"Gettysburg: Darkest Days & Finest Hours" Complete Civil War Docu-Drama

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the war had not been going all that well for our Army of the Potomac by this summer 1863 we had gotten soundly thrashed at Fredericksburg and at Chancellorsville in Virginia even though we knocked down plenty of Rebs the veterans no longer had the jitters about fighting Lee and as we chased him north into Maryland and Pennsylvania greeted as heroes by loyal families our Chin's rose higher and our step increased we marched into Pennsylvania with the pride of Julius Caesar's legions unstoppable the world's greatest army led by the world's greatest general robert e lee emotion of the hard farming men had never left their counties prior to the war when entering pennsylvania jun were quite amazed at the farms and holdings of the north of us the men were under orders from the general to be courteous compensate for all forage this order was obeyed somewhat and led to almost comical incidents between our men and the citizenry [Laughter] mmm hey five sheets be wishing self for you boys would she call us my sisters were incorrect you just smell like oh wait the exchange generally wishes us to be correct the Yankees soon sniffed us out but we were eager for a fight [Music] we were now the defenders of our homes and needed only to get at the Army of Northern Virginia [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the first attacks at Gettysburg were our troops of Heath division had just passed dog archers Tennesseans taken the brunt of the initial advance they deployed skirmishes and lines of battle and win at the Army of the Potomac scavenger [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Kenny's robot carbons crack and musket volleys road [Music] [Applause] [Music] the Yankee cavalry did their job retreating slowly and inflicted casualties by mid-morning Yankee infantry appeared on the field and now a reckless fight ensued no one knew the extent to which this action in our [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] gentlemen if you're running out of ammunition find some from a wounded comrade [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] the first core arrived on the field and routed the Rebs in detail [Music] the old 56th Pennsylvania claim to get the first volley into the gray backs [Applause] [Applause] the old soldiers had a sense that this was just the beginning [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] as the day went on men on both sides through more lambs to the slaughter the perfection in killing by this point of the war was a gas leak to behold it was systematic the average shot seemed to hit its intended target [Music] the defending Yankees lying behind brows of hills behind crude woods would have the advantage on this field [Applause] [Music] the iron Brigade those fine Westerners with their tall army hats came into the field and captured rebel general Archer it was with a cost however the men lost their beloved general Reynolds who was shot from his horse while almost upon archers Brigade of Johnnie's the first encounter that morning was as a clash of strapping pugilists feeling the strength of punch of the other our regiment had even gained ground and we're about to turn their position but the Yankees had different ideas and soon had our men trapped in a row [Music] one regiment the 26th North Carolina led by a 21 year old Wildcat Colonel Burke wing led his 800 men as if on parade into the vault a black hat brigade of Westeros [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] after fighting at 30 yards almost 600 of his men were killed the wounded and the colonel himself mortally stricken [Applause] general AP Hill's third Corps and general dick news second were almost entirely on the fear together and by late in the day pressed forward the artillery support was definitely musketry so loud that I had to shout in each of the men's ears to give commands we pressed forward despite the heaps of casualties some of the iron Brigade plus the red legged Devils of Brooklyn captured a railroad cut full of Johnnie's the casualties were heavy but the first shouts of victory belonged to those of us [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] it seemed that time Stood Still many of the men remembering the ugly stain of Chancellorsville committed reckless acts of bravado much like a rooster stepping up to a bear one man a Pennsylvania's sergeant named Crippen one of the bucktails stepped out from his regiment and on his own and with the Johnnies in his face told down [Applause] cribbens act rallied his men to fight on but he will join the long list of dead [Music] [Applause] oh man outflanked the Yankees in a few places but my god they were stubborn as never before in my estimation they led us I entered the fight with 40 muskets and three officers in my company and by our last shot had but 20 minutes gets at my second lieutenant commanding as I took a spent ball that had my thigh swell up like a [Music] [Music] we lick the Rebbe's good for the balance of the day but by the later afternoon long gray lines could be seen coming from the north west and south [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] we slugged it out until our officers quit the field I know I'm knocked down there rebel red colors once myself they still came on at the butchery [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] my own comrades were falling like grain before the scythe some man stated that the Germans and the 11th Corps broke as they did at Chancellorsville but I would say that is a bold-faced lie their long lines of dead looked just as ours [Applause] [Music] when we were treated upon a cemetery ii corps commander general Hancock and 11th Corps commander General Howard were there restoring order placing guns organizing troops and there was confidence gained from that [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] we were forced to leave the field sometimes officers having to grab the colors from the bearers themselves colors in one case with 16th main cutoff instead of having to surrender their colors tore them to pieces sharing with every man in the regiment [Applause] they took those pieces with them to southern prison pens [Music] [Applause] we chase Yankees through the town and captured hundreds when the first day was drawn to a close