I'm EllenJ Pickett , Robert E Lee Pickett great great granddaughter Thank you for putting together a awesome documentary he would be proud of your great work. To quote my great great grandfather "Boom here comes the boom ready or not here comes the boys from the south" -Robert E Lee Pickett
Looking forward to it. I have an acquaintance who’s paternal great-great-great grandfather survived Pickett’s Charge (I recall him saying he was with a N.C. Unit) and was captured by Union Cavalry on July 5th while on a foraging party. He was sent to a northern POW camp, for a period of time, until he wrote to President Lincoln for a pardon. His request was eventually granted, he took an oath to the U.S., and he returned to his Swedish immigrant family in Connecticut (where he moved to N.C. from). He never crossed the Mason -Dixon Line for the remainder of his life. Kind of cool story.
My Great-Great Grandfather was in the Washington Artillery which fired the first shots of Pickett's charge. I have been to Gettysburg 4 times and I see something new every time.
I’m in Texas right now and have a much better understanding of Texas, and the men who fought for her! Lee once said, and I paraphrase, if I had held another two divisions of Texans I might have won that war! I understand.
I walked Pickett's Charge (from Seminary Ridge to Cemetary Ridge) with my daughter's 6th grade class about 15 years ago. It was a warm day in May. I can't imagine what it was like on July 3rd with the heat, smoke and a battle raging. Thanks for doing this entire series, JD -- it has been epic.
Men died from heat stroke just in the march to Gettysburg because there was no ready water supply. When they did have water, they drew water from steams that had had urine, feces, dead soldiers, and dead animals deposited in it. The deadliest weapon in the life of a Civil War soldier was his canteen.
@@ronbednarczyk2497 Quite True Indeed .... Dysentery was a MAJOR cause of Soldiers Deaths ,along with very UNSANITARY medical procedures and wound treatments .. ANY wound could become Lethal ..
@@Wilett614 The author spoke at our local Civil War Round Table. Her talk was very enlightening. She's a Board Member, National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Fredrick Maryland/Washington DC.
Went to gettysburg in 8th grade on a 4 day end of the year field trip.. i used to love military history and that trip really ingrained that into my passions. On the 2nd or 3rd day we went to the scene of the charge and we all ran only 50 yards of that terrain. Nasty, uneven terrain , and now i cant imagine the grisly charge that underwent that day. Amazing one-of-a-kind feeling of standing upon ground rife with such immense and potent history. One of the best trips of my life, and this video took me back. Thank you !
Now, THIS is what it’s about - to actually walk that murderous mile and experience the dread mixed with resolve the Confederates must have felt! Thank you! Here on July 3, 2023 - 160th Anniversary of Pickett’s Charge.
Excellent presentation. I'll just add that one of the reasons the charge failed. Was that hundreds perhaps thousands of confederate troops simply refused to advance past that fence along the Emmitsburg road. They simply hunkered down along it.
It's hard to hold the discipline of an order when it means continuing to engage in an obviously suicidal mass slaughter. Those Confederates who stopped there are to be respected as much for doing so as those who continued forward. Neither should be faulted.
Another excellent video. Takes me back to May 2001 when I visited Gettysburg from Australia. Along with Omaha Beach this magnificent place affected me emotionally.
I hope you can get your flag back. I am in California and in the cemetery where my son is buried we have 11 soldiers from the war. Only one is a Confederate and he was in the 28th.
I had the opportunity to walk Pickett’s Charge a number of years ago with an NPS expert. The fact that ANYONE survived that charge over open ground is amazing. You cannot imagine what that would have been like. You must walk that territory to begin to comprehend the horror that happened there.
What was Lee going thinking? That’s a huge question. Pickett and Lee’s relationship was never very sound. Pickett blamed Lee for the rest of his life. Lee’s Army limps back to Virginia but does a very good job on the Retreat. This a been a great series. I can’t get enough of Gettysburg right now.
The hand of God was involved had the charge not failed the results would have been 1. Lincoln would not have been re- elected. McClellan would have been instead and the North would have granted the south independence....
Great job JD I especially enjoyed seeing you with the American battlefield trust that you have been recognized by those folks is a tremendous achievement, my hat is off to you sir, I am a native Vermonter now living in Virginia I basically moved here because of my love for civil war history, if get the chance come on down and check out our battlefields, looking forward to your new video!
