1 00:00:14,858 --> 00:00:18,526 Narrator: July 1863. 2 00:00:18,528 --> 00:00:21,796 After crushing union forces in Virginia, 3 00:00:21,798 --> 00:00:23,465 rebel general Robert e. Lee 4 00:00:23,467 --> 00:00:27,302 has led 72,000 troops north into Pennsylvania. 5 00:00:30,674 --> 00:00:32,874 By striking at the heart of the union, 6 00:00:32,876 --> 00:00:34,409 he hopes to force the Yankees 7 00:00:34,411 --> 00:00:38,680 in to finally recognizing southern sovereignty. 8 00:00:38,682 --> 00:00:41,549 They're coming up to win, and not just to win a battle, 9 00:00:41,551 --> 00:00:43,552 but to win their independence. 10 00:00:43,554 --> 00:00:46,354 Narrator: As almost 100,000 Yankees are thrown into the fight 11 00:00:46,356 --> 00:00:48,690 to stop the invasion... Charge! 12 00:00:48,692 --> 00:00:50,959 A rebel colonel will descend on a critical mission 13 00:00:50,961 --> 00:00:53,862 that could win the battle and maybe the war. 14 00:00:56,300 --> 00:00:57,465 Adelman: He's a great soldier. 15 00:00:57,467 --> 00:00:59,967 And he will plow forward with his men and unleash 16 00:00:59,969 --> 00:01:02,170 one of the most ferocious attacks. 17 00:01:03,773 --> 00:01:07,975 Narrator: In his way, 50 of the union's best-trained sharpshooters. 18 00:01:07,977 --> 00:01:09,377 Motts: They were elite. 19 00:01:09,379 --> 00:01:11,979 And these sharpshooters, being as accurate as they were, 20 00:01:11,981 --> 00:01:14,249 could do a tremendous amount of damage. 21 00:01:17,054 --> 00:01:20,455 If the confederates win this victory, 22 00:01:20,457 --> 00:01:22,290 that's checkmate. 23 00:01:24,260 --> 00:01:27,262 Narrator: The fate of the nation is about to be decided 24 00:01:27,264 --> 00:01:31,066 on a hilltop near a town called gettysburg. 25 00:01:34,738 --> 00:01:37,806 Captions by vitac... www.Vitac.Com 26 00:01:37,808 --> 00:01:40,742 captions paid for by discovery communications 27 00:01:41,011 --> 00:01:42,944 [ mortar whistles ] 28 00:01:42,946 --> 00:01:44,980 [ People coughing ] 29 00:01:47,351 --> 00:01:49,417 [ Gunshots in distance ] 30 00:01:51,755 --> 00:01:54,189 [ Groaning ] 31 00:01:55,358 --> 00:01:58,893 John. 32 00:01:58,895 --> 00:02:01,163 I gotcha. [ Groaning ] 33 00:02:08,172 --> 00:02:10,205 [ Coughing ] 34 00:02:13,277 --> 00:02:15,243 John! 35 00:02:22,186 --> 00:02:23,784 Narrator: 29-year-old William oates 36 00:02:23,786 --> 00:02:26,321 serves as a colonel with the confederate army. 37 00:02:32,929 --> 00:02:35,664 After enlisting as a captain in 1861, 38 00:02:35,666 --> 00:02:37,599 he quickly Rose through the ranks 39 00:02:37,601 --> 00:02:42,137 and now leads the 15th Alabama infantry. 40 00:02:42,139 --> 00:02:45,740 Motts: William Calvin oates is really a very interesting character. 41 00:02:45,742 --> 00:02:49,477 We know that his early life, uh, in southeast Alabama, 42 00:02:49,479 --> 00:02:51,279 where he was from, was pretty rough, 43 00:02:51,281 --> 00:02:53,815 pretty hard scrabble. 44 00:02:57,020 --> 00:02:59,821 Atkinson: He was just a man that... that resolves issues. 45 00:02:59,823 --> 00:03:03,091 If it can't be resolved, then he's gonna resolve it with, 46 00:03:03,093 --> 00:03:05,760 you know, thunder and lightning over here. 47 00:03:10,366 --> 00:03:12,234 Narrator: Oates and his men are part of the daring plan 48 00:03:12,236 --> 00:03:14,102 confederate general Robert e. Lee 49 00:03:14,104 --> 00:03:17,072 has created to finally win the civil war. 50 00:03:19,242 --> 00:03:22,043 The southern people are outnumbered. 