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Pickett’s Charge

American Civil War

Quick Summary

Pickett's Charge was a pivotal, though ultimately disastrous, Confederate infantry assault during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. Commanded by Confederate General Robert E. Lee, the charge involved approximately 15,000 soldiers advancing across open fields toward the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. The attack, intended to break the Union line, was repulsed with heavy Confederate casualties. This defeat is widely considered the turning point of the American Civil War, marking the "high tide of the Confederacy". While named after Major General George Pickett, he commanded only a portion of the attacking force, with overall command resting with General James Longstreet.12

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