Have been on this field, alone, at dusk...very much wanting 'something' to happen. The Confederate barrage that day created the loudest noise in history until the dropping of the Atomic bomb on Japan...Well done as always JD...You must have great admiration for those Confederate Soldiers who made that charge, knowing what they were going into...
I have read that the people of Ambridge Pa, which is roughly twelve miles from the city of Pittsburgh could hear the artillery fire of that day in Gettysburg.
As a 68 year old woman with a nephew in the military, I would hate to think of him making that suicide charge. What could Pickett have said to them that whipped them into such a frenzy that that charge seemed do-able to them.
I feel fulfilled to find your channel. It will be a while, but my excitement to make another pilgrimage to Gettysburg is renewed because of you. I made a detour and watched your Andrew Jackson Hermitage video and that was fantastic. Thank you for your work.
funny you mentioned Borglen because as you were doing this presetation on july 3rd i was at mt rushmore on vacation any how very nice presentation really enjoyed it
You make excellent videos. I'm a big fan. Thank you for the time and dedication. You are very gifted. I hope you can get a show on the History Channel. Keep up the amazing work.
69th Penn gave those grey bellies a beating, using the same techniques that the Rebs used on their Irish brothers at Fredericksburg. Despite all the cannon and musket fire, they could hear the Irish soldiers yelling "Remember Fredericksburg," sort of a coup de grâce to Pickett's men and the confederate army.
This can be looked up easily enough but if memory serves Johnston Pettigrew, a fascinating individual, was in command of Heth’s division and commanded this division during what is also more properly designated Longstreet’s Assault. Pettigrew was killed a few days later at Falling Waters. Ok, I just now hear him addressing these two points but I’ll post this anyway given that I took the time to type it with my thumbs. Good work. And great channel. One of only a half dozen or so that I subscribe to.
Outstanding explanation of the battle. My Dad and I have been to Gettysburg. My ancestor George Washington Newmyer and the 28th Pennsylvania infantry fought in this battle and many more. On a side note I am also a Mason. Lewis A. Armistead was a Mason and good friend to General Hancock. I have seen the memorial of Brother helping Brother. From what I have heard there were many instances in the war when Mason's helped each other.
When he’s talking about that confederate general that was not identified. I can’t picture that their uniforms are very obvious what rank they are. The crazy thing is Lee may have won that battle if their cannons would’ve been firing the shot directly at the union lines. And not overshooting them.
Thank you JD. That was very nice. A fitting approach to this event. -- I'm struck by just how low that wall is. Although I know it would have been taller then, as time has a way of felling all things. Including men and memories. We must not forget what happened then. Maybe someday race wont be a thing to fight over anymore.
By time the Confederates reached the wall, the Union gunners were loading with Double Canister. Canister makes the gun a huge shot gun....now, imagine 2X that.......
One of the most moronic and negligent orders ever given by a respected general in any conflict. Lee was spectacular on his home ground of Virginia where he knew the terrain and awful everywhere else
They were, both Yankee and Confederate, our countrymen, my bretheren. That so many were sacrificed on this field saddens me deeply. I think of those who have shed blood in service to the United States, and hope they consider my service worthy.
Well weren’t the confederates simply insurrectionists? Just like Trumps drones? They were trying to destroy the country, they should have been forgotten and condemned to history.
@@morrison3599 Most of them weren’t fighting for slavery. They were fighting for the rights of their states to govern themselves without the interference of the federal government. It became more about slavery as it went on but the VAST majority of confederate soldiers were not slave owners. It’s a very difficult thing. And, fun fact, Confederate Major General George Pickett was a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln. He wouldn’t allow anyone to speak badly of Lincoln in his presence. And now, so many many years later, we’re told by race baiters and perpetual victims that the sacrifice, even of the yankee troops, meant absolutely nothing! They say we’re still where we were. It’s SHAMEFUL!
One of the greatest thrills of my life was participating in the movie "Gettysburg" and stepping off with 3,000 other reenactors on the actual battlefield. We advanced from Seminary Ridge as far as the Emmitsburg road. Ted Turner pulled some strings, I'm sure, to get permission but it was the lure that brought thousands of us for this once-in-a-life-time event. When the artillery began to fire the realism was awesome. When we advanced I'm sure I wasn't the only man who wondered how anyone truly expected to survive that long march to the small clump of trees.
