Gettysburg

[JAKIII]

Today, the boy and I did the movie-cyclorama and museum... it was great! Tomorrow, doing a bus tour of the battlefield and some hiking.

[ROCK-IT3]

Today, the boy and I did the movie-cyclorama and museum... it was great! Tomorrow, doing a bus tour of the battlefield and some hiking.

The Ranger-led programs are usually excellent, and extremely informative.

[JAKIII]

The Ranger-led programs are usually excellent, and extremely informative.

Thanks for the tip.

I chatted up some rangers today and asked lots of questions... they were happy to oblige.

p.s. I think George Pickett was an idiot. Not coincidentally, he graduated last out of 59 cadets at the USMA class of 1846.

[Fortytwo]

Thanks for the tip.

I chatted up some rangers today and asked lots of questions... they were happy to oblige.

p.s. I think George Pickett was an idiot. Not coincidentally, he graduated last out of 59 cadets at the USMA class of 1846.

Fun fact: Another George present at the battle also had graduated last out of his USMA class, of 1861. But George Armstrong Custer actually performed rather well at Gettysburg.

[SevenMilePete]

Thanks for the tip.

I chatted up some rangers today and asked lots of questions... they were happy to oblige.

p.s. I think George Pickett was an idiot. Not coincidentally, he graduated last out of 59 cadets at the USMA class of 1846.

Pickett led the charge. It wasn't his idea. He was ordered by his commander, Longstreet. And Lee recommended his division lead the assault. And don't think he was stupid to be last in his class. He won the pool. It's tough to finish last, but not fail out.

[borekfk]

Thanks for the tip.

I chatted up some rangers today and asked lots of questions... they were happy to oblige.

p.s. I think George Pickett was an idiot. Not coincidentally, he graduated last out of 59 cadets at the USMA class of 1846.

Pickett wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but that was proven at the debacle of Five Forks during the Siege of Petersburg.

[Mush]

Pickett led the charge. It wasn't his idea. He was ordered by his commander, Longstreet. And Lee recommended his division lead the assault. And don't think he was stupid to be last in his class. He won the pool. It's tough to finish last, but not fail out.

According to historians, PCN Gettysburg Ranger video's, and quoted in Wikipedia, "also known as the Pickett*Pettigrew*Trimble Charge, The charge is popularly named after Major General George Pickett, one of three Confederate generals (all under the command of Lieutenant General James Longstreet) who led the assault." The PCN channel has the Gettysburg walking tours I highly recommend. One was on the Day 2 "Pickett's charge" and discussed who was involved. I would not want to lessen the involvement of Pettigrew and Trimble who I believe did not live through the charge.

[IronButt]

I lived within 7 miles of Gettysburg the first 50 years of my life, and the wife, kids & I spent many days exploring the battlefield. Many times I've stood at the start of Pickett's charge & looked way across the field, and the fences to where the Union lines were. Maybe that charge wasn't the worst idea of the war, but it ranks right up there. Supposedly, the Confederates were bombarding the Union lines with cannon fire all morning prior to the charge, but unbeknownst to the Rebels, all the shells were landing behind the Union lines & doing very little harm.

Most of the movie "Gettysburg" was filmed in the Cashtown area, which is a few miles away, on the other side of Gettysburg from where our home was. I still remember the day they filmed Pickett's charge. The cannons were about 20 miles away, but it sounded like thunder all afternoon, and black powder smoke covered the whole area.

[JenniferG]

A full frontal assault after a massive artillery barrage was a standard military tactic of the day and it worked for military geniuses like Napoleon and Sir Arthur Wellesley so Lee and Longstreet believed the tactic could work for them which today seems very unreasonable to us. In fact many of the cannons used in the artillery barrage were 12lb Napoleon cannons.

[ROCK-IT3]

Pickett led the charge. It wasn't his idea. He was ordered by his commander, Longstreet. And Lee recommended his division lead the assault. And don't think he was stupid to be last in his class. He won the pool. It's tough to finish last, but not fail out.

It wasn't Longstreet's idea either. He was ordered by Lee.