Culp's Hill: Gettysburg Battle | History Mapped | 1863 | Meade, Slocum, Lee, Ewell, Greene | Union
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- What happened at Culp's Hill at Gettysburg?
Why is Culp's Hill important?
Culp's Hill is situated on the Union right flank at the battle of Gettysburg. On July 1, Hancock sends Cutler's brigade onto the northern face of Culp's Hill. On the morning of July 2, Slocum's Corps--consisting of Williams and Geary's divisions--is positioned on and near Culp's Hill, as is Sykes' Corps.
However, Longstreet's attack on Sickles begins on the afternoon of July 2. Ewell orders an artillery barrage of Culp's Hill, but the Union counterfire from Cemetery Ridge silences the rebels. No infantry strike.
So Meade pulls Sykes and most of Slocum's corps off Culp's Hill to support the Union left, where fighting is happening at Devil's Den, Cemetery Ridge, the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and Big Round Top.
Greene's Brigade is the only brigade left on Culp's Hill. Then Johnson's division of Ewell's Corps strikes, with Jones, Williams, and Steuart's brigades.
George Greene has built extensive fortifications on Culp's Hill. Steuart hits the extreme right of the Union line. Ireland's 137th New York holds the right, much like Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain held the Union left earlier that day. Greene holds long enough for reinforcements to arrive from Wadsworth, Howard, and then Slocum's Corps, which returns.
During the twilight of July 3, union artillery hits Steuart's men, who have secured lodgements on lower Culp's Hill. The rebels have been reinforced, and they attack again up the slopes.
Geary's division holds the upper heights.
Ireland's 137th New York regiment again holds the flank, this time supported by Lockwood's brigade. The Union counterattack pushes Steuart back down the slopes.
Colgrove hits the lower end of Culp's Hill.
The Union Army dislodges Johnson from Culp's HIll by early afternoon on July 3. Lee is robbed of his chance to coordinate Pickett's Charge with a simultaneous strike on Culp's Hill.
A film by Jeffrey Meyer, research librarian, Iowa
Images from the Library of Congress
Satellite images from Google Maps
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Jeffrey, you are the first person to take us through a battle by talking slowly enough that we don't get lost. You are a brilliant teacher and you make learning easy.
Thank you. That is one of the nicest comments I have ever received. I really appreciate it.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian Yes, a good teacher gives the facts and gets us to think. So thanks on that. Culp's Hill - Little Round Top, same tactics, bayonet charge, hours apart, I never realized...Thanks for that..
Agree!
This form of presentation adds invaluably to an understanding of what has taken place. I mean this for all the American Civil War presentations of yours I have seen. Thank you so much I hope you continue
Thank you! I am going to keep chugging along, making more.
I am from the hometown of the 137th NYVI, Binghamton, NY. It has always rankled us that Col. David Ireland never gets the credit for saving the Union right in the same way that Col. Chamberlain saved the Union left. Of course, Col. Ireland died in Atlanta in 1864 and because he never wrote a (self-serving) memoir, he was not able to give himself the credit either. He also did not have a best-selling "historical novel" written about him. Many of the tour guides and tours skip Culp's Hill entirely, which is such a shame. So the 137th NY's contribution to saving the Union at Gettysburg has been lost over time. Thank you, @Jeffery the Librarian, for telling the true story as it happened and giving the credit where the credit was due.
Not only the best presentation of Culp's Hill, but it and previous episode give me the best feel for the battle as a whole.
Thank you!
That was the best presentation I have ever seen on the fight for Culp's Hill. Well done, and thanks.
Much appreciated!
I agree
A time stamp added to these positions would be amazing.
Great presentation.
agreed. I was late to work to finish this video.
Ditto. This was excellent. Great job.
I am 2 minutes into the video, and I had to pause just to say that this is the best representation of the battle (in video) I have ever watched! I've watched 2 ten parts miniseries, all of the history channel videos , PBS etc. I payed for those! Nothing compares to the genius used in this documentary! It really gives an "air/bird view" of how/where the soldiers stood during the battle. I've been to the battlefield, and I wish I had seen this video before I visited, the place is so large that unless you have studied the battle at least a little, you do not really know on its entirety what exactly you are looking at, and the significance of a specific hill, or tree line. Thank you for the hard work put on this masterpiece.
