The Battle of Gettysburg continued today in 1863.\u00a0 Union and Confederate forces continued to arrive overnight and during the morning of 2 July.\u00a0 Forces were positioned for and prepared for battle during that time.\u00a0 For many reasons, Lee’s second day attacks did not begin until relatively late in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
Many of the engagements today and their locations are well-known:\u00a0 the Devil\u2019s Den<\/a>, the Wheatfield<\/a>, the Peach Orchard<\/a>, Little Round Top<\/a>, Culp\u2019s Hill<\/a>, and Cemetery Hill<\/a> (significant fighting at the latter two would continue into day 3).\u00a0 Other sources describe these actions well.\u00a0 Suffice it to say that the valor displayed during all engagements was extraordinary.<\/p>\n One point of comparison is worth noting.\u00a0 Antietam is often referred to as the bloodiest single day in US military history.\u00a0 In terms of casualties, that is correct; close to 23,000 Americans were killed or wounded in one day at Antietam.\u00a0 But Gettysburg\u2019s second day appears to have seen more intense combat, albeit for a shorter duration.<\/p>\n Action at Antietam lasted roughly 12 hours.\u00a0 In contrast, the Gettysburg battlefield was largely quiet until approximately 4 PM \u2013 and fighting had ended by 10 PM.\u00a0 In that six-hour period, it is estimated that roughly 16,800 Americans were killed or wounded.<\/p>\n Take a moment today to remember the heroism, the sacrifice \u2013 and those lost \u2013 one hundred fifty years ago today at Gettysburg.\u00a0 That’s worth remembering.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"