fact, the confederates were ranging to the left and right of that point of attack.
Many soldiers retreated back towards Seminary Ridge when it got to “ hot to continue “ granted the field out front was strewn with dead and wounded but not like you would expect.
It was true that it was a reversal of Fredericksburg and a total failure. It was also a disaster in numbers for Lee’s army but the entire force that made up the charge weren’t completely destroyed. It is estimated that about 12,000 -12,500 confederates made the assault and around 6,000 became casualties. This total of 6,000 is roughly 50% of the attacking force that made up the charge. Further breakdown of these casualties are as closely estimated. 1,123 killed, 4,019 wounded, and 3,750 captured and missing. Ironically Pettigrew’s division suffered the most casualties with 2,700 which constituted 62% of his division compared to Pickett’s 2,655 casualties at 42% of his division. Trimble’s division which was the smallest of the 3 divisions that took part had 885 casualties at 52% of his division.
This total was around 23% of the entire total of the 3 days of battle. Union losses were estimated at 1,500 just for Pickett’s charge and a total of slightly over 25,000 in total for the 3 days of battle.
Lee started his Pennsylvania campaign with around 70,000 able soldiers and after the battle of Gettysburg, the confederates suffered about 28,000 casualties, killed, wounded and captured. After losing more on his retreat back to Virginia, he still had a formidable army but the ANV was never the same afterwards.
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