Thank you! Much appreciated!
I agree with Michael right below. This series presents the most coherent explanation of the Battle of Gettysburg I have ever seen.
Thanks so much for this. I never really grasped the Culp's Hill action until now.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the graphics. No way you can understand this unless you have pictures. You have done a pretty good job with limited resources.
Same here, now I can picture how it all went down much better
"Pap" Greene was crucial to saving Culp's Hill.
But the action described late in the Battle across the marshy swale helped roll it all up.
Much praise for those regiments asked to make that attack.
My goodness, your presentation makes history come alive.
Thank you!
The Army of the Potomac was probably the best army in the world on those three days.
Excellent presentation. Usually Culps Hill doesn’t achieve proper recognition. Very enlightening.
Culp's Hill was as critical as any other sector, and it doesn't get the spotlight it deserves.
Two Points: 1. Lee's order to "attack if practicable" was for Cemetery Hill. Don't confuse this with the instance of Trimble's complaint of not taking unoccupied Culp's Hill. They were two separate instances. 2. The second part of Lee's order to Ewell was to not bring on a general engagement. That part is often overlooked when judging Ewell's performance on Day 1.
Ewell did not have good options on day 1. His fresh division wasn't there until after nightfall.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian he lost the battle. Ask Trimble
@@JeffreytheLibrarian There's a good possibility that if he had attacked that first day,he could have been defeated in detail, which would have lessened his combat power for the next day
..."The second part of Lee's order to Ewell was to not bring on a general engagement". I've never heard that before. Are you sure you're not confusing that with Lee's order to Gen. Heth on the first day? If not then I would enjoy reading about your source(s) for that.
@montarakid1943 That comes from Lee's Offical Report of the battle written several months after the battle. I should have qualified that better in my earlier statement. As there is no recorded written order, this, too, is open to dispute. Although Lee conveyed orders orally often enough that a lack of a written order isn't proof that it wasn't given.
I am currently reading Pfanz's high detail trilogy on Gettysburg, which is fascinating, but in the absence of a clear geographical view of which brigades and regiments went where is more confusing than instructive. This is so much more clear and easy to follow.
Thank you! I need to see it visually. I think it's impossible to understand a battle without seeing the topography, the heights, the wooded areas, the open fields.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian
Amen, this is all visual/spatial.
I'm hoping you do a video on the first day of the battle. So much gets covered about the fights on the ends of the line once the Union position is established southeast of the town on day 2 and 3 (and of course Picketts charge) that day 1 tends to get glossed over in order to get to the big struggles. But much more happens on the first day than I knew before reading Pfanz, and it is not just a matter of a clash followed by a retreat.
As a Canadian I'm particularly interested in the first day because I know that about a dozen Canadians fell west on town fighting for the Iron Brigade at that time.
Wow, with so much historical emphasis placed on the union left flank (Devils Den, little round top, peach orchard, Wheatfield) I've never heard much about the union right flank (culps hill) in great detail until this video. It really shows you that lee's july 2nd plan was dependent on a simultaneous attack on the union right. That didn't happen, it seems that johnson attacked too late and simply ran out of daylight.
Then you understand why Lee did what he did july 3rd. The Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge had a much better success if an attack on the union right was coordinated at the same time. If Johnson was able to maintain that foothold on culps hills or even outflank the union right as the 12,000 men marched to the angle, it "could've" been a completely different outcome.
I'm not a civil war buff, but it seems to me like Lee got unlucky two days in a row with uncoordinated attacks. This video really shows you Culps hill, although it takes a back seat in history in my opinion, is an extremely important aspect of this battle.
I mean just imagine...on july 2nd, if the confederates arrived 15 minutes earlier and out flanked little round top, and johnson had simultaneously used his 3-1 advantage to flank culp hill.... the infamous july 3rd charge probably wouldn't have ever happened!!! Just fascinating stuff!!!!
Just amazing videos 👏👏👏👏
Difficult not to repeat stoneymcneal's praise of your presentation. I find your use of maps and images extremely well done. Many thanks!
Many thanks!
