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[krag96]

The road is the Emmitsburg Road leading, and looking south from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Emmitsburg Maryland about 9 miles away.  The photo was taken near the Codori farm close to the center of the Confederate advance on July 3, (also known as Pickett's Charge).  Big Round Top can be seen above the left fence in the distance. 

 

Why so much importance on the road?  It was a main artery for Union troops arriving at the battle, on July 1 the ist. Corps tore down a small section of fencing on the right to use a short cut to the fight between Buford's 1st. Cavalry Division and Heth's Confederate Division to the west of town.  South of the camera position Confederate General Longstreet launched his attack on the Union left flank on July 2.  Lastly, this is the road and fences the Confederate assault had to cross attacking the Union center on July 3.  ''So what?'' You say, ''Looks easy enough for young men to climb over or tear down.''  No, those rails on the fences are interlocked and it took the assaulting Confederates precious minutes to disassemble them in order for their formations to pass through.  And in front of them the Union artillery which remained silent through the hour long bombardment of Confederate artillery suddenly sprang into action firing shell and canister as fast as they could load into those fences and the men trying to get through them, many young men fighting for the Confederacy never made it across that road and those fences.  Add rifle and musket fire to the artillery and the attacking Confederates had a hellish few minutes trying to get across that simple road and fences. 

 

Artillery from the high ground to the south and north of the center sniped at the Confederate artillery and massive assault formation as soon as it came into view.  General Henry Hunt, the Union chief of artillery ordered the big guns in the center of the line silent after firing several shots at the Confederate artillery and the crews to take cover and wait for the infantry assault which he knew was coming.  The plan worked, Confederate generals were sure the opposing artillery had either ran, or was shot to pieces and rendered ineffective.  When the assault force reached the Emmitsburg Road Hunt gave the order for every gun in the Union center to open fire and called for more from the Artillery Reserve to replace those guns that were shot up.  A gun crew could get off four shots in a minute, the target was massive, and the range just a few hundred yards.  Only on the left center did the Confederate assault pierce the Union line, only to be killed or captured. 

 

Pickett and the other division commanders watched from relative safety while their divisions were shot to pieces, Pickett cried, ''My boys!  What's happening to my boys?''  He never forgave Lee for ordering the assault.  Lee met the remains of the assault troops saying over and over, ''It's all my fault!  It's all my fault...'' 

 

Lee's retreat from Gettysburg on July 4 and the surrender of Vicksburg along the Mississippi inflicted a mortal wound on the Confederacy, but ''Johnny Reb'' would fight on, all the way to Appomattox almost two years later for what he believed in. 

 

The Road And Those Fences...