Well done! That portion of the film is so moving. I don’t have words to describe how it makes me feel. I can’t imagine the courage of the men who made the actual charge. It must have been quite something to participate in such an outstanding re-creation.
My son and I spent 6 days during the 30 June - 5 July 2006 after he graduated from the Air Force Academy. We went to all the local museums, a ghost tour, drove with a ranger for a guided tour and of course watched the battle with re-enactments. Then walked all over the battlefield. We had ancestors that fought on both sides of the conflict. Mostly cousins against cousins. But one instance of brothers fighting each other. I had been several times but this was Stephen’s first time. We spent 2 weeks visiting 7 different battlefields from Vicksburg, all through Virginia to Gettysburg. It was an amazing experience.
General Armistead had to know he was taking his last breath when he held his hat up and charged. These Gettysburg videos have been very moving. Nice work👍
I’ve been there several times It’s very humbling to stand there and look out across that field There is a small marker inside the angle walls where General Armistead fell. I always make a point to visit that marker
@@TheHistoryUnderground Richard Jordan also did an amazing final performance in the role and died of a brain tumor while the film was in postproduction.
Fantastic yet again my friend. I'm so glad to see your views and subs taking off the last few weeks. I have no doubt this Gettysburg series is a big reason why.
@@TheHistoryUnderground is a collaboration in the works gents? I know you were both at Toccoa, but I mean hooking up and doing a series together. I think your fans would lose their minds with excitement. A reaction video would be alright, but i am talking real life visit somewhere and together show us some history. Love both of your work.
It's pronounced feller. And Yankees still pronounce Gettysburg as "geht-tees-burg". In the the Honorable South, we pronounce it as "get-tis-burg". Small distinction between two nations. ✌🤟🖖...forevermore.
@@stone-coldsteveautism6986 I guess you forgot, we're ONE nation now. Though in today's America I like the South a lot more than the north based on current politics. This coming from a lifelong resident of Chicago area, with a few years living in NJ during my childhood.
"General Lee, I don't think this is a good idea, I don't want to go." I don't think there would have been anyone that brave. I stood at the top of the wall and thought, 'That's just crazy!" Brave, brave men, enormous sacrifice.
L F Up until that time the Army of Northern Virginia had never been defeated. Lee had all the confidence in the world in his Men. He thought they were invincible as most of his Army though as well. He was simply overconfident at their constant proven ability to win battle after battle in the face of being outnumbered and under supplied.
@@lf7961 I think it was because he had the Union Army here, and may never get another chance like this again... to march on Washington. Operational warfare is all about supply. Perhaps he only had the resources for this one thrust up far into the North. Had he won this battle he could have won the war. There was nothing much to stop him from reaching Washington. Whether he was aware of that I dont know.
I walked that exact same path in 1996 in full Confederate uniform and as a Carolina man took pictures of me at that NC monument. It is unbelievable how any man could even reach that close to the enemy line with the massive lead pouring into them. The carnage was beyond belief. Their bravery was beyond measure.
@@kingjoe3rdIn the confederacy every man had to serve but if you paid $400 (About $20,000 today) you could get out of the Draft and you didn’t have to fight. Poor people had to fight so that the rich people could keep their plantations and their slaves and become even richer. Poor people gave their lives so that the rich could have a good life that’s an old story
martello44, the rich bought their way out in the north also. If you look you'll find that many of those federal troops didn't want those slaves moving north and competing for jobs. Maybe look into the draft riots in NYC.
@@kurtbaker4078 I was on horseback near Devil's Den on a trail and had stopped for a moment. I heard a voice beside me say "You sit a horse terribly!" No one near but me and horse, so yes they are all around and very judgmental.
JD knows how long I’ve been waiting on his episode for Picketts Charge lol. He will be glad when I stop asking about it :-D. Looking forward to it my friend!
I've walked that field and after doing so I could understand why Pickett hated General Lee. Pickett's men were sent into a complete massacre. That Hallowed Ground I'll never walk on again. 🙏
Just think of the incredible courage those soldiers possessed to obey that order knowing that many of them faced certain death...have to admire that...