I agree with @Michael Schott as this is the best presentation concerning the battle for Culp’s Hill that I have ever seen. The combination of topographical views, troop locations and movements, and the steady clarity of the narrator, make this presentation a lesson in how to teach Civil War enthusiasts about the lesser known aspects of the Battle of Gettysburg.
Much appreciated! Thank you!
All great, but still question the pronunciations of 'Wadsworth' & 'Spangler's'??
@@charlesbenedict743 Agreed. It did seem a bit odd.
The description of the defense and then the attack by various NY, MA, PA & other Union regiments at Culps Hill is very well done. I have visited Gettysburg
A wonderful presentation of a sadly underreported portion of the 2nd day at Gettysburg. As gallant as the stand on Little Round Top was, the defense of Culps Hill was equally important to the eventual victory on Day 3. It is frightening just how close the battle was...and the stands at Little Round Top and Culps Hill on Day 2 rendered Lee's plan for Day 3 almost impossible to carry out. I will not say that the defense of the Union left has been given too much scrutiny, but your clear report of the defense of the right flank gives much needed insight into why Day 3 ended as it did.
You are absolutely correct. I've read books on the entire battle including Culp's Hill, but so much was going on simultaneously that the details of the battle on the Federal right got lost in the chaos. This video is masterfully researched and conveyed.
This is amazing!!!
I've watched virtually all documentations on YT (main stream tv sucks) on the civil war matter - and there are some really great ones out there...
But you, Sir...The Details you've researched and well presented - it's just awe-inspiringly good.
Also the clear presentation without pathos, and with even respect to the participants, is just great.
I really hope you are actively teaching that somewhere - lucky students :-)
Thank you!
I really appreciate it! Thanks!
@@JeffreytheLibrarian I wouldnt be surprised if you get contacted by The American Battlefield Trust. They may want you!
@@billd.iniowa2263 They should.
Mainstream tv documentaries on the civil war and Gettysburg don’t suck, it’s just that the documentaries on YT are for the 1% interested in a subject.
This video and their others are the pinnacle, and make the tv ones look cartoonish.
Very detailed and through. Presented so the average Culp's Hill buff can understand..
Thank you!
I wrote my US History term paper in college on Gettysburg, my favorite battle. I got a B. It's amazing how, 25 years later, I am flabbergasted on how much detail I didn't know, or understand , at that time. I learn more everyday. I have a voracious appetite for this stuff. I'm sure most of you have read The Killer Angel's. If you haven't, do so.
Superb!!! I have a whole new appreciation for the right flank of our troops at Gettysburg! All these years no one I have ever heard mentions their struggles and it has always been assumed most of the fighting occurred on the left flank. Thank you so much for these important details of the battles held on the right!
Thank you! Yes, Culp's Hill doesn't get the attention it deserves. It's just as important as any other sector of the battle.
Up until the release of Killer Angels and the movie Gettysburg in the 1990s, Culp’s Hill was considered the focal point of the fighting.
It was where the first monuments were placed and where people chose to spend their time when visiting the battlefield. It wasn’t until after the film that the 20th ME became famous and people started shifting their attention to Little Round Top.
This is one of if not the best description of Culp’s Hill I’ve ever seen! Well done!
Thank you so much!
I watched your video on Buford's delaying action and this one, both are incredibly thorough and well presented. Excellent work, thank you!
Best job I’ve ever seen. Re-enforces my notion That Gettysburg was lost six weeks earlier with Jackson’s death at Chancelorville. Had Jackson been in charge instead of Ewell, he would probably have taken Culps Hill on the first day.
Yes, Gettysburg is a different ballgame with Stonewall there.
I concur with your assessment.
Jackson was the South's best field commander.
Jackson was a mixed bag, and no cure- all for the AoNV. Many conveniently forget that Jackson utterly failed Lee during the Seven Days' Battles. That said- IF Jackson had simply been dropped into Ewell's place on 1 July it's highly likely that he would not have attacked Cemetery Hill.
One of Ewell's divisions had not yet arrived, and he had received a report of Union forces moving on his left flank. Jackson himself was a stickler for pre- battle reconnaissance, which is exactly what Ewell did. When Ewell received Lee's discretionary order, he sent out a unit to reconnoiter Cemetery Hill. Just after Ewell established that the report of Union forces moving on his left flank was false, the reconnaissance unit returned to Ewell (around dusk) and reported that Cemetry Hill was held by a "...superior force". So, Jackson would have had that information, and Lee's instruction not to bring on a general engagement. It's not difficult to see what Jackson would have done.
