Gettysburg, PA, Civil War battle sterling silver souvenir spoons

*Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1863*
Gettysburg probably is the most famous battle of the Civil War. It was the south's deepest penetration into the north and involved large forces on both sides for 3 days. The battle was too complex to recount here; instead, a few interesting Gettysburg spoons are presented with some snippets of information but no comprehensive treatment of the battle. Pickett's charge, the final action of the battle on July 3, 1863, was launched from the center of the Confederate lines across a mile up gently up-sloping fields. The objective was the center of the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge; specifically, an angle in the stone wall in front of a small clump of trees. Preceded by massive artillery barrages in both directions, Pickett's division (newly arrived on the scene the night before) crossed the field with colors flying and engaged the federals in hand-to-hand combat at the wall. They briefly penetrated the Union lines before being repulsed. It gives you goose bumps to stand at this spot in Pennsylvania today and imagine thousands of Virginians walking, not running, up that slope while Union artillery was decimating them from left, right and center only to be met by fierce rifle-fire as they neared the wall. More than 80% of Pickett's men never returned from the attack. Remnants of the stone wall can be seen today if you visit the battlefield, and a monument there designates the spot as the "high water mark" of the Confederacy. Devil's Den was a rocky area at the foot of Little Round Top, a small but steep hill at the southern end of the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge. It was through this almost impossible terrain that Alabama troops charged on the second day of the battle and almost succeeded in out-flanking Union lines which could have led to victory by the South. The brunt of the attack was borne by the 20th Maine, led by college professor Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. They exhausted their ammunition but rather than yielding, they fixed bayonets and repelled the amazed southerners with hand-to-hand combat. Chamberlain went on to become one of the most successful northern generals, then a college president and governor after the war. General Winfield Scott Hancock was arguably the key leader for the Union side at Gettysburg. On the first day he took charge of deploying federal troops (at the orders of the absent Gen. Meade) as they trickled onto the scene while the CSA forces were attacking them, mostly in the vicinity of Cemetery and Culp's Hills. Over the objections of recalcitrant state militia generals, Hancock secured the two hills that would anchor the north end of Union lines. On the second day, Hancock played a crucial role at Little Round Top, the southern end of the line. Here, too, he took charge and redeployed Union forces in the face of an attacking rebel force. On the third and last day of the battle, while leading troops in the federal center being attacked by Pickett's Charge, Hancock fell wounded. This was the price he paid for always being on the front lines wherever the most intense fighting was occurring.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1863

Gettysburg probably is the most famous battle of the Civil War. It was the south's deepest penetration into the north and involved large forces on both sides for 3 days. The battle was too complex to recount here; instead, a few interesting Gettysburg spoons are presented with some snippets of information but no comprehensive treatment of the battle.

Pickett's charge, the final action of the battle on July 3, 1863, was launched from the center of the Confederate lines across a mile up gently up-sloping fields. The objective was the center of the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge; specifically, an angle in the stone wall in front of a small clump of trees. Preceded by massive artillery barrages in both directions, Pickett's division (newly arrived on the scene the night before) crossed the field with colors flying and engaged the federals in hand-to-hand combat at the wall. They briefly penetrated the Union lines before being repulsed.

It gives you goose bumps to stand at this spot in Pennsylvania today and imagine thousands of Virginians walking, not running, up that slope while Union artillery was decimating them from left, right and center only to be met by fierce rifle-fire as they neared the wall. More than 80% of Pickett's men never returned from the attack. Remnants of the stone wall can be seen today if you visit the battlefield, and a monument there designates the spot as the "high water mark" of the Confederacy.

Devil's Den was a rocky area at the foot of Little Round Top, a small but steep hill at the southern end of the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge. It was through this almost impossible terrain that Alabama troops charged on the second day of the battle and almost succeeded in out-flanking Union lines which could have led to victory by the South. The brunt of the attack was borne by the 20th Maine, led by college professor Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. They exhausted their ammunition but rather than yielding, they fixed bayonets and repelled the amazed southerners with hand-to-hand combat. Chamberlain went on to become one of the most successful northern generals, then a college president and governor after the war.

General Winfield Scott Hancock was arguably the key leader for the Union side at Gettysburg. On the first day he took charge of deploying federal troops (at the orders of the absent Gen. Meade) as they trickled onto the scene while the CSA forces were attacking them, mostly in the vicinity of Cemetery and Culp's Hills. Over the objections of recalcitrant state militia generals, Hancock secured the two hills that would anchor the north end of Union lines.

On the second day, Hancock played a crucial role at Little Round Top, the southern end of the line. Here, too, he took charge and redeployed Union forces in the face of an attacking rebel force. On the third and last day of the battle, while leading troops in the federal center being attacked by Pickett's Charge, Hancock fell wounded. This was the price he paid for always being on the front lines wherever the most intense fighting was occurring.