Nestled on just over a square mile of land, the town of Gettysburg is defined by a battlefield so vast and consequential that its 6,000 preserved acres tell a story of America forever changed by three days in July.
Key Takeaways
- Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, covers a total area of 1.20 square miles, with 1.17 square miles of land and 0.02 square miles of water
- In the 1860 U.S. Census, the population of Gettysburg was recorded as 2,401 residents, predominantly of German descent
- The modern population of Gettysburg as of the 2020 U.S. Census is 7,777 people, reflecting growth due to tourism
- The Union Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George G. Meade totaled 93,921 men present for duty on July 1, 1863
- The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee had 71,699 men engaged at Gettysburg
- Union forces included 7 infantry corps with 51 divisions, commanded by Meade who assumed command on June 28
- On July 1, Brig. Gen. John Buford's Union cavalry engaged Heth's Division at 8 AM near Willoughby Run with 2,500 vs 7,000
- Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds arrived with I Corps at 10:30 AM, deploying 9 brigades totaling 9,000 men on McPherson Ridge
- Reynolds was killed at 10:50 AM by a Confederate sharpshooter while directing Wadsworth's Division
- On July 2 afternoon, Longstreet's I Corps assaulted the Union left at 4 PM starting with artillery barrage of 50 guns
- Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles advanced III Corps 0.5 miles forward to Peach Orchard, exposing flank with 10,500 men
- Hood's Division attacked Devil's Den at 4:15 PM, capturing it after 2 hours with 1,200 casualties
- On July 3, Confederate Grand Battery of 153 guns opened fire at 1 PM lasting 2 hours, firing 9,000 rounds
- Union artillery under Henry Hunt replied with 80 guns from Cemetery Hill, conserving ammo
- Pickett's Charge involved 12,500 Confederates from 47 regiments advancing 0.75 miles across open fields
Gettysburg grew from a small town into a major historical tourism destination.
Casualties and Aftermath
1Total Battle of Gettysburg casualties numbered 50,286 (Union 23,049; Confederate 27,237)
Verified2Union killed: 3,155; wounded: 14,529; captured/missing: 5,365, per official returns
Verified3Confederate killed estimated 4,708; wounded 12,693; missing 5,830
Verified47,058 dead bodies buried on field, including 3,320 unknowns in national cemetery
Directional5Pennsylvania supplied 34,529 Union troops at Gettysburg, highest of any state
Single source6New York regiments suffered 6,000 casualties, second highest
Verified7The Irish Brigade (69th NY et al.) lost 935 of 1,815 (52%) on Day 2 Wheatfield
Verified8Pickett's Division entered charge with 4,500, returned with 1,200 (73% loss)
Verified91st Minnesota Infantry charged 411 vs 2,000, losing 215 (82% casualties, record)
Directional10Over 22,000 wounded overwhelmed field hospitals; 10 surgeons per 1,000 casualties
Single source11Amputation rate was 75% for arm/leg wounds due to minié ball damage
Verified121,665 surgeons treated wounded; chloroform used in 75% of operations
Verified13Confederate dead buried in trenches; 3,200 reinterred post-war to Hollywood Cemetery
Verified14Lincoln's Gettysburg Address dedicated cemetery on Nov 19, 1863, for 3,577 burials
Directional15Total battle cost $18 million (1863 dollars), equivalent to $400 million today
Single source1614 Union generals wounded/killed including Reynolds, Hancock, Sickles
Verified1711 Confederate generals hit: Pender, Armistead, Garnett, Semmes, Barksdale, Kemper et al.
Verified18Disease claimed 1,000 more lives post-battle in camps/hospitals
Verified19Virginia provided 19,000 Confederate troops, suffering 8,000 casualties (42%)
Directional20Field hospitals at Slyder Farm treated 1,200 wounded with 200 deaths
Single source216,000 horses killed, creating sanitation crisis with mass graves
Verified22Post-battle, Meade's army pursued but failed to destroy Lee at Williamsport due to rain
Verified23The battle halted Lee's second invasion, shifting momentum to Union
Verified24Annual Gettysburg reenactment draws 10,000 participants and 150,000 spectators since 1863
Directional25National Military Park established 1895, managed by NPS since 1933 with 1.3 million visitors/year
Single source2645% of battlefield privately owned pre-preservation; now 45% protected via ABT efforts
VerifiedCasualties and Aftermath Interpretation
Amid the clinical ledger of staggering losses, from the Irish Brigade halved to Pickett's Division gutted, each cold statistic begs a visceral human question: can a nation truly consecrate ground already saturated by the blood of brothers?