Fantastic overview and presentation. One of the best Gettysburg vids available. Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
An astonishingly informed & effective presentation of fact. No re-enactors, superlatives, or digital filler. Well done. I never really understood the lower v. upper slope terminology & action until illustrated here.
Thank you! I appreciate the nice comments.
Great job recognizing the 137th NY which proudly hailed from the Binghamton, NY area and sadly hasn’t been given the recognition it deserves. I appreciate that you recognized the similarities with the more recognized 20th Maine.
New York held the right flank. They were outnumbered, but they fought smarter, building entrenchments. They not only repulsed the attackers, but they also had the prudence to not chase after them and give up their good positions, which so many others might have done in that situation.
My appreciation of your maps was enhanced by a recent visit to the battlefield. Fortunately my mind was filled with visions of what was left of the works and even more the slope, forest, and contours to give your well paced, organized and clear presentation its due. Thank you.
Thank you so much. It's great to hear that your trip to Gettysburg was enjoyable.
I considered myself and "informed" Gettysburg guy....uhhh.....no. This is BRILLIANT. The mapping is so key...bravo sir.
Much appreciated!
I just finished "the Devil's to Pay" video and I can't agree more with the commenters here. Great job and thanks for providing such an in-depth and accurate portrayal of the events of such a historic clash.
Your research and videos are amazing. I served in the Army and went through Army ROTC. We did many papers and studies of battles throughout our classes. I did the Battle of Gettysburg - Bufford's Stand and the effect of the Repeating Carbines. Watching your videos bring back many memories. Keep up with your amazing video battle documentaries. I can't get enough. CPT FA USAR
Thank you for watching! The details are where the interesting stories are found.
Being a southerner, but also being relieved that the armies of Northern Agression prevailed, I think that I here a Yankee lean in this excellent retelling. You are to be forgiven this because of your excellent work here. Kudos my friend. And thank you.
You call yourself a librarian but I think you’re more like a farmer because you’re outstanding in your field. I was amazed at how clear and easy you made it to understand the battle. Your narration and graphics are simply superb.
Much appreciated!
So glad I found this channel. When I visit Gettysburg next year, these presentations you give will add so much weight and context to the experience.
I can only imagine the amount of work that went into this. It is very much appreciated. Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you very much. Enjoy your visit. Gettysburg is a beautiful place!
Jeffrey, you have a gift for breaking down complex battles into their component parts. Military tactics confuse me, but I come away from your videos with a better idea of what happened. I can't help but wonder how commanders could direct troop movements over such a large terrain. No radios, limited visuals. When making decisions, they would have had to filter out rumor, panic and hubris, all the while knowing when to listen and when to ignore.
I agree that this was one of the best detailed outline of the Gettysburg campaign I have ever watched. It was also much easier to understand because it was displayed on the actual ground looking down from above. Thank you for the information and for the excellent way you explained it.
Thank you for watching! I really appreciate your nice comments.
I wish you'd do more of these Gettysburg videos. I think you do a great job explaining everything with awesome continuity. Also it's really strange to see the union being so competent.😊
More to come, friend. I am bouncing back over to the western theater, and then we will get back to Gettysburg.
I remember hiking around this battlefield as a boy scout. I looked at the static displays but wished back then there was some kind of "movie" to show the dynamics of what was going on. Now nearly 50 years later I've found it. Now I want to go back. Great job.
I appreciate it. Thank you for watching!
Excellent presentation. Clear and concise description of how brigades and their regiments deploy in response to enemy movements. I had an ancestor with Walker who went forward at the end of the Culp's Hill battle. As they had no real chance to win at that point, Walker called off the attack after a few minutes.
That's a great detail. The rebels had a good chance on July 2, but Greene was so well entrenched.
I visited Gettysburg and did the entire DVD-self drive tour. I never really understood the Culp's Hill Battle - probably because it's a very wooded area - and not a big open field, like other battles in Gettysburg. You've done a great job here. I much better understand it now. Thanks!
Thank you so much!
This is one of the best videos I have ever seen with Culp's Hill and makes my understanding of the battle much clearer!
