Wadsworth at Gettysburg: Herbst Woods & Railroad Cut | Iron Brigade, Cutler, Meredith, Doubleday

Gettysburg: Day One

July 1, 1863. General Meade's Army of the Potomac is following Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania. Lee's Army is near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and Meade is near Taneytown, Maryland.

General Buford's cavalry clashes with Heth's division near Gettysburg. Archer and Davis are attacking. General Reynolds sends Wadsworth to Gettysburg from Marsh Creek near Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Wadsworth's division includes Cutler and Meredith's Iron Brigade. Hall's Second Maine Battery is also with them. They relieve Buford who has been holding McPherson's Ridge, Seminary Ridge, and Willoughby Run.

Cutler's New York and Pennsylvania men take terrible casualties holding off Davis. The 147th New York is separated from the rest of the brigade, supporting Hall's battery.

Meanwhile, Meredith's Iron Brigade attacks. The 2nd Wisconsin pushes through Herbst Woods. Archer's brigade is thrown back over Willoughby Run. Archer is captured.

General Reynolds is killed in Herbst Woods.

The Confederates use the Railroad Cut as a trench. But the 6th Wisconsin and the other regiments capture Mississippians there.

Doubleday holds off Heth's men. The rest of the corps and Howard are now arriving at Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg is now underway, a critical chapter in the American Civil War and United States history.

This film is by Jeffrey Meyer, librarian and historian.

Music credit:
Atlantis by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Artist: http://audionautix.com/