How do battles start

Winfield S. Hancock assumed command of the battlefield, sent by Meade when he heard that Reynolds had been killed. Hancock, commander of the II Corps and Meade's most trusted subordinate, was ordered to take command of the field and to determine whether Gettysburg was an appropriate place for a major battle. Hancock told Howard, "I think this the strongest position by nature upon which to fight a battle that I ever saw.

General Lee understood the defensive potential to the Union if they held this high ground. He sent orders to Ewell that Cemetery Hill be taken "if practicable.

The first day at Gettysburg, more significant than simply a prelude to the bloody second and third days, ranks as the 23rd biggest battle of the war by number of troops engaged. About one quarter of Meade's army 22, men and one third of Lee's army 27, were engaged. Second Day of Battle July 2, Plans and Movement to Battle. Longstreet's third division, commanded by Maj.

George Pickett, had begun the march from Chambersburg early in the morning; it did not arrive until late on July 2. The Union line ran from Culp's Hill southeast of the town, northwest to Cemetery Hill just south of town, then south for nearly two miles 3 km along Cemetery Ridge, terminating just north of Little Round Top. The shape of the Union line is popularly described as a "fishhook" formation. The Confederate line paralleled the Union line about a mile 1, m to the west on Seminary Ridge, ran east through the town, then curved southeast to a point opposite Culp's Hill.

Thus, the Union army had interior lines, while the Confederate line was nearly five miles 8 km long. Lee's battle plan for July 2 called for Longstreet's First Corps to position itself stealthily to attack the Union left flank, facing northeast astraddle the Emmitsburg Road, and to roll up the U.

The attack sequence was to begin with Maj. Richard H. Anderson's division of Hill's Third Corps. The progressive en echelon sequence of this attack would prevent Meade from shifting troops from his center to bolster his left.

At the same time, Maj. Lee's plan, however, was based on faulty intelligence, exacerbated by Stuart's continued absence from the battlefield. Instead of moving beyond the U. Sickles had been dissatisfied with the position assigned him on the southern end of Cemetery Ridge. Seeing higher ground more favorable to artillery positions a half mile m to the west, he advanced his corps—without orders—to the slightly higher ground along the Emmitsburg Road.

This created an untenable salient at the Peach Orchard; Brig. Andrew A. Humphreys's division in position along the Emmitsburg Road and Maj. David B. Birney's division to the south were subject to attacks from two sides and were spread out over a longer front than their small corps could defend effectively.

About p. Most of the hill's defenders, the Union XII Corps, had been sent to the left to defend against Longstreet's attacks, and the only portion of the corps remaining on the hill was a brigade of New Yorkers under Brig. George S. Because of Greene's insistence on constructing strong defensive works, and with reinforcements from the I and XI Corps, Greene's men held off the Confederate attackers, although the Southerners did capture a portion of the abandoned U.

Andrew L. Harris of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, came under a withering attack, losing half his men; however, Early failed to support his brigades in their attack, and Ewell's remaining division, that of Maj.

Rodes, failed to aid Early's attack by moving against Cemetery Hill from the west. The Union army's interior lines enabled its commanders to shift troops quickly to critical areas, and with reinforcements from II Corps, the U. Jeb Stuart and his three cavalry brigades arrived in Gettysburg around noon but had no role in the second day's battle. Wade Hampton's brigade fought a minor engagement with newly promoted year-old Brig.

Longstreet's attack was to be made as early as practicable; however, Longstreet got permission from Lee to await the arrival of one of his brigades, and while marching to the assigned position, his men came within sight of a Union signal station on Little Round Top. Countermarching to avoid detection wasted much time, and Hood's and McLaws's divisions did not launch their attacks until just after 4 p.

Third Day of Battle July 3, Lee's Plan. General Lee wished to renew the attack on Friday, July 3, using the same basic plan as the previous day: Longstreet would attack the U. However, before Longstreet was ready, Union XII Corps troops started a dawn artillery bombardment against the Confederates on Culp's Hill in an effort to regain a portion of their lost works.

The Confederates attacked, and the second fight for Culp's Hill ended around 11 a. Harry Pfanz judged that, after some seven hours of bitter combat, "the Union line was intact and held more strongly than before.

Lee was forced to change his plans. Longstreet would command Pickett's Virginia division of his own First Corps, plus six brigades from Hill's Corps, in an attack on the U. Prior to the attack, all the artillery the Confederacy could bring to bear on the U. Around 1 p. In order to save valuable ammunition for the infantry attack that they knew would follow, the Army of the Potomac's artillery, under the command of Brig. Henry Jackson Hunt, at first did not return the enemy's fire.

