Episode Details

The Battle of Gettysburg can trace its origins back to September of 1862 when Robert E Lee audaciously lead his Army of Northern Virginia on an invasion of the North.

Since taking command in June of 1862, Lee had beaten back Major General George B McClellan's Army of the Potomac and secured the Confederate capital of Richmond during the peninsula campaign. He then moved to Northern Virginia where he thrashed Major General John Pope's Union Army of Virginia in August at the battle of Second Manassas.

After this victory, Lee strategically chose to keep his aggressive momentum going rather than settle into a defensive posture around Richmond. So he turned his attention to Northern Territory; specifically, Pennsylvania, probably, Harrisburg. This, Lee knew, would draw the Union Army out of Virginia.

By September 16, Harpers Ferry had fallen and Jackson's Corps, save A.P. Hill's Division, which was en route from Harpers Ferry, had been reunited with Longstreet and Lee on the bluffs along the Antietam Creek outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland. Early that misty morning, Confederate guns opened fire from the high ground northwest of town.

The bloodiest 12 hour period in American history was underway. When it was all over, 23,000 Americans would be killed, wounded or missing.

The battle of Antietam is considered a draw and Lee withdrew his Army back into Virginia.

General George McClellan sat on his laurels and failed to pursue and crush Lee's army. Lincoln had had enough. By November, Lincoln fired McClellan. Taking his place was Ambrose E Burnside, a General who is best described as "a modest man with much to be modest about". This description betrays his flamboyant and unique facial hair styling, which may have given birth to the term sideburns. Upon taking command, Burnside planned an aggressive offensive against Richmond, Virginia by way of Fredericksburg. But this boldness was immediately met with troubles crossing the Rappahannock River, mainly because of delayed pontoon bridges. This gave Robert E Lee time to entrench his army on Marye's Heights behind the town of Fredericksburg.

On December 13, Burnside ordered the battle begin. Orders from Burnside were to "send a division or more" in an effort to seize the high ground west of Fredericksburg. The approach was fraught with difficulties: fences, gardens, a canal, narrow bridges over the canal and scattered homes, barns and, eventually, the fallen, all promised to break up and slow the Federal advance over the open plain.

Longstreet's men were hidden behind a stone wall that ran along a sunken road at the base of the heights, known at that time as the Telegraph Road. Major General Lafayette McLaws had about 2000 men on the front line and an additional 7000 reserves on the crest of and behind Marye's Heights. Batteries pointing in every possible direction had very few target-deficient spots on the Union approaches.

As soon as Union troops came out of the city, they came under artillery fire. Next Major General Winfield Scott Hancock's Division's emerged to suffer the same fate as French's. The Irish Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher, was first to go up.

Before going into battle, Meagher addressed his men, saying, "This may be my last speech to you, but I will be with you when the battle is the fiercest; and, if I fall, I can say I did my duty, and fell fighting in the most glorious of causes." His men gave him three cheers. Meagher remained behind, naming a bum knee as the cause.

On the order: "Shoulder arms, right face, forward, double quick, march!" The Irishmen raced toward the enemy.

Immediately they came under artillery fire.

One well-placed Confederate shell exploded among the 88th NY, taking out 18 men.

The Confederate line opened fir