JEB Stuart tried to hit the Union in the rear during Picketts charge, but was stopped cold by George Armstrong Custer(a man I disliked, but he was useful at times). If Stuart is successful, maybe we're talking about a different outcome. There's so many "what ifs" in war.
@@Notoproject2025 i didn't want to be the one that said that, but just as the british did in ww1, men obeyed the orders from their 'betters' in society. 'walk towards the machine guns' lions led by donkeys. what continuously puzzles me is WHY a commander of lee's capability, copies what burnside did at fredricksburg against longestreet? uphill, a stonewall providing cover for the defenders, it makes no sense, manoeuvring was lee's strength.
“JD” Once again you captured my interest in a non comparison way regarding history. I thoroughly enjoy listening to you’re remarks. Thank you for sharing and have a fabulous 4Th of July🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 ✌️🚒🚒 Jesse
I made this walk about 25 years ago by myself. I felt like I could see the battle all around me. The men that made this "walk" must have been unbelievably brave. To be able to make yourself do what these men did is nothing short of superhuman.
A good book written by Dave Grossman (Lt. Col.ret. Army Ranger..teaches psychology at the Army War College (On Killing...is the name of the book.) points out that over 20,000 muskets were picked up after the Battle of Gettysburg ...most were loaded with more than one charge in them, many were found to be loaded up to 14 times without ever being fired. It is supposed that the men carrying them simply went "through the motions" so as not to have to shoot anyone and at the same time not let their friends down or appear a shirker. Love gave them the bravery.....funny aspect of war.
Glad to see this!! My 3d Great Grandfather Jeremiah A Snider was killed during the charge somewhere between Emmittsburg Rd and the stone wall near the angle. He was with the 11th NC Regiment.
You should read the book “Lee's Tar Heels: The Pettigrew-Kirkland-MacRae Brigade” the 11th NC was in that Brigade. My G-G-Grandfather was in the 44th NC in the same Brigade.
Great-Great Grandfather's unit fired the first shots of the charge. Washington Artillery of New Orleans. Captured at the Wilderness Campaign at 18. He was penniless at 19 and went to south Georgia after the war.
As I understand it the confederates thought their cannonade had silenced the union guns but in fact they were pausing for re arming with fresh ammunition !
I'm glad that the monument to the 11th Mississippi was shown briefly in the beginning of the show. My great-grandfather was in this unit, survived and lived a very long life.
@@christopherh4653 LOL My best days? I think I'm living some of those right now but thank you. So head back under your bridge there troll. Maybe you can sit there and watch your cities burn because of those you liberated. So far it's been a great show from where I'm sitting.
@@carlhelms595 so, I post as a memorial to my relative who died and you wish more joined him? You just showed your true character. If you were to honor a family member I would certainly not respond with such a gruesome statement. Being racist must be a form of mental illness. Hating people because they are different than you is beyond sensible.
@@carlhelms595 I had 2 family members in 'Colored' regiment's. I'm just as proud of them as any other. Let me ask you an honest question, would you be ashamed of them if they were related to you?
It is almost overwhelming when you stand at the high water monument and look around realizing what had happened there. Time almost stands still. I’ve been at that spot twice and had the same feeling both times. Nice video. Really enjoyed it.
Your Gettysburg series inspired me to finally watch Ken Burns’ Civil War series. Getting the macro view was a perfect complement to seeing you walk the battlefield. It just brought it all to life. It boggles the mind how far the southern troops had to “charge” all the while being under constant fire to reach Union lines.
I just found your videos today JD. My great grandfather ,Stephen Wilkins ,was in The Iowa 7th regiment. He fought in 180 scrimmages and battles during the 4 years he fought. He was hit in the hand by a musket ball in battle at Corinth. He had 2 fingers shot off but wrapped his handkerchief around his hand and continued to fight on.. He was among the Iowa regiment that did not retreat at Shiloh and defeated the southern troops there that held the line for the union army at Shiloh. Other Union army units fled in fear of a huge attack by Confederate troops that tricked them into thinking they had many more troops than they actually had.. He battled 4 years and returned home. I have his discharge papers. He died at 93 years old but always wore his civil war medal on his suitcoat with such pride. I SUBSCRIBED to you today with hopes of learning so much more about these battles his Iowa unit fought in. You are doing an amazing job gand great service to us.... the surviving members of those civil war soldiers. God bless you. ⚘🙏⚘
@@TheHistoryUnderground the confederate troops fooled the waiting union soldiers at Shiloh by forming a single person parade of soldiers, cart with Cannon, horse mule umits and traveling through the very edges of the Forrest, in and out of the edge , then they would circle back around inside the woods and circle through again making the union scouts think they had a massive amount of soldiers and cannons when in fact it was a small amount just circling on edge then into woods and back around, out of sight recircling..... Union troops fled in fear at Shiloh but Iowa unit stayed and fought with , I believe, Illinois or Indiana unit. The war would have been different maybe had they not stopped confederat advance there. I would love for you to report on that battle at Shiloh. Thanks JD.