Day 1 Events
1On July 1, Brig. Gen. John Buford's Union cavalry engaged Heth's Division at 8 AM near Willoughby Run with 2,500 vs 7,000
Verified2Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds arrived with I Corps at 10:30 AM, deploying 9 brigades totaling 9,000 men on McPherson Ridge
Verified3Reynolds was killed at 10:50 AM by a Confederate sharpshooter while directing Wadsworth's Division
Verified4By noon, Confederate Maj. Gen. Robert Rodes' Division of 8,000 assaulted from Oak Hill, capturing Herbst Woods
Directional5Union Brig. Gen. Lysander Cutler's Brigade repulsed attacks but lost 700 of 1,600 men near railroad cut
Single source6The 153rd Pennsylvania Regiment held the railroad cut, capturing 250 Confederates but losing 140 men
Verified7Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's Corps assaulted at 2 PM with Jubal Early's Division flanking Seminary Ridge
Verified8Union XI Corps under Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard arrived 1 PM, deploying 10,000 men east of town but routed by 4 PM
Verified9Barlow's Knoll saw heavy fighting where Union Brig. Gen. Francis Barlow was wounded capturing 500 prisoners
Directional10By 4 PM, Confederates captured 4,000 Union prisoners as I and XI Corps retreated through Gettysburg town
Single source11Ewell assaulted Cemetery Hill at 6 PM but halted short of victory despite 5,000 casualties
Verified12Union forces occupied Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill by dusk, with 22,000 men vs Confederate 25,000 engaged that day
Verified13Total Day 1 casualties: Union 9,000 (killed 600, wounded 3,000, captured 5,400); Confederate 6,000
Verified14Buford's cavalry skirmish line used 6 guns from Lt. John Calef's battery, firing 1,080 rounds
Directional15The 56th New York Regiment lost 200 of 300 in defense of the railroad embankment
Single source16Confederate Archer's Brigade lost 450 of 1,300 captured in a Union counterattack near Herbst Woods
Verified17Oak Ridge was held by Union until 3 PM when Davis' Brigade flanked it, causing collapse
Verified18Iverson's North Carolina Brigade lost 500 of 1,700 in a failed assault on Oak Hill
Verified19Union signal station on Seminary Ridge spotted Confederates at 7:30 AM, relaying to Meade 30 miles away
Directional20By nightfall July 1, Lee concentrated 30,000 men around Seminary Ridge ready for July 2
Single source21Howard ordered the XI Corps wagons burned to speed retreat, abandoning 200 vehicles
VerifiedDay 1 Events Interpretation
On that bloody first day, the Union’s desperate, piecemeal arrivals and tenacious but outnumbered stands—where brigades were shattered yet bought precious hours—transformed a cavalry skirmish into a grim race for the high ground, a race the Confederates won in the fields but ultimately lost by hesitating at the hills as dusk fell.
Day 2 Events
1On July 2 afternoon, Longstreet's I Corps assaulted the Union left at 4 PM starting with artillery barrage of 50 guns
Verified2Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles advanced III Corps 0.5 miles forward to Peach Orchard, exposing flank with 10,500 men
Verified3Hood's Division attacked Devil's Den at 4:15 PM, capturing it after 2 hours with 1,200 casualties
Verified4The 20th Maine under Chamberlain repulsed 14 assaults on Little Round Top, losing 130 of 386
Directional5Wheatfield fighting involved 20 regiments changing hands 6 times, with 3,000 total casualties in 2 hours
Single source6Trostle Farmhouse sheltered Sickles after leg amputation by cannonball at 6 PM
Verified7Union Brig. Gen. Stephen Weed killed on Little Round Top commanding artillery
Verified8Confederate Brig. Gen. Paul J. Semmes mortally wounded in Rose Woods, his brigade losing 50%
Verified9Ewell attacked Culp's Hill at 7 PM with Johnson's Division using bayonets after ammo shortage
Directional10Union XII Corps under Maj. Gen. Henry Slocum defended Culp's Hill with breastworks from 7,000 logs
Single source11Peach Orchard saw 17 Union guns captured by Kershaw's South Carolina Brigade
Verified12Berdan's 1st U.S. Sharpshooters sniped from Devil's Den, killing many but losing 200 of 400
Verified13Longstreet committed 18 brigades totaling 28,000 in the assault, achieving temporary breakthroughs
Verified14Union reinforcements from V Corps arrived 5 PM, stabilizing line with 4 brigades under Ayres
Directional15Day 2 casualties totaled 9,000 Union and 8,000 Confederate, heaviest on southern end
Single source16The 16th Michigan lost 396 of 450 holding Little Round Top's slope against Law's Alabama
Verified17Confederate artillery fired 2,500 rounds from 60 guns in support of infantry assaults
Verified18Union batteries on Cemetery Hill under Capt. Greenleaf Tully repelled Early's attack at dusk
Verified19Brig. Gen. Goerge S. Greene's Brigade entrenched Culp's Hill beforehand, saving it from capture
Directional20McLaws' Georgia Brigade captured 300 prisoners in the Peach Orchard fight
Single sourceDay 2 Events Interpretation
On July 2nd, Longstreet’s 28,000 Confederates threw themselves at the Union left in a brutal, piecemeal symphony of valor and blunders, where Sickles’ reckless advance, Chamberlain’s desperate defense, and fields that changed hands six times culminated in a staggering 17,000 casualties, proving that at Gettysburg, the high ground was won not just by hills, but by the men who stubbornly refused to give them up.
