I'm currently about halfway through Jeffrey Wert's "Gettysburg, Day Three". I've read a number of books and accounts of the battle of Gettysburg and knew the importance of Alabama's participation in this battle. While reading the account of Ewell's attack on Culp's Hill on the morning of July 3rd something occurred to me. It would appear that no other state was represented on each day and at each important action in the battle, other than Alabama. Not even Virginia can make this claim.

If one looks at the first day, the 13th Alabama Inf. and 5th Alabama Battalion of Archer's brigade opened the battle against Buford's Cavalry. Later in the day, O'Neal's Alabama brigade in Rodes' Division would participate in the assault on and collapse of Howard's 11th Corps which precipitated the Union retreat through Gettysburg to the hills and ridges Southeast of the city.

On the second day, the major actions occurred on the Confederate right with the divisions of McLaws and Hood of Longstreets' corps and parts of Anderson's Division of Hill's III corps. Both Laws' and Wilcox's Alabama brigades played major roles and suffered severely. It was Alabamians of Laws' brigade who attacked the 20th Maine on the crest of Little Round Top. And arguably, the success of Wilcox's brigade by penetrating the disorganized Union lines and reaching the crest of Cemetery Ridge might have been the action that convinced Lee to execute "Pickett's/Pettigrew's Charge" on the third of July.

Regarding the third of July the major incidents were the attack on Culp's Hill in the morning hours and Pickett's/Pettigrew's Charge in the afternoon. O'Neal's Alabama brigade was in the center of things on Culp's Hill and achieved though ultimately driven back, one of the farthest advances of Confederate troops. In the afternoon, the 13th Alabama Infantry and 5th Alabama Battalion as a part of Archer's/Frye's Brigade would act as the guiding unit for all others to "dress on" in the assault focused on the "Clump of Trees" on Cemetery Ridge.

Even, the cavalry battle at Hanover included the Jeff Davis Legion as a part of Hampton's Brigade.

I'm sure I'm telling many of you things you already know. For my own part, I was aware of the Alabama units participation in each of these parts of the battle; however, it never occurred to me that ONLY Alabama can claim the distinction of participating in "every" major episode of the battle of Gettysburg, a claim which deserves recognition.

This posting is not meant to detract from the participation of any other Southern states at Gettysburg. It is only provided to provoke discussion and comment on the proud claim that on each day and at each important event Alabama was present.

Jim im