Thank you!
This video affected me very personally as my two 2nd great-granduncles, Willard and Silas Foster received fatal wounds as the 2nd Massachusetts received withering gunfire on their final charge up Culp's Hill on July 3rd. Thank you for posting.
Very well done. Cult's hill doesn't get enough credit nowadays (It used to be very popular) "Picket's Charge" (which should rightfully be called Longstreets assault since Picket was just 1 of the Division commanders involved UNDER Longstreet) showed brave action crossing a 1 mile open field, but the fighting on Culps hill was sustained ,and a lot of fighting in darkness. Then the Book "Killer Angels" and then the movie "Gettysburg" came out, and all you ever heard about was Little Round Top and Chamberlain. Thank you for showing the tough fighting on Culps Hill.
Well done presentation. Finally begin to understand the actions at Culp's hill. It gets so overshadowed by Little Round Top action, and your presentation affords it the importance it was to the Union victory at Gettysburg. Thank you.
Thanks for watching! Culp's Hill is a critical point at Gettysburg.
another great video. thanks!
My pleasure!
Thank you for taking the time and effort for using maps to provide a necessary tool in understanding of how and why the battle evolved.
Ages ago my brother and I attempted to "charge" up Culp's Hill toward the trenches. We were young at the time, and it was exhausting.
A most brilliant presentation! It appears that if Ewell had his troops in place immediately after the cannonade, his troops may have been more successful. But the ingenuity of Greene and the management of reinforcements was near perfection. Thanks for a great rendition of a battle that has been shadowed by the 20th ME, another amazing defensive fight.
Yes, Greene was the perfect man for the job. I imagine another Union brigade would have been overwhelmed on day 2, but Greene was ready. Very ahead of his time, using terrain and entrenchments to offset his opponent's numbers.
Excellent presentation done in great detail. My many thanks to whoever put it together. It was well crafted👍
Thanks!
I just finished the chapter entitled "The Stars In the Courses," which covers the Battle of Gettysburg, in the of the second volume of Shelby Foote's peerless "The Civil War: A Narrative," so this video made a timely and excellent compendium. A few little additional facts of interest: Union Major General "Pap" Greene became a civil engineer after he graduated from West Point, and designed many public works around the country, including sewers in Detroit, and the Central Park reservoir. As mentioned in the video, ine of the Union divisions who came to his aid on Culp's Hill on July 2nd was Wadsworth from the 1st Corps, which included the famous Iron Brigade. They had seen heavy fighting the day before, and had taken losses that would essentially end their career as a fighting unit after Gettysburg. The brigade went into action on July 1st with about 1800 men, and when they responded to Greene's call for help the next evening, they had less than 600 men present for duty. One of their regiments, the 24th Michigan, began the fight at Gettysburg in the early afternoon of July 1st with 496 officers and men, and ended the day with 97. Those loses were only surpassed by the regiment who inflicted them, them the Confederate 26th North Carolina under Pettigrew. It's two center companies went into the fight against the 24th MI with 83 and 91 men respectively, and when the fight was over there were two left unhurt from the company who began with 83, and none at all from the company of 91.
If there's anyone who clicked on this video hasn't read Shelby Foote's Civil War magnum opus, you really, really must. It's the best big-picture overview of the war, including all major theaters, battles, attendant politics, and personalities, I've ever read. Maybe the best big-picture book(s) about so complex a subject ever written. I read through it every couple of years--it's that good.
I agree. Shelby's work is like Moby Dick. There is a poetic beauty to it. I can read it all day.
Jeffrey, just viewed your presentation of Culp's hill. I initially thought it was a "slam/dunk" for the union and that the "real" battle was Little Round Top & Peach Orchard. Much thanks for educating me.
This was the best presentation. I really enjoyed your analytical style with maps. Greatly intensifies my imagination of the battle!!
I need to see it graphically to understand it myself.
Great presentation. My wife and I are going to Culp's Hill in a couple of weeks and will bring what I've learned from this video with me. Thank you, well done.
Enjoy your trip! Gettysburg is a great town.
I am a GIS analyst and am currently writing some historical guide books, I have to say, "you nailed this!" I will be integrating this presentation style into future work. In 5 minutes you completely demonstrated the link between digital and analog elements focused on a smart phone. Thx!
