150 years ago today - Pickett's Charge

[charlie and algernon]

While the Union lost about 1,500 killed and wounded, the Confederate casualty rate was over 50%. Pickett's division suffered 2,655 casualties (498 killed, 643 wounded, 833 wounded and captured, and 681 captured, unwounded). Pettigrew's losses are estimated to be about 2,700 (470 killed, 1,893 wounded, 337 captured). Trimble's two brigades lost 885 (155 killed, 650 wounded, and 80 captured). Wilcox's brigade reported losses of 200, Lang's about 400. Thus, total losses during the attack were 6,555, of which at least 1,123 Confederates were killed on the battlefield, 4,019 were wounded, and a good number of the injured were also captured. Confederate prisoner totals are difficult to estimate from their reports; Union reports indicated that 3,750 men were captured.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickett's_Charge

[liberal N proud]

1. The Union troops just stood the high ground and picked them off.

It is amazing how little the Union troops advanced.

[charlie and algernon]

4. they didn't have to advance

Not enough credit is given to General Buford for getting to Gettysburg first and picking the best ground. Even after the Union retreated back through Gettysburg, they still had the wherewithall to stop at the right spot. At that point, they just had to dig in and wait.

[rug]

2. The high tide of the Confederacy.

Good riddance.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

3. Evidence that R E Lee has been highly overrated as a general.

[charlie and algernon]

5. He did benefit from facing incompetent Union Generals the first couple years.

He wasn't used to a Union General (Meade) actually holding his ground and staying. And then Grant took it to the next level by using sheer overpowering numbers to smother Lee's Army.

[Aristus]

6. Grant is still consistently underrated by pointing out that he had more men

and equipment.

Scholars are re-assessing Grant as a gifted tactician and field commander, and not just a textbook strategist with more resources at his disposal. He made a name for himself for battlefield skill when he was still a mid-level commander with smaller units and fewer resources. He rose to the level where those assets were available to him in order to win the war.