Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge
Part of the Battle of Gettysburg
General Pickett's Famous Charge at Gettysburg drawn by Alfred Waud
Date July 3, 1863 (1863-07-03) Location Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 39°48′45″N 77°14′12″W / 39.8126°N 77.2366°W / 39.8126; -77.2366 Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
George G. Meade Winfield S. Hancock (WIA) John Gibbon (WIA) Alexander Hays	Robert E. Lee James Longstreet George Pickett J. Johnston Pettigrew (WIA) Isaac R. Trimble (WIA)
Strength
c. 10,000 in 10 brigades 1 artillery brigade	12,500 infantry in 9–11 brigades 150–170 cannons
Casualties and losses
1,500 killed and wounded[1]	1,123 killed 4,019 wounded 3,750 captured

Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault on 3 July 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. It was ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee as part of his plan to break through Union lines and achieve a decisive victory in the North. The charge was named after Major General George Pickett, one of the division commanders under the Confederate Army's command. The assault was aimed at the center of the Union Army's position on Cemetery Ridge, which was believed to be a vulnerable point in the Union defenses. As the Confederate troops marched across nearly a mile of open ground, they came under heavy artillery and rifle fire from entrenched Union forces. The open terrain offered little cover, making the Confederate soldiers easy targets, and their ranks were quickly decimated. Although a small number of the Confederate soldiers managed to reach the Union lines and engage in hand-to-hand combat, they were ultimately overwhelmed. The charge ended in a disastrous defeat for the Confederates, with more than half of the men involved either killed, wounded, or captured. Pickett's Charge marked the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg. The failure of the charge crushed the Confederate Army's hopes of winning a decisive victory in the North and forced General Lee to retreat back to Virginia.