Gettysburg – The High-Water Mark of the Confederacy

Episode 16 of Turning Points: History’s Greatest Battles covers the Battle of Gettysburg (1863) — the pivotal moment of the American Civil War. After a string of Confederate victories, General Robert E. Lee invaded the North, hoping to force political concessions or foreign recognition. His army clashed unexpectedly with Union forces under General George G. Meade in the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Day 1 saw Confederate troops push Union forces back through the town, but the Union seized strong defensive positions on Cemetery Hill and surrounding ridges.
Day 2 brought Lee’s attempt to roll up the Union flanks, leading to brutal fighting at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Peach Orchard, and Devil’s Den. Colonel Joshua Chamberlain’s bayonet charge saved Little Round Top and prevented a Confederate breakthrough.
Day 3 culminated in Pickett’s Charge, a massive Confederate assault across open fields toward Cemetery Ridge. The attack was shattered by Union artillery and rifle fire. The Confederates briefly breached the Union line at the Angle — the “High-Water Mark of the Confederacy” — before being repulsed. The Confederates suffered nearly 28,000 casualties, a devastating blow that ended Lee’s northern invasion. Combined with the fall of Vicksburg the next day, Gettysburg marked the turning point of the Civil War, ensuring the Union would maintain strategic momentum.