Chapter 34: Day Three: 9:00–10:00 AM

Lee arrives on the Confederate right around 9:00AM to meet Longstreet and place him in command of the main assault, even though two of the three Divisions involved are from A.P. Hill’s III Corps.

Two wings will be formed. Longstreet’s own Division, 5,000 Virginians under the flamboyant George Pickett will be on the right flank. On the left will be Hill’s troops: 1400 men under Isaac Trimble, who has replaced Pender, and 4600 Carolinians now led by Pettigrew instead of the wounded Heth.

However, before Lee can even share his plan, Longstreet greets him with the same proposal to shift the entire army to the right between Meade and DC and repeat the defensive victory at Fredericksburg. Lee again dismisses this out of hand: “the enemy is there and I am going to strike him there.” Old Peter responds:

I have been a soldier all my life and my opinion is that no
15000 men ever arrayed for battle can take that position.

Agreeing to disagree, the two men ride back and forth twice over the 3 mile front on Seminary Ridge to position the troops.