Thanks for watching! The only way to understand the flow of these events is with maps.
Now I finally know what my 4x great-grandfather with the 107th NY was doing during the battle.
Thanks.
I really enjoyed your presentation on the northern battle for Gettysburg.
I've known my Great-great grandfather, George Clark, was in the 60th NY on Culp's Hill, but you've done a wonderful job of explaining just what he was a part of. 60th NY was involved in other battles, but only at Lookout Mountain was it in such another prominent point of a battle. Also another 2nd great grandfather was at the Peach Orchard. I'm looking forward to your next videio.
That's great that you have a connection to the 60th NY. New York held the line at Gettysburg.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian Until tracing his unit, I didn't understand how few troops changed between the east and west theaters. The 60th NY was at Antietam and Gettysburg, then went west and was at Chattanooga and Atlanta.
Jeffrey, Thank you! I have a much improved understanding and appreciation for the terrible struggle that occurred on Culp's Hill. Your presentation is superb.
Thanks for watching!
Incredibility well done - never even suspected that such a critical and extensive battle had occurred (thanks history books for barely even mentioning this aspect of the battle and treating it like a minor skirmish!) That there was a similar desperate charge by a union group (NY) using bayonets to save the day is the first I've even ever heard a word about this. Also, this appears to be the best example of truly related groups in a desperate fight on opposite sides - that this battle was also pivotal to the outcome makes it even more amazing. This is really the only example I've read were it is almost certain that neighbors, likely cousins, and possibly even some bothers were fighting directly against each other in a battle! Never knew there were a 1st MD, Union, & 1st MD, Confederate in the two armies.
Thanks! A job well done explaining the battle as it unfolded. Appreciate your work on this!
Thank you for your support! I am working on a Gettysburg video now. I should have it ready this month.
Great! Just the right level of detail. Helpful maps and photos. THANKS.
Much appreciated!
I love your mapping and description of battles the most!
I'm working on a Gettysburg one right now.
Excellent description! Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Just fascinating! Thank you for taking the time to present this to the interested world. Very well done. I am far from a Gettysburg expert, but I know enough to appreciate your work.
Thank you for watching!
Great description of the northern battles and movements. A lot of people are familiar with the southern battles thanks to the novel "Killer Angels" and subsequent movie "Gettysburg" but many (most?) are fairly ignorant of the actions up north. You have a great presentation style and the graphics you chose make the action much clearer than traditional battle maps.
True...I knew next to nothing about Culp's Hill except for the fact that Ewell failed to take it on July 1 and later there was inconclusive fighting there throughout the battle. Thanks Jeffrey the Librarian...
Fantastic. Would love to see this for other parts of the battle and more battles!
Thank you! I have one on Little Round Top, and I will have more in the future.
Wow wow wow, the best presentation. I knew this was very time consuming. My 13th NJ under Colgrove was at McAllisters woods . I was just there last week. I have walked every inch of this area.
Thank you so much! Colgrove sealed the victory on July 3.
Great video. Culp’s hill and Greene’s brigade never get the attention or credit they deserve.
Culp's Hill is a big deal, and it was likely the place where the rebels had the best chance of victory at Gettysburg. Until they ran into Greene.
This is the first time I've seen your channel. This is the best battle breakdown I've seen of any battle. Your usage of historical pictures, maps, flyovers, etc helped my understanding of the battle. I'll save this video to watch next time I visit Gettysburg. Thank you!
First off, great content and visuals.
Second, I love how you keep takes with small vocal "imperfections". It's refreshing to feel like I'm listening to a real person talk on youtube.
Thank you! I grew up in Pittsburgh, so I mispronounce all kinds of things. If I did a retake every time I tripped over a word, the video would never get done :)
Fantastic series of videos.
I really enjoy the style and “play by play” of these vids.
Great work.
Nicely done.
Thank you! More to come!
That was terrific. Your videos are the best I’ve seen. Keep it up!
Thank you! Much appreciated!
What an extraordinary piece of scholarship! The best I have ever seen. Well done!
Thank you so much! That means alot to me.
Best video by far about Culp's Hill. Thank you.
Thank you!
Very helpful maps and computer graphics in explaining Culps Hill.
Fantastic, wonderful presentation, thank you Sir!
