|
Welcome Guests!
As you may have noticed I like to do my ghost hunting in Gettysburg,
PA. For the fact that there are acres after acres of spiritual activities that linger throughout Gettysburg. From the soldiers
of the civil war to the citizens that onces lived there many many years ago. I'm going to take you through the history of
the civil war and stories you may have heard several times on the ghostly activities that appear to happen in Gettysburg,PA.
I hope you enjoy this section of the website and in the end will be more educated in the history and the amazing stories of
GETTYSBURG,PA.
What really happened in the Civil War?
JULY 1 1863
After the discovery on June 30 that Gettysburg was occupied
by Brigadier General John Buford's division of Federal cavalry, the Confederates on July 1 sent the divisions of Major General
Henry Heth and Major General William Pender of Hill's Corps, down the Chambersburg Road to drive Buford away and occupy Gettysburg.
The battle began at 5.30 a.m., when shots were exchanged over Marsh Creek. In the face of Buford's resistance, Heth
pushed on cautiously until he reached a point about two miles west of Gettysburg. Here he deployed two brigades in line, and
pressed ahead; it was nearly 10 a.m. Federal General John F. Reynolds, commanding I Corps, arrived on the field at this point,
and determined to engage Herb. He ordered I Corps and Major General Oliver 0. Howard's XI Corps to march to Gettysburg.
Soon
after 10.30 a.m., I Corps arrived and engaged Heth along McPherson's Ridge. By 11.30 a.m., Heth had been defeated and forced
to withdraw to Herr Ridge. Early in the action, Reynolds was killed, and field command devolved upon Howard. A lull now settled
over the field as both sides brought up reinforcements. The Federal I Corps deployed to defend the western approaches to Gettysburg,
while XI Corps formed up north of the town. Buford's cavalry covered the flanks. Howard left one division in reserve on Cemetery
Hill. His strategy was simple: delay the Confederates long enough to enable the rest of the Federal army to concentrate.
Lee
arrived on the field after noon. He had initially hoped to avoid a general engagement since the strength of the enemy was
unknown, and the terrain in the Gettysburg area unfamiliar. But, soon after noon, Rodes's division of Ewell's Corps arrived
on Oak Hill and attacked the right of I Corps. At 2 p.m. Heth's division joined the attack on I Corps. At 3 p.m., the battle
spread north of the town when Jubal Early's division of Ewell's Corps attacked down the Harrisburg Road and crushed the flank
of XI Corps. At about the same time, west of Gettysburg, Pender's division relieved Heth and assaulted I Corps' position along
Seminary Ridge. By 4 p.m., both Federal corps were in retreat through Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill. Federal losses numbered
slightly over 9,000, including some 3,000 captured, compared with Confederate losses of about 6,500.
The day's action
had resulted in a Confederate victory, but Federal forces held onto the high ground south of Gettysburg, where their position
was soon strengthened by reinforcements.
JULY 2 1863
The success of his army in the fighting on July 1 encouraged Lee to renew the battle
on July 2. An early morning reconnaissance of the Federal left revealed that their line did not extend as far south as Little
Round Top. Lee directed Longstreet to take two divisions of I Corps and march south until they reached the flank of the Federal
forces. They would attack from this point, supported by a division of A.P. Hill's corps - a total force of nearly 20,000 men.
While Longstreet carried out the main offensive, Ewell was ordered to conduct a demonstration against the Federal right. However,
he was given discretion to mount a full-scale attack should the opportunity present itself.
The Federal army was well
prepared for Lee's offensive. Six of its seven corps had arrived on the battlefield, and VI Corps was making a thirty-six-mile
forced march to reach it. Meade had deployed his army in a fish-hook-shaped formation, with the right on Culp's Hill and Cemetery
Hill, the center along Cemetery Ridge, and the left on Little Round Top. The left of the Federal line was held by Major General
Daniel Sickles's III Corps. Sickles was dissatisfied with his assigned position and in the early afternoon, without orders,
he advanced his line nearly half a mile west in order to take advantage of the high open ground around a nearby peach orchard.
Soon after Sickles took up this new position, Longstreet attacked. Third Corps was hard pressed and Meade sent V Corps
and part of 11 Corps to reinforce Sickles in the Peach Orchard. But, after furious fighting, Longstreet's forces broke through,
causing Sickles's entire line to collapse. The Confederates pursued to the base of Little Round Top, but Federal reinforcements,
including elements of VI Corps, checked their advance. Farther north, elements of a division of the Confederate III Corps
advanced to the slopes of Cemetery Ridge before they too were forced to retire.
On the Federal right, Ewell did not
attack until evening, after Longstreet's onslaught had subsided. The effort to storm Cemetery Hill was ultimately unsuccessful.
Ewell's attacks were also repulsed at Culp's Hill, although a foothold was gained near the base of the hill.
The second
day's fighting had cost each army some 9,000 casualties. Lee's forces had again gained ground, but had failed to dislodge
the Federal army from its strong position.
|