Day 3 Events
1On July 3, Confederate Grand Battery of 153 guns opened fire at 1 PM lasting 2 hours, firing 9,000 rounds
Verified2Union artillery under Henry Hunt replied with 80 guns from Cemetery Hill, conserving ammo
Verified3Pickett's Charge involved 12,500 Confederates from 47 regiments advancing 0.75 miles across open fields
Verified4Armistead's Brigade breached the Angle stone wall with 150 men before repulsed
Directional5Union II Corps under Hancock lost 2,500 in repelling the charge, Hancock wounded by shell fragment
Single source6Confederate losses in Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble assault: 6,000 of 12,500 (50%)
Verified7Stuart's cavalry attacked Union right flank at 1 PM with 4,800 vs 3,000, repulsed after 3 hours
Verified8Farnsworth's Charge saw 65 Union cavalry killed including Gen. Farnsworth
Verified9Culp's Hill fighting continued from Day 2, Union recapturing trenches after 18 assaults
Directional10Lee's order for the infantry assault was delivered at 11 AM, debated as conditional on artillery success
Single source11Union Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren spotted the empty Little Round Top on Day 2, preventing disaster
Verified12Confederate Gen. Barksdale's Brigade advanced 1 mile in Day 2 but was destroyed on Day 3 flank fire
Verified13The 69th Pennsylvania held the Angle with 15 colors captured from attackers
Verified14Total Day 3 casualties: Union 4,500; Confederate 7,000, mostly in the charge
Directional15Lee's retreat began July 4 in heavy rain, covering 40 miles to Potomac River by July 13
Single source16Union pursuit under French's column clashed at Monterey Pass with 1,200 casualties
Verified17Confederate wagon train of wounded stretched 17 miles long during retreat
VerifiedDay 3 Events Interpretation
Despite its thunderous two-hour artillery prelude that cost a continent a minute of noise, Pickett's Charge was ultimately a brutal, half-mile arithmetic of bodies, where the high ground of logic and ammunition held firm while the valor of those who crossed became the slow, seventeen-mile exhalation of a defeated army retreating in the rain.
Geography and Demographics
1Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, covers a total area of 1.20 square miles, with 1.17 square miles of land and 0.02 square miles of water
Verified2In the 1860 U.S. Census, the population of Gettysburg was recorded as 2,401 residents, predominantly of German descent
Verified3The modern population of Gettysburg as of the 2020 U.S. Census is 7,777 people, reflecting growth due to tourism
Verified4Gettysburg National Military Park encompasses 6,000 acres of preserved battlefield land, including key sites like Little Round Top
Directional5The elevation of Gettysburg town center is approximately 527 feet above sea level, influencing artillery positioning
Single source6Adams County, where Gettysburg is located, had 54,750 residents in 2020, with Gettysburg as its county seat
Verified7The Gettysburg Battlefield features Cemetery Ridge, a 1-mile-long Union defensive line at an average height of 40 feet
Verified8Seminary Ridge, the Confederate starting point on July 1, spans about 2 miles and rises 50-60 feet above surrounding fields
Verified9Little Round Top is a 300-foot hill that played a pivotal role on July 2, covering 53 acres within the park
Directional10The Peach Orchard, a 9-acre site of intense fighting on July 2, was owned by John Rose pre-war
Single source11Devil's Den is a 40-acre boulder-strewn area used for cover by Confederate troops on July 2
Verified12Culp's Hill covers 150 acres and saw action on July 2-3 with steep slopes up to 100 feet
Verified13The Wheatfield battlefield spans 20 acres of rolling terrain that changed hands 17 times on July 2
Verified14High Water Mark of the Confederacy is marked on a stone wall 50 yards long on Cemetery Ridge
Directional15Gettysburg's annual average precipitation is 42.5 inches, with July typically seeing 4.2 inches
Single source16The town of Gettysburg receives over 1.5 million visitors annually to its historic sites
Verified17Pennsylvania Route 134 runs 10.3 miles through the battlefield, connecting key monuments
Verified18The Gettysburg National Cemetery occupies 17.5 acres and holds 979 unknown soldiers' graves
Verified19Over 1,300 monuments dot the Gettysburg battlefield, the most of any Civil War site
Directional20The Cyclorama painting at Gettysburg, restored in 2008, measures 377 feet in circumference and 50 feet high
Single source21Gettysburg's median household income in 2022 was $54,948 according to ACS data
