Gettysburg From the Confederate Side

July 1, 10 am 3 miles west of Gettysburg units of the Union army first encountered.

Continuing Battle of Gettysburg,
Today is our final installment from Orville J. Victor and then we begin the second part of the series with Edward A. Pollard. For works benefiting from the latest research see the “More information” section at the bottom of these pages.

Previously in Battle of Gettysburg.

Time: July 1-3, 1863
Place: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Meade’s summary of his losses and captures during this great three-days’ conflict was as follows:

Our own losses were very severe, amounting to 2834 killed, 13,709 wounded, and 6643 missing -— in all 23,186. The result of the campaign may be briefly stated in the defeat of the enemy at Gettysburg, their compulsory evacuation of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and withdrawal from the upper valley of the Shenandoah; and the capture of 3 guns, 41 standards, 13,621 prisoners, while 24,978 small arms were collected on the field.”

Lee’s casualties, as in other great battles, never were reported. He said in his preliminary report of July 31st: “It is not in my power to give a correct statement of our casualties, which were very severe, including many brave men and an unusual proportion of distinguished and valuable officers. Among them I regret to mention the following general officers: Major-Generals Hood, Pender, and Trimble, severely; and Major-General Heth, slightly. General Pender has since died. Brigadier-Generals Barksdale and Garnett were killed, and Semmes mortally wounded. Brigadier-Generals Kemper, Armistead, Scales, G. T. Anderson, Hampton, J. M. Jones, and Jennings were also wounded. Brigadier-General Archer was taken prisoner. General Pettigrew, though wounded at Gettysburg, continued in command until he was mortally wounded near Falling Waters.” Their entire losses Swinton estimates at 30,000 -— these figures being obtained by Lee’s own returns, which were, on May 31st, 68,352, and on July 31st, 41,135.

Edward A. Pollard

Now we begin the second the second part of our series with our selection from The Lost Cause by Edward A. Pollard, The selection is presented in 5 easy 5 minute installments.

Edward A. Pollard (1832-1872) was a Virginian journalist and author who wrote about the Civil War from the Confederate side.

The march toward Gettysburg was conducted slowly. At 10 a.m. on July 1, 1863, Heth’s division, of Hill’s Corps, being ahead, encountered the enemy’s advance line, the Eleventh Corps, about three miles west of Gettysburg. Here a sharp engagement ensued, our men steadily advancing and driving the enemy before them to the town, and to a range of hills or low mountains running out a little east of south from the town. General Reynolds, who commanded the enemy’s advance, rode forward to inspect the ground and select a position for his line of battle. The Confederates, distinguishing him from his uniform to be an officer of high rank, opened upon him with heavy volleys of infantry fire. He was struck by several balls, and died instantly without uttering a word.

About an hour after the opening of the engagement, which was principally of artillery, General Ewell, who was moving from the direction of Carlisle, came up and took a position on our extreme left. Rodes came into the engagement on the flank of the enemy, who were confronting A. P. Hill, and occupied the most commanding point of the very ridge with artillery which the enemy were upon. This ridge runs in the shape of a crescent around Gettysburg, following the windings of a creek which is between it and the town.

After our artillery had been engaged for some half an hour, with admirable effect, the enemy were observed to be moving rapidly from Hill’s front to that of Rodes, and to be advancing their new columns against Rodes from the town. Rodes, his dispositions having been made, advanced his whole line. It had first to cross a field, six hundred yards wide, and enter woods -— immediately upon entering which it became hotly engaged.

The Alabama Brigade (Rodes’s old command) advanced somewhat confusedly, owing, it is said, to a misconception as to the direction it should take, and, while confused, it became engaged, and was forced back with its lines broken, though reinforced by the Fifth Alabama, which uncovered Lawson’s brigade. Two regiments of this brigade were almost entirely sur rounded, in consequence of the giving way of the Alabama Brigade and the concentration of the enemy at that point and were either killed or captured almost to a man. The gallant resistance, however, which they made is shown by a statement coming from General Rodes himself, that, riding along behind where their line had been, he thought he observed a regiment lying down as if to escape the Federal fire. On going up to force them into the fight, he found they were all corpses.

Orville J. Victor begins here. Abraham Lincoln begins here.

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