God bless your Great Grandfather The founding fathers allowed for states to leave the union if it was in there best interest ? Slavery was on the way out and had very little to do with the war
I walked that most "IMHO" place.... I broke down in a weeping and sobbing manner. It was 10+ years ago and still as I think of that field.... It sends me too my knees
@@MiJacFan1 I have heard that, too. My folks went there when they traveled in Scotland. My mom said that that intense sadness feeling was intensivised by the "haunting" beauty of the local.
I learned more about this in 17 minutes than in years of movies and reading. Simply because you walked it and showed me it is uphill and the terrain with the details of those who were there. I was there with you. I was amazed the length of the charge going uphill in the open against an entrenched enemy with canons! As a former Soldier I find that suicidal....Lest we forget... Thank you from a fellow Origin Customer.......
Any statue, memorial , marker or plaque there should be federally protected by the US Government. They are beautiful works of art in their own right and art belongs to all people and a demented, misguided few do not have any right to remove, vandalize or destroy any art, monument or memorial on the battlefield or any other place for that matter. If they actually studied and learned their history, maybe they might understand things a whole lot better.
I think if any group of stupid people tried anything anywhere at Gettysburg, they would have a huge surprise!!! People would come out and the woodwork to protect and defend this hallowed ground.**out of***
@@TheHistoryUnderground No one will be permitted to touch any monument in Gettysburg, believe me. We may be hicks here but we believe strongly in the Second Amendment. Such nonsense will not be allowed on that hallowed ground.
Iv just discovered this channel and I have to say it is exceptional! I’m an older Aussie- my father was one of the famed rats of Tobruk during ww2. I find my thirst and fascination with military history has become almost insatiable so to find a channel as good as this is truly a pleasure. Well done! Looking forward to more content.
Im from Tasmania Australia and the american civil war has always been fascinating for me,ive read numerous books about Gettysburg regarding this charge,General Lee made his biggest mistake that day,how he expected 12000 troops to succeed in open ground under artillery and musket fire is just suicidal.too all soldiers on both sides,you were all brave men in that civil war campaign, excellent documentary too,great work.ive now subscribed so i dont miss out on anything else, cheers.
Gen. Lee was counting on his opening cannon barrage to soften the Union's defenses. When this failed the assault was a suicide mission. Lee gambled and lost.
@@pattyconley4096 There is theory that it’s possible that Lee may have had a Stroke & I believe that may be true??? We’ll never know, unfortunately. I’m more angry with Longstreet! He should have relieved Lee of his duties! Because “Pickets Charge” made ZERO sense militarily & Longstreet knew it! Well, I guess it’s better that Longstreet (who was an excellent General, in my humble opinion) didn’t take charge of the situation, because the war would have just gone on & on & on for another year or two & I don’t know if the Northerners would have become war-wary or not? It is possible? It’s also not Possible? As it was, an entire Southern generation was killed, horribly, (for what? The rich man)?! Just horrific! There is NO POSSIBLE WAY in 2022 that we can relate to 19th Century Americana culture! It’s completely IMPOSSIBLE, regardless of your politics & or opinions about the war between the States!
I and my wife have visited Gettysburg four times. Culp's Hill, the Peach Orchard, the Wheat Field, Little Round Top; words can't describe standing at the Angle knowing what occurred there. It brings me to tears.
History was my favorite subject in school. But, I have learned so much more from watching this series, than I did in school. You’re truly a gifted educator and historian. Thank you JD for a beyond excellent series.