many officers especially on the Colonel's could be heard arguing about pressing the attack finishing it off of that kind some would caveat their commentary with Jackson would have kept advancing the Jackson was not here but you will and he'll in his place they stopped all advances as we bivouacked amongst the yards of towns we could hear the sounds of federal artillery rolling into position the accompanying sounds of axes from trees and staff officers directing regiments into position every line officer realized we'd missed our opportunity the Yankees were stained and on well-chosen ground with this the hundreds of scattered field hospitals filled quickly then surgeons worked at sawing bones without wrist [Music] regardless of all that we could do the revs again drove us and held the field [Music] after many of our regiment went to bury their brothers cousins and friends I got some sleep at first night and the whole of the army seemed to march past my makeshift bed Lee was seen pointing and gesturing staff officers galloping off on their errands Yul's men occupied the left of the army Hills the center and general Longstreet's 1st Corps was coming up from the rear by rights they would lead off the day's attack and was supposed to but the inexcusable bunk could not step off in position until nearly 5 p.m. I managed to sleep some hours that night but woke up to the sound of men of our regiment finding us in the dark July 2nd was upon us and it seemed as if the whole army was up the prickly points of muskets tax could be seen for a mile in any direction we had nine men left from my company from the 22 which started my army blouse had five bullet holes in it but my body had only those that God intended what was old Meade going to do when they did step off though the Yankees in their front again on chosen ground bled longs to slim hoods division especially his famed Texans ran into Spartan defense by Yankees holding some small hills and mountains on our right [Applause] longstreet attacked with sledgehammer blows much like his gallant work of second Manassas but unlike their Yankees fought longer and harder and even counter-attacked but our regiment took ground especially those fine Mississippians of Barksdale who despite being pounded by Yankee artillery over a while captured a Yankee general and Graham took a few batteries and hundreds of prisoners at the 21st Mississippi under Colonel Humphreys was reported to even breach the federal lines before having to retreat without support their charge someone related was called the greatest charge of a witness in the world [Applause] the 12-core was up on Culp's Hill on the right the beaten up 1st and 11th Corps the center and the 3rd and 5th corps coming up on the left [Applause] some of the fighting done by general sickles Third Corps men in The Devil's Den a wheat field and a peach orchard where the talk of the survivors some of our regiments despite being outnumbered two-to-one counter-attacked one of those regiments 124 in New York led by a Colonel Ellis had their officers mounted and launched a bayonet attack at the famed Texans of Hood Kevin Sullivan let's try these funny little Tigers today they are sir My dear Sullivan the man must see us today those men of Orange County had salt enough for the entire army the officers announced to their company commanders that the men must see us today advance the colors we're gonna prepare for in advance [Applause] Johnny Reb pushed on northern men pushed back just as hard the men did see their officers in the front and they were knocked down like so much wheat sicles men like hours on the first day sold out dearly as did the troops of a fifth Corps at their side and when the Hancock 2nd Corps went to a system the killing was unmatched [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] one Tomcat of a boy Colonel Jeffords of the fourth Michigan reclaimed his colors in the face of seven bayonets rescuing that proud banner for the women who gave it to him his last words I am told were of his mother [Applause] the flag is down [Applause] other counter attacks the Pennsylvania reserves and the regulars and then the Irish Brigade and first Minnesota attempted to hold back the Rebs but it was not until the arrival of general Sedgwick and his sixth Corps that the gray backs pulled back they marched 37 miles that day and pitched in that was real soldiering [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] let's go let's go [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] as the Sun was all but down our men were ordered to the gates of the cemetery on a hill at the south of the town some Louisiana troops breaking through on the very spot that had the night before the lines nearly broke several times but as our lines were closed and supportive and the Rebs stretched thinly they could not maintain the contest the Battle of July 2nd closed and that battle was now considered [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Longstreet's late day attacks seem to have been working but just as federal lines were breaking laps and something happened lapse in coordination generals have in a case of a slows or simply ill-fortune something stopped long street that day and with the futility of the general you on the coherent another day's battle [Music] [Music] [Applause] on the right on Culp's Hill the hundred and thirty seventh New York of Colonel Ireland held back brigades of Rebs and the men of greens Brigade supported by first Corps troops held the woods I awoke that morning of the third the same as everyone else from President Lincoln to my little girl back home in Kingston what will become of this battle and the nation we would not have to wait long as firing came from behind us in the direction of Culp's Hill and the Baltimore pike the firing erupted as a pitched battle while it was dark yet both sides bumped into each other and everyone wanted control earthworks there [Applause] [Music] No I think you're hearing things [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] the fighting started on Culp's Hill and too early but as the morning went by and the sounds of firing diminished on youths front word came in that Stewart was in the Union rear and soon to slice his way into trapping the whole Yankee army [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] the soldiers in the center of the line were digging in and collecting muskets