Verified2222.4% of Gettysburg residents live below the poverty line per 2022 estimates
Verified23The racial makeup of Gettysburg in 2020 was 82.5% White, 7.2% Black, 5.1% Hispanic
Verified24Gettysburg College, founded 1832, enrolls about 2,200 students on 200 acres adjacent to the battlefield
Directional25The Majestic Theater in Gettysburg opened in 1925 and seats 250 for performances
Single source26Eisenhower National Historic Site near Gettysburg spans 579 acres with 3 miles of roads
Verified27The Gettysburg Railroad Station, built 1858, handled 20 trains daily pre-war
Verified28Willoughby Run creek, site of initial skirmishes, is 15 feet wide and 2-3 feet deep
Verified29The Leister Farmhouse served as Meade's HQ, covering 0.5 acres with 8 rooms
Directional30Pitzer Woods, used for Confederate cover, spans 100 acres of dense forest
Single sourceGeography and Demographics Interpretation
While today’s modestly-sized town of Gettysburg hosts over 1.5 million visitors a year drawn to its vast, hallowed battlefield, it’s a solemn irony that the very ground which saw such catastrophic loss of life has become the primary reason for the town’s own growth and sustenance.
Military Forces and Command
1The Union Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George G. Meade totaled 93,921 men present for duty on July 1, 1863
Verified2The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee had 71,699 men engaged at Gettysburg
Verified3Union forces included 7 infantry corps with 51 divisions, commanded by Meade who assumed command on June 28
Verified4Confederate forces comprised 3 infantry corps led by Lt. Gens. James Longstreet, Richard S. Ewell, and A.P. Hill
Directional5Union artillery at Gettysburg numbered 372 pieces, including 110 rifled guns
Single source6Confederate artillery totaled 250 guns, with 75 Parrott rifles among them
Verified7Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, aged 37, had 22,000 men in his 1st Corps under Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds
Verified8Brig. Gen. John Buford's cavalry division of 3 brigades totaled 3,000 troopers on July 1
Verified9Confederate Maj. Gen. Henry Heth led Heth's Division of 5 brigades with 7,700 men in Hill's Corps
Directional10Union VI Corps under Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick arrived late with 12,000 men on July 2 evening
Single source11Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart numbered 6,800 sabers but was absent until July 3 afternoon
Verified12Longstreet's I Corps had 20,000 infantry organized into 3 divisions under McLaws, Hood, and Pickett
Verified13Ewell's II Corps totaled 22,400 men with divisions led by Rodes, Early, and Johnson
Verified14A.P. Hill's III Corps had 21,700 men in divisions of Heth, Pender, and Anderson
Directional15Union Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles commanded III Corps with 10,500 men on the left flank
Single source16Confederate Maj. Gen. John B. Hood's Division had 5 brigades and 7,000 men in Longstreet's assault
Verified17Brig. Gen. Stephen H. Weed commanded the Union artillery brigade on Little Round Top with 18 guns
Verified18Col. Joshua Chamberlain's 20th Maine Regiment had 386 men holding Little Round Top's left flank
Verified19Confederate Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew's Brigade had 2,600 men in Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge
Directional20Union Brig. Gen. Elon J. Farnsworth led 375 troopers in a desperate cavalry charge on July 3
Single source21Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's II Corps anchored the Union center with 15,000 men
Verified22Confederate Gen. William N. Pendleton commanded the 1st Corps Artillery with 53 batteries
Verified23Union Col. Henry Hunt directed all artillery as chief of artillery with 30 batteries on Cemetery Hill
Verified24Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Armistead's Brigade of 1,600 men led Pickett's Division in the final assault
Directional25Union V Corps under Maj. Gen. George Sykes had 9,900 men supporting Little Round Top defense
Single source26Confederate Col. E. Porter Alexander supervised 69 guns in the Grand Battery on July 3
VerifiedMilitary Forces and Command Interpretation
The Union army, while larger and better supplied, was a cumbersome beast only recently tamed by Meade, while Lee’s leaner but disconnected forces gambled everything on landing a knockout blow against an opponent whose most famous act of heroism was, in the end, simply refusing to yield.
Sources & References
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