Walked that ground many times. Glad you pointed out the Louisiana monument. The Mississippi and Longstreet monuments and amazingly dramatic/photogenic in the early morning light. And yes, if you like cannons, (in every size and description) West Confederate Ave is a day unto itself. I also liked how you framed the video; a personal experience of a place makes history tangible. That's why it's amazingly important to save these places. Thank you again JD!
Thanks for the tip! It’s on my to do list, but it was closed the last 3 times I visited Gettysburg. Hopefully I’ll luck out next time. Again, thanks for all the videos and keep up the great work.
Believe it or not I participated in a CW re enactment & after the battle we visited the copse of trees. When sitting there I looked down and an artillery fragment was by my foot. I left it there...the next day we went back & it was gone
I can only imagine the feeling of walking out of the trees knowing what is about to happen…I hear Ken back to the movie Gettysburg when Armistead talks to the French ambassador and says these men would make this charge with no officers…true courage
Thank you for showing the 11th Mississippi Infantry statue. I recently discovered that so many soldiers in that unit shared my mother's maiden name which is not a common name (and from the region where she was born). I knew this regiment was at Gettysburg and that there was a statue but I hadn't seen it. When you panned across it at the beginning of the video it certainly caught my attention. Thank you for all you do JD. Always informative and respectful.
The music you choose for your videos is haunting, yet soothing in a mysterious way, reminds me of the HBO series "Deadwood", quite poingnant and apropos. Love your videos and your enthusiasm, take care and wish you and yours the best! Happy independence day!!! Long live the Republic!
Maybe a stupid question but I've never seen so many cannons, are they all genuine era guns from that battle? Love your videos man and can't wait for the next. Davey - UK 🇬🇧
I saw some of them were dated during the Civil war, some after, but all the cannons I looked at were genuine. Wonder what their stories would be if they could speak?
@@BigLisaFan I've always thought cannons looked beautiful, although I'm guessing they were not pritty to those on the receiving end. Also it's crazy to think how recent the civil war actually was. It only dawned on me when you said they where original guns and you notice how clean their condition is......
I visited Gettysburg five times over the years. To stand in the same locations these soldiers fought and shed so much blood in this battle is a moving experience. Definitely hallowed ground.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Was born shortly after WWII. If per chance I live into my 90s I'll witness the V-E and V-J centennials ( assuming the woke crowd hasn't cancelled them for being "fascist" or some other crap ).
It’s amazing that they are able to preserve as much of the battlefield and the town as they have. Here in California a huge developer Corp would have bought it all and built a strip mall or high density condo on it. Ugh Love to see the history preserved, kudos to the civil war preservation society.
There were a series of lawsuits to rid Gettysburg of some really horrible tourist traps. It took years to secure the restoration and preservation of the battlefield.
I am only here today, perhaps, because my great-great grandfather's regiment was detached to guard a bridge on the way to Gettysburg. If not, he would have marched with Pettigrew. I actually was out doing photography in Chapel Hill, NC this morning and photographed the plaque to Pettigrew at UNC. There is a building named for him. He was killed during a skirmish on the retreat from Pennsylvania.
In the aforementioned book I listed below, multiple confederate and union diary accounts state General Garnett was hit by a load of canister and practically torn in two. His horse returned to rear with a huge gaping wound down its side and saturated with Garnetts blood and viscera pieces.
Whoa! That would explain things. Burial parties saw enough "carnage" after the battle that they were unlikely to spend a lot of time trying to ID body parts, Confederate or Union.
Basically, General Lee's ego wrote checks that his ass couldn't cover. Overconfident after so many successes, charging up an incline toward an enemy hiding behind stone walls and trees did not faze him.😢
I’ve been to the Gettysburg Battlefield countless times in the 40+ years since my first visit when I was 10 years old. The first time on the field I felt a mysterious bond to the battlefield since. I just wanted to let you know that your series on the battle and other bits of history is just AWESOME, honestly the best on Gettysburg, thank you so much for your countless hours working on and your knowledge of the Battle at Gettysburg.
Just my two cents but the Artillery landed behind the union positions which changed the entire dynamic. If it was on target the result could have been totally different. Once the infantry was on the move I would think it would have been a good time to lay down an artillery barage on the union positions holding the high ground. If nothing else it would have kept the union's heads down until the confederates could cover that distance. Anyway guess it all history now.