51 00:03:22,045 --> 00:03:23,511 They don't have as many resources. 52 00:03:23,513 --> 00:03:24,979 They don't have as many men. 53 00:03:24,981 --> 00:03:26,248 They don't have as many cannons. 54 00:03:26,250 --> 00:03:28,850 They don't have as many guns. 55 00:03:28,852 --> 00:03:31,252 The longer the war continues, 56 00:03:31,254 --> 00:03:35,323 the bigger the advantage to the north. 57 00:03:35,325 --> 00:03:38,192 Robert e. Lee doesn't feel that the south can win the civil war 58 00:03:38,194 --> 00:03:40,995 by simply defending a massive amount of territory. 59 00:03:40,997 --> 00:03:43,597 Bold strokes are necessary. 60 00:03:43,599 --> 00:03:46,334 Narrator: Following the stunning rebel victories in fredericksburg 61 00:03:46,336 --> 00:03:48,069 and then chancellorsville, 62 00:03:48,071 --> 00:03:51,806 Lee strikes and invades the north. 63 00:03:51,808 --> 00:03:54,342 Alongside a 72,000-man army, 64 00:03:54,344 --> 00:03:56,411 he pushes deep into Maryland, 65 00:03:56,413 --> 00:03:59,814 then Pennsylvania. 66 00:03:59,816 --> 00:04:02,683 Adelman: He wants to win a major battle up here in the north 67 00:04:02,685 --> 00:04:06,688 and possibly end the civil war right in the summer of 1863. 68 00:04:06,690 --> 00:04:08,290 Atkinson: From a political standpoint, 69 00:04:08,292 --> 00:04:11,292 he wants to win a victory on northern soil 70 00:04:11,294 --> 00:04:13,695 that will put pressure on the Lincoln administration 71 00:04:13,697 --> 00:04:16,498 to sue for peace. 72 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:18,767 Narrator: But it's a dangerous move. 73 00:04:18,769 --> 00:04:22,370 Outnumbered and outgunned by larger union forces, 74 00:04:22,372 --> 00:04:26,875 Lee hopes something else will level the playing field. 75 00:04:26,877 --> 00:04:30,311 The ferocious fighting spirit of men like oates 76 00:04:30,313 --> 00:04:33,781 and his 15th Alabama infantry. 77 00:04:33,783 --> 00:04:36,184 Atkinson: Now, oates felt that he had the best regiment 78 00:04:36,186 --> 00:04:39,387 in the entire army. 79 00:04:39,389 --> 00:04:43,925 The Alabama boys felt that they could win any match. 80 00:04:47,264 --> 00:04:49,464 Adelman: This is a tough lot. They're gamblers. 81 00:04:49,466 --> 00:04:51,466 They're drinkers when they could. 82 00:04:51,468 --> 00:04:52,667 And, man, on the battlefield, 83 00:04:52,669 --> 00:04:56,071 they were shockingly good troops. 84 00:04:56,073 --> 00:04:57,605 Narrator: The regiment is made up of almost 85 00:04:57,607 --> 00:05:01,609 500 battle-tested veterans, 86 00:05:01,611 --> 00:05:04,679 including William oates' little brother, John. 87 00:05:04,681 --> 00:05:06,414 [ Coughing ] 88 00:05:06,416 --> 00:05:10,751 John, what are you doin' out here? 89 00:05:10,753 --> 00:05:12,620 I couldn't sleep. 90 00:05:12,622 --> 00:05:15,590 You don't look so good, man. 91 00:05:15,592 --> 00:05:18,025 It's them damn yankee cherries. 92 00:05:18,027 --> 00:05:19,961 I'm fine. 93 00:05:19,963 --> 00:05:21,830 It ain't the cherries. 94 00:05:21,832 --> 00:05:24,432 You've been runnin' a fever for 2 days. 95 00:05:25,969 --> 00:05:29,637 Tomorrow's gonna be another hot one. 96 00:05:29,639 --> 00:05:32,040 I think you should ride. 97 00:05:34,711 --> 00:05:36,845 Had that damn dream again, didn't you? 98 00:05:39,449 --> 00:05:42,316 It don't mean a damn thing. 