nly 5,750 infantry men stretched out along the half-mile front to initially face a 13,000 man Rebelcharge.Lee sent Jeb Stuart’s recently returned cavalry to go behind the Union position in order to divert Federal forces fromthe main battle area. Around noon, Union and Confederate cavalry troops battled three miles east of Gettysburg butStuart was eventually repulsed by cannon fire led in part by Gen. George Custer and the Union Cavalry. Thediversion attempt failed.Back at the main battle site, just after 1 p.m. about 170 Confederate cannons opened fire on the Union position onCemetery Ridge to pave the way for the Rebel Charge. This was the heaviest artillery barrage of the war. TheFederals returned heavy cannon fire and soon the battlefield was covered in smoke and dust. Around 2:30 p.m. theFederals slowed their rate of fire, then stopped firing, to conserve ammunition and to fool he Rebels into thinking thecannons were knocked out-and thats exactly what the Rebels thought too.But as the Rebels got within range, Federal cannons opened fire using grapeshot which is a shell containing iron ballsthat flew apart when fired, and they also used deadly waves of rifle fire. Soon the Rebel army was torn apart but theystill moved forward.Pickett’s charge was almost more after the once majestic army of 13,000 had its numbers of troops dwindle.. TheRebels still move forward, shooting then charging with bayonets. The battle lasted for about and hour mostly ofhand-to-hand combat. Finally what was left of Pickett’s charge (5,500) retreated .Lee admitted this was his mistake and the tide of war now turned in the North’s favor. The Union lost (either dead,wounded, or missing) about 23,000, and the Confederates lost about 28,000.That night and into the next day, Saturday, July4, Confederate wounded were loaded on wagons that began the tropback toward the South. Lee was forced to take his army and retreat back to Virgin...
