Civil War Gettysburg Vacation Photographs - Little Round Top - Index of Photos

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought on July 1–3, 1863, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is often consideredas the war's turning point. Fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Battle of Gettysburg saw 165,000 Union and Confederate soldiers clash in a three day battle that resulted in more than 51,000 casualties. On the third day of the battle, Confederate soldiers in an attack called Pickett's Charge reached the copse of trees near The Angle (a corner in a low stone wall) on Cemetery Ridge; this represented the farthest point north that Robert E. Lee's forces reached during the Civil War. For this reason the copse of trees is often referred to as the High Water Mark of the Confederacy.

Pickett's Charge was a disaster for the Confederate forces and ended Robert E. Lee's plan to move his forces north to Harrisburg Pennsylvania and on to Washington DC. While the Civil War continued on for two more years, the Battle of Gettysburg changed the dynamics of the war and General Lee was never truly on the offensive again.

Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg. The larger hill, Big Round Top, was covered with trees and was therefore unusable as a strategic place in the Battle of Gettysburg. Little Round Top, on the other hand, was relatively clear on top and offered a clear view of most of the battlefield.

Little Round Top was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Considered by many historians to be the key point in the Union Army's defensive line that day, Little Round Top was defended successfully by the brigade of Col. Strong Vincent. Earlier in the day, General Warren went to the top of Little Round Top and found it to be empty of Union defenders. He desperately sought out troops, finding Col. Vincent and convincing him to deploy his soldiers to the top of Little Round Top. This happened just in the nick of time; about 15 minutes after his soldiers were in place, the first wave of Confederates attacked. The battle for Little Round Top is legendary. The most famous moment would be the bayonet charge of the 20th Main. The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, were the left end of Col. Vincent's defenses and fought valiantly to defend that crucial spot. When his soldiers were out of ammunition, Col. Chamberlain ordered a dramatic downhill bayonet charge that is one of the most well-known actions at Gettysburg and in the American Civil War. Chamberlain survived the battle that day, but General Warren and Col. Vincent were both killed in the action.

The importance of Little Round Top could not be understated. If the Confederates had taken that hill, they could have moved around the back side of the Union line and caused havoc with their redeployment and resupply efforts. Because Little Round Top was defended, Robert E. Lee decided to attack the center of the line the next day, which resulted in the disastrous Pickett's Charge.