(North Carolina Monument.)
General Lee had failed to achieve any definite gains July 2 against the
Union left flank at Little Round Top and the Peach Orchard, or the right
flank at Spangler’s Spring and Culp’s Hill. He therefore marshaled his
forces on the forenoon of July 3 for a final thrust against the center
of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. For nearly 2 hours, 138 Confederate
guns on this ridge directed a heavy fire at the Union positions. Lee
then sent 15,000 men across the open ground with the Copse of Trees (No.
8 on the Tour Map) as their objective. Spearheaded by Pickett’s
division, and therefore known as Pickett’s Charge, this famous attack
failed to break the strong Union positions at the stone wall. The
advance marked the end of battle and the failure has been called the
High Water Mark of the Confederacy. Lee gave up hope of further attack
on this field, and on the following day began his retreat toward the
Potomac and Virginia.
The wooded knoll to the east is Cemetery Hill (No. 10 on the Tour Map).
Cemetery Ridge extends southward to Little Round Top (No. 7 on the Tour
Map), the small hill partially cleared of trees at the left of Big Round
Top. The Copse of Trees and The Angle (No. 8 on the Tour Map) are on the
crest of the Cemetery Ridge where the flagpole appears.