---
title: "Today in military history: Pickett’s Charge in the Battle of Gettysburg"
description: "On July 3, 1863, Confederate General George Pickett led his infamous charge against Union lines at Gettysburg."
date: "2022-07-03"
modified: "2023-06-27"
authors:
  - name: "Team Mighty"
    job_title: "Author"
    link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/teammighty.md"
url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/today-in-military-history-picketts-charge-in-the-battle-of-gettysburg/"
categories:
  - "Civil War"
  - "History"
  - "War History"
---

# Today in military history: Pickett’s Charge in the Battle of Gettysburg

![general pickett](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Picketts-Charge.jpg>)

On July 3, 1863, Confederate General George Pickett led his infamous charge against Union lines at [Gettysburg](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/today-in-military-history-battle-of-gettysburg-begins.md>).

For two days, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s confederate army had tried to break through the northern lines of Union General George Meade. On the third day, Lee ordered an assault against Meade’s position along Cemetery Ridge, the center of the Union army and a network of roads to be commanded by whomever held it.

https://youtu.be/_QubKjvQRSo

An artillery bombardment precluded the assault, though it failed to soften the Union defense.

Fifteen thousand confederate soldiers charged against the American force.

They failed.

The assault marked the end of the battle of Gettysburg and [Lee’s last attack in Northern territory](<https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/robert-e-lees-decision-invade-north-september-1862>), and would ultimately become the turning point against the South in the Civil War.

The battle had raged for three days with over 50,000 American casualties — the bloodiest single battle of the war and one of the largest battles in North American history.

*Featured Image: General Pickett and his famous charge at Gettysburg. (Engraving by Alfred Swinton after Alfred Waud.)*

## Author
Team Mighty's experience encompasses intel, special ops, military history, tactical expertise, aviation, gear, and weapons. Authors on Team Mighty include veterans, spouses, and active and reserve service members from every branch of the military, as well as former CIA employees.

## More

- [3 Important factors that led to Pickett’s Charge and the end of the Confederacy](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/picketts-charge.md>)
- [Today in military history: Battle of Gettysburg begins](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/today-in-military-history-battle-of-gettysburg-begins.md>)
- [What the Confederates might have done if they won at Gettysburg](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/what-the-confederates-might-have-done-if-they-won-at-gettysburg.md>)
- [This was the greatest artillery exchange of the Civil War](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/civil-war-artillery-gettysburg-history.md>)
- [Why one general takes the blame for the South losing at Gettysburg](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/why-one-general-takes-the-blame-for-the-south-losing-at-gettysburg.md>)
- [What happened when two Civil War flag bearers fought each other](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/civil-war-flag-bearer.md>)
- [Here’s what it would look like if a modern Army fought the Battle of Gettysburg](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/heres-what-it-would-look-like-if-a-modern-army-fought-the-battle-of-gettysburg.md>)
- [Today in military history: Battle of Antietam](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/today-in-military-history-battle-of-antietam.md>)