Battle of Gettysburg

The Wheatfield lays halfway between Little Round Top and the Peach Orchard, it’s an area of approximately 25 acres, which is bordered on the north and south by woodlands, and to the west there is a wooded rocky outcrop known as Stony Hill. The Wheatfield and Stony Hill formed the center of the battle line of Union General David Birney’s division of Sickle’s 3rd Corp. There were 3 brigades involved on the Union side in this battle. Under the command of General Hobart Ward was the left hand brigade holding Houck’s Ridge and the Valley of Death, in the center under command of Colonel Regis de Trobriand was the center brigade holding the Wheatfield and Stony Hill. Lastly on the right side there was General Charles Graham at the edge of the Peach Orchard.

As the Confederate’s under General Hood’s division attacked Devil’s Den and Little Round Top another brigade from the 3rd Ark

. . .
General Layfayette McLaws commanded the second division of Longstreet’s Corps.

This battle was significant in the Civil War because it was the turning point for the North. At this point the line was halted and the ranks were put back into order under the fire of Union artillery, the march resumed. These 11,000 men had about ¾ of an open mile of field to cross while 3 different Union artillery groups were crisscrossing shells over their heads. Picket’s Division provided approximately half of the 11,000 Confederate troops involved.

Union forces mustered 3,300 troops into 4 brigades, 3 were sent along the east edge of the Wheatfield and stormed onto Stony Hill overcoming Confederate forces and driving them back. One by one all of Graham’s regiments were driven north and in a matter of minutes half his Pennsylvanians became casualties. The order was then given, “Forward, common time, march. I feel if this engagement wouldn’t have taken place that the Civil war would have been a much longer fight, and many more people would have died. The scattered Union forces were trying to withdraw orderly but the Confederate forces routed some of them. After sending in Hood’s division Longstreet sent two brigades toward the Peach Orchard but they were held back on the command of General Lee. ansas came to reinforce the Confederate’s, this led to a lengthy firefight in which de Trobiand’s forces sent the Arkansas contingent back out of the Wheatfield. Thirty Union cannons blasted gigantic holes in the Confederate Lines, but they did not falter. After the Battle of Gettysburg everything started to fall apart for the Confederate troops. This didn’t last for long as the Union forces were coming on the counteroffensive.

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Approximate Word count = 1256
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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