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Pickett's Charge High Water Mark
Pictures taken July 5, 1998 at the 135th Reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Clouds of gunsmoke from an immense amount of Union artillery and small arms fire covers the stalwart Federal forces. Still, the Southern troops determinedly push forward as the battle reaches its climax.

At this time, the crowd was standing and screaming in amazement at the sights, sounds and sensations of this reenactment battle!

Where the Southern artillery had used all their ammunition in the preceding cannonade, the Union still had a plentiful supply. They shelled the field throughout the entire charge. As the infantry drew closer, they switched to canister filled with metal balls that slaughtered the ascending Confederates.

When the Union flanked the left and right wings of the Confederates, they decimated the ends of the line. That left only the center of the line available to continue moving forward.

But under such devastating fire, only one General, Armistead, and 200 of his men made it to the copse of trees where they fought in hand to hand combat. But with such a small force, they were all quickly cut down or captured.

Only 30 minutes after the assault began, it was over. The remaining men turned to withdraw from the field. Of the 12,000 - 15,000 Confederate infantrymen who participated in the original charge, 60% were killed, wounded or captured.

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