99 00:05:42,318 --> 00:05:44,652 And I ain't ridin' tomorrow. 100 00:05:44,654 --> 00:05:47,055 I'll walk like every other man. 101 00:05:50,593 --> 00:05:54,395 Remind me how you got to be so damned stubborn. 102 00:05:54,397 --> 00:05:57,298 I guess it runs in the family, colonel. 103 00:06:01,471 --> 00:06:05,406 Atkinson: John oates was in fragile health. 104 00:06:05,408 --> 00:06:08,843 It had been a hard march on him. 105 00:06:08,845 --> 00:06:12,614 And William was constantly looking out for John. 106 00:06:13,350 --> 00:06:15,450 [ Coughing ] 107 00:06:23,092 --> 00:06:25,827 Narrator: 85 miles away, in Washington, D.C., 108 00:06:25,829 --> 00:06:27,428 president Abraham Lincoln faces 109 00:06:27,430 --> 00:06:30,331 one of the most difficult moments of his presidency. 110 00:06:32,902 --> 00:06:34,502 Adelman: Abraham Lincoln is basically 111 00:06:34,504 --> 00:06:37,972 trying to keep the country together at this point. 112 00:06:37,974 --> 00:06:40,040 If things don't start going better for the union, 113 00:06:40,042 --> 00:06:42,310 it's going to be pretty clear that Abraham Lincoln 114 00:06:42,312 --> 00:06:44,044 is going to lose that next election. 115 00:06:44,046 --> 00:06:45,446 It will turn out that next election 116 00:06:45,448 --> 00:06:48,449 will be against a platform that wants to sue for peace. 117 00:06:48,451 --> 00:06:51,118 This country will absolutely split in two 118 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,522 if Abraham Lincoln loses the election of 1864. 119 00:06:54,524 --> 00:06:55,990 He's got a lot at stake. 120 00:06:55,992 --> 00:06:58,192 I mean, how would you like to be known as the president 121 00:06:58,194 --> 00:07:01,329 who lost the country? 122 00:07:01,331 --> 00:07:04,732 Narrator: Lincoln still believes the north can win. 123 00:07:04,734 --> 00:07:09,604 But to do that, they must first find Lee's army. 124 00:07:09,606 --> 00:07:11,873 Having learned that the rebels have gone north, 125 00:07:11,875 --> 00:07:14,876 100,000 union troops have left Virginia 126 00:07:14,878 --> 00:07:17,745 and now scour Maryland and Pennsylvania, 127 00:07:17,747 --> 00:07:20,415 desperate to catch Lee's hard-marching men. 128 00:07:25,154 --> 00:07:27,889 Among them is union soldier Wyman white. 129 00:07:31,895 --> 00:07:33,227 Born in New Hampshire, 130 00:07:33,229 --> 00:07:35,630 he serves with the berdan sharpshooters. 131 00:07:38,034 --> 00:07:41,502 Formed by hiram berdan, a champion marksman, 132 00:07:41,504 --> 00:07:43,771 the unit was composed of the best sharpshooters 133 00:07:43,773 --> 00:07:45,039 in the country. 134 00:07:47,043 --> 00:07:49,110 They are trained over 135 00:07:49,112 --> 00:07:51,379 and above the average union soldier. 136 00:07:51,381 --> 00:07:54,649 In other words, they are elite. 137 00:07:54,651 --> 00:07:56,918 Narrator: Placed far in front of the union line, 138 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,053 they were used to stall rebel attacks 139 00:07:59,055 --> 00:08:02,390 and to gather intelligence. 140 00:08:02,392 --> 00:08:05,793 The men of perdan sharpshooters wore all-green uniforms. 141 00:08:05,795 --> 00:08:08,530 They also had special goodyear rubber buttons. 142 00:08:08,532 --> 00:08:12,734 These were buttons that did not glisten in the sunlight. 