Much appreciated!
I love the way y'all did this, great detail and narrative. I'd like to see lots more of these.
Brilliant presentation! It is so difficult to imagine who is where and when and your in-motion graphics really tell the compelling tale about how it all happened! Now a Subscriber!
Thank you so much!
Probably one of the most confusing areas of the battlefield but this spells it out quite informatively. Great presentation. May help me next week when I make a trip there.
Enjoy your trip!
How am I just finding these?! This is war-nerd gold.
Thank you! Welcome to the channel!
Outstanding work! Now we know why Howard's and Slocum's Corps (nearly depleted, but still very solid) came to be transferred West under Hooker and thier experience shines later at Chattanooga. I've read dozens of good historians who glossed over the battle on Culp's Hill. Now, it is clear.
Culp's Hill is a critical sector of the Gettysburg battle. It should be more well known. Thanks for watching!
Outstanding work! Thank you so much for this excellently researched video.
From what I've seen and heard in the past, not a lot is talked about this part of the battle or maybe I've just not seen it. Thanks for the great details you put into this.
Thanks for watching! Culp's Hill is a big deal, and it should get more attention.
Really appreciate your hard work on these presentations - I'm very map-driven, and seeing these details with the topography of the area really does bring the situation alive. Many thanks for your efforts.
Outstanding presentation! Clearly an enormous amount of work went into this. Thank you
Thank you! The videos are a labor of love.
Going to Gettysburg here at the end of August and I absolutely love this! Thanks for everything you do!
Enjoy your visit!
Just got back from Gettysburg and it's an experience, enjoy
I'm somewhat of a Civil War buff...I've walked the ground described in the video...I've read a dozen descriptions of the battle of Gettysburg...this is the best description of Culp's Hill yet. I thought I knew all about it...I didn't, Thanks for educating me with an excellent presentation.
Thank you very much!
Thanks for posting, I really enjoy your videos on these battles and the context you give.
I appreciate it!
Wonderful job. When reading, and viewing videos, about Civil War battles I tend to over exaggerate the spatial aspect of the fight. A good example is Steuart's attack along the stonewall on Lower Culp's Hill that you nicely described. In my mind, I envisioned Steuart's line almost as long as the eye can see attacking down a long hill with plenty of area to maneuver. Then I visited the site a number of years ago; NOTHING like I envisioned. In fact, the area was very compact with no room to maneuver, and only a short distance from the top of the hill to the Union line at the bottom. No wonder casualties were so heavy. Thanks again.
Thank you so much! Everything is different in person.
In addition to "if practicable," Lee's order to Ewell carried an additional caveat to make the attack without bringing on a general engagement. This meant that Ewell would be limited to the troops under his command. Early's Division had only suffered light casualties but Gordon's and Smith's Brigades were investigating enemy movement out on the York Pike and were unavailable. Hays was north of town guarding prisoners. Rodes Division was in the town, blown from combat, and disorganized by the Gettysburg street grid. Rodes would have to march out of the town in column and deploy into battle lines under the guns massed on Cemetery Hill. Johnson's Division had not yet arrived on the battlefield. That left Ewell with Avery's Brigade for the attack, less than a thousand men. That is why Ewell did not believe an attack practicable, and neither would Stonewall in that circumstance. Nevertheless, Ewell informed Lee that if Hill would support him from the west then Ewell would attack. Lee refused to commit Anderson's Division to action as it was his only reserve and he knew Union reinforcements were marching up the Emmitsburg Road. Hill demurred to commit Heth's or Pender's divisions as they were spent from frontal assaults dislodging the I Corps from McPherson's and Seminary Ridges. So responsibility has to rest with Lee as he was unprepared to launch a general attack on the Cemetery Hill position with all of the troops then on the field. It's still a mystery whether Lee or Ewell has to be held to account for not having Johnson's fresh division on the field at 4pm when the attack should have been launched.
Thank you for the excellent notes. The situation on July 1 was not what either Lee or Meade had in mind. Both were surprised by the meeting engagement. Both armies were only partially arrived, and the elements engaged that first day were largely spent by late afternoon. And, as you rightly point out, it was already dark when Ewell had Johnson. The great "what if" is what Stonewall might have attempted, as he was not intimidated by being outnumbered (Antietam, where he held 2.5 Union Corps off) or moving men through the night, even in wooded terrain (Chancellorsville).
