Gettysburg July 3
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 3, 1863—the third 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 3 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 third day.
1. Renewed Fighting on Culp’s Hill (about 8 hours)
Before dawn (roughly 3:30 – 4:30 A.M.), Union Maj. Gen. Alpheus Williams, right flank commander, ordered Union artillery to fire at the Confederate position on the southern slope of Culp’s Hill. (Today, this is the lower half of Slocum Avenue.) About one hour later, Union Brig. Gen. John W. Geary advanced to retake the breastworks lost the prior night, and this marked the beginning of a series of attacks and counter-attacks to win the hill. In the end, the Union repulsed the Confederate 3rd Corps (under Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell) from Culp’s Hill. Fighting on the hill ended by about 10:15 A.M. and the Union right flank line was re-established by 11:00 A.M..
2. Pickett’s Charge to Cemetery Ridge (about 2 hours)
In preparation for Pickett’s Charge, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered Confederate artillery on Seminary Ridge to bombard the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. Confederate guns opened fire at about 1:00 P.M. and continued for roughly two hours. Then, on the order of Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, more than 12,000 Confederates marched east from Seminary Ridge to Cemetery Ridge, almost one-mile away. Popularly called “Pickett’s Charge,” soldiers from other divisions (and states) participated in the attack. In the end, only about 250 Confederates crossed the stone wall at the Union line. The attack failed, and many people perished. It was a Union victory.
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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