Second day
The Plan
On July 2, 1863, Union commander Robert E. Lee ordered Lieutenant General James Longstreet to attack and roll up the Federal left flank. At the same time, Lieutenant General A.P. Hill's corps would threaten the Union center to prevent Major General George Gordon Meade from reinforcing the Union left and would then continue the attack when Major General Richard Anderson's brigades, holding the corps' right, made contact with Longstreet. On the Confederate left, Lee instructed Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell to make diversionary attacks all along his front and then launch an all-out assault if practicable. If the plan succeeded, the Union army would topple helplessly from the positions it held atop the high ground south of Gettysburg, and the entire Civil War might be won in a day.
The Battle
As Longstreet's army attacked the Union III Corps, Meade was forced to send reinforcements. The Confederate assault deviated from Lee's plan since Hood's division moved more easterly than intended, losing its alignment with the Emmitsburg Road, attacking Devil's Den and Little Round Top. McLaws, coming in on Hood's left, drove multiple attacks into the thinly stretched III Corps in the Wheatfield and overwhelmed them in Sherfy's Peach Orchard. McLaws's attack eventually reached Plum Run Valley before being beaten back by the Pennsylvania Reserves division of the V Corps, moving down from Little Round Top. The III Corps was virtually destroyed as a combat unit in this battle, and Sickles's leg was amputated after it was shattered by a cannonball. Caldwell's division was destroyed piecemeal in the Wheatfield. Anderson's division, coming from McLaws's left and starting forward around 6 p.m., reached the crest of Cemetery Ridge, but it could not hold the position in the face of counterattacks from the II Corps, including an almost suicidal bayonet charge by the small 1st Minnesota regiment against a Confederate brigade, ordered in desperation by Hancock to buy time for reinforcements to arrive.As battle went on Strong Vincent of V Corps had a precarious hold on Little Round Top, an important hill at the left of the Union line.
At about 7 p.m, By about 19:00, Ewell sent Johnson's Division to attack up Culp's Hill. Steuart's Brigade swung around the left and flanked Greene's right and occupied the lower portion of Culp's Hill. Jones' and Nicholls' Brigades attacked directly into Greene's fortified positions and were unable to break the defenses. Soon, reinforcements from XI Corps arrived from Cemetery Hill to secure the Union position, but by this time, darkness had fallen. The Confederates remained on the lower portion of Culp's Hill and Williams and Geary's Divisions of the XII Corps were sent to take up positions opposite Johnson's men. Johnson's three Brigades on Culp's Hill were reinforced by another four Brigades that were not involved in the day's fighting.
Once the fighting on Culp's Hill erupted, BG Hays' and Col Avery's Brigades (Early's Division) attacked Cemetery Hill from the north. Defending the heights behind substantial defenses were Col. Harris' and von Gilsa's Brigades. But, due to a shift in movement, the Union developed a gap in the line at exactly the wrong time. Both Confederate Brigades were able to exploit the gap and wreak havoc in the Union line. The Confederates were able to reach the artillery batteries before Union reinforcements from the XI and II Corps drove them off the heights.
By this time, darkness had fallen across the entire battlefield and the two armies ceased any major occurrences. The Union line had held and the Confederates had failed to gain any major success
On July 2, 1863, Union commander Robert E. Lee ordered Lieutenant General James Longstreet to attack and roll up the Federal left flank. At the same time, Lieutenant General A.P. Hill's corps would threaten the Union center to prevent Major General George Gordon Meade from reinforcing the Union left and would then continue the attack when Major General Richard Anderson's brigades, holding the corps' right, made contact with Longstreet. On the Confederate left, Lee instructed Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell to make diversionary attacks all along his front and then launch an all-out assault if practicable. If the plan succeeded, the Union army would topple helplessly from the positions it held atop the high ground south of Gettysburg, and the entire Civil War might be won in a day.
The Battle
As Longstreet's army attacked the Union III Corps, Meade was forced to send reinforcements. The Confederate assault deviated from Lee's plan since Hood's division moved more easterly than intended, losing its alignment with the Emmitsburg Road, attacking Devil's Den and Little Round Top. McLaws, coming in on Hood's left, drove multiple attacks into the thinly stretched III Corps in the Wheatfield and overwhelmed them in Sherfy's Peach Orchard. McLaws's attack eventually reached Plum Run Valley before being beaten back by the Pennsylvania Reserves division of the V Corps, moving down from Little Round Top. The III Corps was virtually destroyed as a combat unit in this battle, and Sickles's leg was amputated after it was shattered by a cannonball. Caldwell's division was destroyed piecemeal in the Wheatfield. Anderson's division, coming from McLaws's left and starting forward around 6 p.m., reached the crest of Cemetery Ridge, but it could not hold the position in the face of counterattacks from the II Corps, including an almost suicidal bayonet charge by the small 1st Minnesota regiment against a Confederate brigade, ordered in desperation by Hancock to buy time for reinforcements to arrive.As battle went on Strong Vincent of V Corps had a precarious hold on Little Round Top, an important hill at the left of the Union line.
At about 7 p.m, By about 19:00, Ewell sent Johnson's Division to attack up Culp's Hill. Steuart's Brigade swung around the left and flanked Greene's right and occupied the lower portion of Culp's Hill. Jones' and Nicholls' Brigades attacked directly into Greene's fortified positions and were unable to break the defenses. Soon, reinforcements from XI Corps arrived from Cemetery Hill to secure the Union position, but by this time, darkness had fallen. The Confederates remained on the lower portion of Culp's Hill and Williams and Geary's Divisions of the XII Corps were sent to take up positions opposite Johnson's men. Johnson's three Brigades on Culp's Hill were reinforced by another four Brigades that were not involved in the day's fighting.
Once the fighting on Culp's Hill erupted, BG Hays' and Col Avery's Brigades (Early's Division) attacked Cemetery Hill from the north. Defending the heights behind substantial defenses were Col. Harris' and von Gilsa's Brigades. But, due to a shift in movement, the Union developed a gap in the line at exactly the wrong time. Both Confederate Brigades were able to exploit the gap and wreak havoc in the Union line. The Confederates were able to reach the artillery batteries before Union reinforcements from the XI and II Corps drove them off the heights.
By this time, darkness had fallen across the entire battlefield and the two armies ceased any major occurrences. The Union line had held and the Confederates had failed to gain any major success