Ewell did the right thing. He was never going to take that position with a brigade. Johnson spent the afternoon trying to navigate the hopelessly clogged roads north of Gettysburg and wasn't going to arrive in time. It is hard to see how that could have been Ewell's fault. Ewell did make an attempt on Culp's hill in the early evening, but by then the 7th Indiana Infantry Regiment had taken positions there and drove the Confederates off. Given the force that Ewell had available to him and Lee's insistence that he not begin a general engagement, I just don't see what Ewell could have done.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian Jackson's lack of caution at Chancellorsville cost him his life, which was good.
What is your understanding as to why Ewell had Johnson return to Cashtown rather take a least a brigade or two across the mountain at Shippensburg and come out at Arendtsville placing them directly on Rodes flank while having their own converging routes into Gettysburg. He could have left one brigade to protect the division and corps trains to follow on or continue on to Cashtown. Ewell had to know there was going to be a mess at the gap and once he knew for sure that G-burg was the concentration point I just don't know why he didn't use that option. Johnson would have had combat power on the field just when it was needed. Lee put Ewell in a tuff spot by leaving open to an extent as to where he wanted the Army to concentrate and I can see how the either Cashtown or Gettysburg as circumstances permit order created a dilemma for Ewell on what to do with Johnson.
@@howardclegg6497 Ewell was perhaps used to Jackson who issued specific orders that left little discretion to his commanders and tried to satisfy Lee's discretionary order by sending troops to both Gettysburg and Cashtown. By the time AP Hill had informed Ewell that he was going to Gettysburg it was too late to recall Johnson. Difficult to imagine that Stonewall would have divided his command in such a manner rather than using the discretion to concentrate at Gettysburg and then fall back to Cashtown as circumstances may have dictated.
Ewell had been under Lee's order not bring on a general engagement when he sent Rodes against Oak Hill, which being botched necessitated Heth's and Pender's frontal assaults on McPhersons and Seminary Ridges. This might have given Ewell pause against violating Lee's second order not to bring on a general engagement. Early certainly had the opportunity to follow up his initial success but put the leash on Gordon. Given the success enjoyed by Hays and Avery on the 2nd it seems plausible that had Early pursued his advantage in the afternoon it would have been difficult for the Union forces then on the field to rally and maintain the position on Cemetery Hill.
Lee's staff work at Gettysburg was poor and with two new corps commanders in Hill and Ewell he should have offered firmer direction.
Great narrative. Thx! Really now have a much much better understanding of just went on and why/where at Culp's Hill. Really great presentation, and look forward to more. :)
Thanks for watching! Much appreciated!
The best presentation I've seen on the struggle for Culp's Hill and corroborates what's covered in the book:" Culp's and Cemetery Hill" by Harry Pfanz. Great work covering the most interesting part of the Gettysburg campaign.
Thank you so much!
Another excellent video. Cheers Shaun
Wow and a half! That is a truly excellent video. It provides a thorough and detailed understanding. It does not omit starting with the context of the setup. Then has wonderful choices of maps and aerial views, zooming in and out that is followable because of clear announcements, all with detailed graphics of every move (even explaining the easily confused commander changes during the battle). Beautifully "engineered" and executed.
This was very, very nicely done. Enjoyed it very much. THANK YOU!!
Thank you!
Great Job on presentation of this part that gets overlooked in many discussions on Gettysburg.
Culp's Hill is overlooked. Very critical to the whole trajectory of the battle. Thanks for watching!
This is so awesome. Thank you!! Maybe someday we will have technology to have the actual numbers of soildiers somehow represented. Thanks again. Super helpful!
Thank you!
That was a fantastic presentation. I wish I would have watched it prior to my recent visit
Thank you for watching!
This is really well done, I appreciate all the work with different views of the topography.
Thank you! I appreciate it.
This man deserves thousands more subscriptions ,imagine the time he has put into this great history doesn't miss a thing ,all respect from England.
Thank you! Your nation has a great and storied past, and I plan on doing some videos on Britain soon.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian oh rite yeah sounds good ,I'll watch out for them this would be a good start the thousand years wars between ,England and the Scots .