from the previous day's fighting they knew the center would be hit again and were determined to hold it as late morning War through into the afternoon heat men especially longtime chums and many brothers had time to contemplate what the day would bring I had the chance to hear a group of several brothers all officers in the 8th of Virginia Berkeley's who had one of these kinship meetings looks like they wanted to take that Ridge under its a strong position maybe maybe I should let Charles do wagon got beat there edlin take these make sure they get them at home I should fall let them know [Music] we were going in again nearby I could see friends and family having jovial and appropriate conversation about memories past wives mothers other men instinctively dug in entrenching was becoming all the rage by July 1863 why not artillery what'd you make yourself push-up Joe I do not hold on now don't drink all that I think we're going through that peel today if they were kept the lemons Mississippi out of an attack ever now I suppose you're right [Music] [Music] we took our bayonets and plates and went to work on mother earth men in our rear used the stone walls and hills for cover all rested and talked about what was to come [Music] hundreds of cannon on both sides shook the ground it was our guns hitting a concentrated spot in their center near a woodlot on Ridge and their guns struck back quickly we knew it would only last a certain time and then we would be going in [Applause] [Applause] [Music] yes the guns did slacking and reformed companies on the colours and aligned it was then near the two o'clock eath division he being wounded was commanded by Pettigrew and effectives formed on the brow of the hill and we witnessed summers pickets rule for me to arrived we had support to aria a small portion of Pender's division altogether maybe ten or twelve thousand men this was the only time in my service I witnessed something as inspiring as what must have been the days of Napoleon's martial prowess there was a strange hush as menace seemed awed by the grandeur [Music] the scene of those Rebs advancing down those first Rolling Hills was breathtaking grim and fearsome bayonet tips glistened in the Sun the heat increased men pulled from their canteens and artillery went to work many color bearers of our regiments themselves watched and admired the Johnny Reb flag bearers who bravely held their banners but will soon be cut to shreds how men went forward with all the martial spirit in the world and that lasted for about five minutes until the federal artillery gained our time and hit us men hunched collectively picked up the pace and rolled forward like veterans at the right shoulderarms men fell from spherical case bursting almost on top of our weathered hats inspected by that brothers blood it was desperate and perfectly ridiculous by the time we neared the Emmitsburg Road face [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] the revs advance came through the pipe fence and right up to our slight works and artillery our guns would fire double canister into them often the lingering pink mist would hang in the air sometimes portions of bodies hurtled through the ranks it was bloody work that I could never forget Pickett's division the brigades of Kemper and Garnett were cut to ribbons their support with redundant Anna stood actually made steam push through the lines at an angle Mississippians on our left were decimated by flanking fire by some of hiya troops and so raced ahead to a white bomb [Applause] this attack is played out sir some other troops Tarheels of the same 26th North Carolina of that boy home raced forward into the jaws of Yankee guns I was game with my leg and encouraging my men across the pipe was struck by a canister round at fractured the hip while I'm there I was struck upon the crown of my head by a spent mini I managed to pull two bodies over me for protection remember in the sad story of the Berger brothers it made me think some ghastly realities whole families of men cease to exist that there was a hand-to-hand fighting in my view a Reb flaunted his rag in the face of corporal de Castro of Massachusetts and the lad with his guard went after the Johnny's flag of the 19th Virginia [Applause] but our men poured in our deadly little LED pills sometimes having two or three muskets per man and yet they still came on nearby portions of gray backs broke through but found troops ready to pounce upon them while this lasts if the assaults took place I felt a type of pain in my arm much alike to a Hornet sting and I realized I'd been shot and I think it came from our rear by one of our own men's over [ __ ] Oh it was done the attack and our army met with absolute catastrophe Pickett's division and Pettigrew's command was slaughtered I was taken off the field by a detail of New Jersey soldiers must have been close to a thousand bomb men who unneeded were taken and thousands more badly wounded or gently gathered we all were deposited at hospitals at the huge Pennsylvania Barnes that dotted the landscape Oh [Applause] [Applause] the field was a twisted mass of men and melees an officer got me to the rear just as the last attacks petered out as I went past the hills and the Army's rear I could hear inaudible Fredericksburg Fredericksburg being called out by our men it was Fredericksburg in Reverse and the Army of the Potomac and President Lincoln had the victory [Applause] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] thanks for watching if you'd like to help us produce more compelling historical content like this please like comment below and share this video with fellow history buffs and of course be sure to subscribe to help keep history happening

Channel: LionHeart FilmWorks

Views: 278,872

Rating: 4.7619228 out of 5

Keywords: american history, americans, blue & grey, civil war, confederate uniform, confederates, historical, johnny reb, military history, north and south, rebel flag, rebels, reenacting, zouave, gettysburg, battle of gettysburg, 1863, picketts charge, little round top, chamberlain, robert e lee, longstreet, gettysburg movie, july 2nd, civil war battle, American Civil War, war between the states, csa, yankees, battle, union army, Americana, reenactors, re-enacting, living history, re-enactors

Id: xaNGbe0ymkU

Length: 83min 55sec (5035 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 03 2020