Harry lecturing in the swale where Pickett's Charge formed up.Over his shoulder, on the other side of that rise, is the view of Ziegler's Grove - Lee's objective. This picture is taken in an area that I recognized in the movie. 

Pickett's Charge - High Water Mark to the right. 

Pickett's Charge - to the upper left of the picture you can see the High Water Mark. To the right of that is the copse of trees.You can see that those were probably nothing more than scrub bushes in 1863. 

Pickett's Charge looking west from the little stone wall at the High Water Mark. The cut path is for visitors to walk the charge. In the distance, you can see the Lee and N.C. monuments at the edge of the trees. 

Pickett's Charge - looking west from the High Water Mark. 

Day Three - Pickett's Charge

Day three of our trip began with the events of the final day of the Battle for Gettysburg. We assembled for breakfast in the hotel, and made our way to the bus to load our luggage; as we will be leaving Gettysburg at lunchtime, after covering Pickett's Charge. Harry took us to the western side of the battlefield, where the Lee monument and the North Carolina monument are located. The Lee monument is near the site where he observed this day's events. From this vantage point, you can see Little Round Top, and the grove of trees that was his objective. His oblique attack was to begin just to the south of here, and work past his field of vision from right to left. Harry took us on the same path that was the doomed Pickett's Charge. Interestingly, we watched the movie 'Gettyburg' in the bus on the way home, and I recognized the portions that were filmed on the actual battlefield.

In 'Lee's Real Plan', the author points out that the famous 'copse of trees' was NOT Lee's objective. At the time of the battle, those trees were nothing more than scrub brush, and would not have been a point of reference. The actual goal of Lee was the large group of trees north of there known as Ziegler's Grove. It was quite visible back then, and was at the salient of the Federal lines. The 'copse of trees' is where the so-called 'High water mark of the Confederacy' is. This is where the tide turned for the Confederate armies.

After the lecture at that location, we loaded the bus and headed for Lexington, Va. , with lunch on the way. Above and below this post are photos of the monuments and the walk across Pickett's Charge.

The Robert E. Lee monument near the exact site where he watched the third and final day of battle at Gettysburg. This is where he observed Pickett's Charge.  

Close up of the statue of Lee and Traveller on the R.E. Lee monument. 

Close up of the base of the R.E. Lee monument. 

R.E.Lee monument - Gettysburg.