Old Bobby Lee hit the flanks of the Union Army yesterday and was fought to a draw. Great heroism yesterday, from both sides of the conflicting armies.
This morning, the General decides that the middle must be weak, and he sends Pickett to break the back of the Union Army. Against the advice of Longstreet, Lee ordered Longstreet to attack the center, using George Pickett's division of pale Virginians. Every field grade officer in Pickett's division was killed or wounded. The center held, although many Confederates crossed the stone wall that was the target of the attack.
General Lee decided that enough was enough and under cover of darkness began the retreat that would eventually end at Appomattox Courthouse, nearly two years later.
And something like 20,000 dead if I remember correctly... sigh...
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