Gettysburg July 1 Quiz
Think brigade-level command is hard to follow? Not anymore. With this interactive quiz, you’ll quickly get familiar with the key commanders and events from July 1, 1863—the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. It’s a fun and effective way to test your knowledge and reinforce what you’ve learned.
Need help before or during the quiz? Refer to following Civil War Cycling resources, or watch the Gettysburg Animated Map by the American Battlefield (16:51 minutes).
- High-Level Gettysburg Campaign Maps by Hal Jespersen, enhanced with Civil War Cycling’s notes. These traditional military maps will help you visualize troop positions and connect names to locations.
- July 1 Study Notes, an illustrated overview of battlefield events packed with maps and photos—everything you need to succeed on this quiz.
- Orders of Battle, a heavily hyperlinked regiment-level roster of the two belligerent armies—a convenient way to keep track of “who’s who”:
- Official Records (OR), links to HathiTrust digital scans of officer reports for the Gettysburg Campaign—your opportunity to bail on this quiz and read primary source material:
- Army of the Potomac, Reports By Officer Name
- Army of Northern Virginia, Reports By Officer Name
Whether you’re studying for a tour, teaching, or simply love Civil War history, this quiz is a great way to sharpen your understanding of Gettysburg’s first day.
Confederates Attack the 1st Corps at Herr and McPherson Ridges
Confederate infantry pressed southeast toward Gettysburg along the Chambersburg Pike. At about 7:30 A.M., Confederate Gen. Henry Heth’s division attacked Union Brig. Gen. John Buford’s cavalry. Buford held McPherson’s Ridge on the west side of the Lutheran Seminary until Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds’ 1st Corps infantry arrived. Shortly before 11:00 A.M., Reynolds was shot in the neck and died. Fighting continued until about noon, after which there was roughly a two-hour lull in the fighting.
Confederates Attack the 1st Corps from Oak Hill
At about 2:30 P.M., Confederate Maj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes attacked from the high ground on Oak Hill, which was north of the Union center line on July 1. Under the divisional leadership of Union Brig. Gens. James S. Wadsworth and John C. Robinson, the Confederate attack was repulsed. By late in the afternoon, around 4:00 P.M., however, the line broke and the 1st Corps retreated south through town.
Confederates Flank the 11th Corps at Barlow’s Knoll
Around the same time as the attack from Oak Hill, Confederate Maj. Gen. Jubal Early attacked Maj. Gen Oliver O. Howard’s 11th Corps at Barlow’s Knoll, northeast of the town center. Flanked by the Confederates, the 11th Corps line broke and they retreated south through town.
Union Troops Retreat Through Town
In the late afternoon, around 4:00 P.M., the Union line north of town broke and the 1st and 11th corps of the Army of the Potomac (USA) retreated through Gettysburg to high ground (Cemetery Hill) south of town. Throughout the evening and early morning hours, the Army of the Potomac continued to stream into the Gettysburg area.
Sources
These quizzes contain “common knowledge” that I drew from several sources; see Civil War Cycling’s annotated Gettysburg Reading Recommendations. I relied heavily on two books by Bradley M. Gottfried: The Maps of Gettysburg and Brigades of Gettysburg (Amazon paid link, no cost to you).
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