High Water Mark

It's a little hard to gain perspective of the terrain in this picture, but this is the decisive part of the battlefield on the third day at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. The Confederates attacked from the woods in the distance...you can see the Virginia monument just in front of the trees. From there was launched the famous Pickett's charge. 12,000 confederates moved out of the woods, over the open ground, and up the slope in front of the rock wall that is visible in the foreground. The slope is not steep but it's well defined...the Union forces had the high ground. When the Confederates approached within range, they were shredded by Union artillery.