After waiting about 15 minutes, about 80 U. The Army of Northern Virginia was critically low on artillery ammunition, and the cannonade did not significantly affect the Union position. Around 3 p. In the Union center, the commander of artillery had held fire during the Confederate bombardment in order to save it for the infantry assault, which Meade had correctly predicted the day before , leading Southern commanders to believe the Northern cannon batteries had been knocked out.

However, they opened fire on the Confederate infantry during their approach with devastating results. Nearly one half of the attackers did not return to their own lines.

Although the U. The farthest advance of Brig. Lewis A. Armistead's brigade of Maj. George Pickett's division at the Angle is referred to as the "High-water mark of the Confederacy", arguably representing the closest the South ever came to its goal of achieving independence from the Union via military victory.

Union and Confederate soldiers locked in hand-to-hand combat, attacking with their rifles, bayonets, rocks and even their bare hands. Armistead ordered his Confederates to turn two captured cannons against Union troops, but discovered that there was no ammunition left, the last double canister shots having been used against the charging Confederates.

Armistead was shortly after wounded three times. There were two significant cavalry engagements on July 3. Stuart was sent to guard the Confederate left flank and was to be prepared to exploit any success the infantry might achieve on Cemetery Hill by flanking the U. Three miles 5 km east of Gettysburg, in what is now called "East Cavalry Field" not shown on the accompanying map, but between the York and Hanover Roads , Stuart's forces collided with U.

David McMurtrie Gregg's division and Brig. Custer's brigade. A lengthy mounted battle, including hand-to-hand sabre combat, ensued. Custer's charge, leading the 1st Michigan Cavalry, blunted the attack by Wade Hampton's brigade, blocking Stuart from achieving his objectives in the U. Meanwhile, after hearing news of the day's victory, Brig. Judson Kilpatrick launched a cavalry attack against the infantry positions of Longstreet's Corps southwest of Big Round Top. Elon J. Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.

Mysia Haight December 9, Back to top. Download Example Two of Advice Column. Today, they will be writing an advice column giving tactical advice to American Revolution soldiers. Tactics are the military strategies and plans used by armies or groups in a battle. Let's start by looking at two examples of advice columns and seeing how they are similar and different.

Ask students to make a list of ways the two columns are similar and the ways they are different. Ask students to share their list. Ask students which column they liked better and why. Ask if they have any ideas about what could have made these columns more interesting. Tell students that today they will be writing a historical battle tactice advice column and can use these columns as examples.

The battle of Kings Mountain was fought October 7th, and was an important American victory during the Revolutionary War. Hand out a copy of the reading to each student. Tell the students that they will be reading the passage two times. The first time, they will read to understand the big ideas. Any detail or phrase that seems important, they will underline. Any words or phrases they don't understand, the students should circle.

John B. The arrival of the Union Sixth Corps does little more than broaden the front and lengthen the list of casualties. Shortly after Warren runs into the Confederates on the turnpike, Union Brig. Samuel Crawford, at the William Chewning farm, observes another enemy column headed east on the Orange Plank Road toward its intersection with the Brock Road. Winfield S. Meade quickly dispatches Brig. George W. Around p.

Hancock soon arrives and rushes forward to support Getty, continuing the fight until nightfall. May 6. A pair of flank attacks—by Longstreet south of the Plank Road and by Gordon north of the turnpike —help break the stalemate and force the Federals behind breastworks. Hampered by the heavy brush, the Confederates stumble forward without cohesion until they reach obstructions in front of the Union line.

In one spot, Confederate troops dash forward and plant their flags on the burning works, but their success is short-lived. Within minutes, Union troops counterattack and reclaim the works.

May 7. Both sides dig in and await attack. After sustaining heavy losses in their battles with Lee, former Union commanders Hooker and Burnside had retreated. So, when the Union troops discover that their new leader—Grant—is continuing to advance, the Federals rejoice. On May 7, Grant directs Union engineers to take up the pontoon bridges at Germanna Ford and orders his corps commanders to march toward Spotsylvania Court House.

On May 7, exhausted Federal troops left their trenches and began marching south, toward the lower edge of the Wilderness. As Grant came riding to the head of the troops, his soldiers slowly realized they were not in retreat as had been assumed and broke into wild cheering. Horace Porter, described the spontaneous celebration. In the past, when the Army of the Potomac had failed to win a victory south of the Rappahannock it had retreated back across the river to regroup.

But Grant shrugged off the casualties in the Wilderness and kept up momentum and morale by continuing to move south. For Gen. Lee, massively outnumbered and outgunned by Union forces, the harsh terrain of the Wilderness was preferable, as a fight in the dense woods would prevent Grant from using his artillery effectively and provide cover for the smaller Confederate force. But smoke from gunpowder blinded the soldiers and fires lit by exploding shells spread through the dry woods, making the Wilderness an inferno for all the troops ensnared there.