Words Fail Me

Looking  westward toward where Pickett’s Charge would have approached the Union line.Seminary Ridge can be seen in the distance.

Looking up the hill toward Little Round Top.The Union line had formed an upside-down fish hook atop the high ground of Cemetery Ridge.  (Not since Revenge of the Jedi has the high ground been so important.)The Union suddenly realized that the southernmost tip of their fish hook defense was undefended and could easily be rolled up by the Confederates and crush the whole defensive line.  My man Joshua Chamberlain was told to “Hold the ground at all hazards.”Out of ammo, Chamberlain ordered the men from Maine to fix bayonets, form a line, and charge down the hill toward the approaching Alabamians.He executed a textbook tactical maneuver where half his line “refused the line” and swung in at an angle, catching the enemy at a 90 degree corner of approaching bayonet tips.  The Alabamians scattered and southern approach to Little Big Top was saved.

This jumble of rocks south of Gettysburg is called Devil’s Den.  It was one of the major battlefields on the second day of fighting.The “production design” of the whole place seemed worthy of Imagineers.Like something found on Tom Sawyer’s Island.Looking south from Devil’s Den at the rocky ravine that the soldiers dubbed the “Slaughter Pen”.This is the view Confederate sharpshooters would have had looking eastward toward Little Round Top.