Historical Footnotes - Picket's Charge

150 years ago today General Picket led 13000 men against the Union center at Gettysburg. The attack topped 3 days of battle in which the Confederates tried to break the Union line on both left and right. The attack commenced over open fields, and against a stone wall and a line of fencing beyond that. After a hard push and one last charge the Confederates broke through the wall. Their casualties however were too great and they could not hold the wall. They were soon thrown off and forced to withdraw leaving 6000 dead and wounded behind.

Years later when asked why the famous charge failed, General Picket remarked "I always thought the yankees had something to do with it."