143 00:08:12,736 --> 00:08:15,937 Berdan sharpshooters' men are clothed to conceal them. 144 00:08:15,939 --> 00:08:18,405 And never before, really, in American military history 145 00:08:18,407 --> 00:08:20,008 had that been done. 146 00:08:23,013 --> 00:08:24,612 Narrator: To join this elite unit, 147 00:08:24,614 --> 00:08:26,548 men like Wyman white must pass 148 00:08:26,550 --> 00:08:28,650 an incredibly difficult test. 149 00:08:31,154 --> 00:08:35,023 Motts: The rifle test is pretty significant. 150 00:08:35,025 --> 00:08:38,092 You had to be able to fire 10 consecutive shots 151 00:08:38,094 --> 00:08:40,427 into a target at 200 yards. 152 00:08:40,429 --> 00:08:43,364 And the distance between the center of the bull's-eye 153 00:08:43,366 --> 00:08:45,166 to the center of the bullet that you fired 154 00:08:45,168 --> 00:08:48,403 could not average more than 5 inches. 155 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:52,640 So basically what that means 156 00:08:52,642 --> 00:08:54,642 is you had to fire in a target 157 00:08:54,644 --> 00:08:56,176 about the size of a dinner plate, 158 00:08:56,178 --> 00:08:58,246 two football fields of distance. 159 00:09:02,385 --> 00:09:05,386 Narrator: White's grandfather fought in the American revolution. 160 00:09:05,388 --> 00:09:08,122 And now he's determined to defend the nation 161 00:09:08,124 --> 00:09:10,224 his grandfather helped create. 162 00:09:18,334 --> 00:09:20,200 Since joining the sharpshooters, 163 00:09:20,202 --> 00:09:22,070 white's been in several battles. 164 00:09:22,072 --> 00:09:24,204 And now he's in southern Pennsylvania, 165 00:09:24,206 --> 00:09:26,607 hunting the rebel army. 166 00:09:26,609 --> 00:09:28,276 But finding them isn't easy. 167 00:09:30,746 --> 00:09:32,280 Since entering the north, 168 00:09:32,282 --> 00:09:35,949 the rebels have been almost constantly on the move. 169 00:09:35,951 --> 00:09:37,218 Elements of both armies 170 00:09:37,220 --> 00:09:39,621 are now just dozens of miles apart. 171 00:09:42,025 --> 00:09:44,626 As night falls, oates' men are encamped 172 00:09:44,628 --> 00:09:48,896 just 25 miles west of Wyman white. 173 00:09:48,898 --> 00:09:51,432 Left to guard the rear of the rebel force, 174 00:09:51,434 --> 00:09:53,034 they have orders to catch up with the rest 175 00:09:53,036 --> 00:09:54,702 of the army in the morning, 176 00:09:54,704 --> 00:09:56,770 now just a day's march to the east. 177 00:09:56,772 --> 00:09:59,640 There it is, boys. There. That's right. 178 00:09:59,642 --> 00:10:01,575 But despite the miles of marching, 179 00:10:01,577 --> 00:10:04,178 morale among the vets remains high. 180 00:10:04,180 --> 00:10:07,115 Next, I want that hat. It'll look good on me. 181 00:10:07,117 --> 00:10:09,851 Atkinson: The confederate soldiers came into Pennsylvania, 182 00:10:09,853 --> 00:10:11,852 wholeheartedly with the expectation 183 00:10:11,854 --> 00:10:13,454 that this would be the end of the war. 184 00:10:13,456 --> 00:10:15,256 Ha-ha, yeah. 185 00:10:15,258 --> 00:10:16,590 They were lighthearted. 186 00:10:16,592 --> 00:10:18,526 They were glad to be in the north. 187 00:10:18,528 --> 00:10:19,860 They were eating well. 188 00:10:19,862 --> 00:10:22,463 They had a quarterback in Robert e. Lee 189 00:10:22,465 --> 00:10:24,065 that they felt, uh, 190 00:10:24,067 --> 00:10:25,933 could guide them to any victory. 191 00:10:25,935 --> 00:10:29,037 And all they needed was a chance to do that. 192 00:10:34,410 --> 00:10:37,545 Narrator: While much seems to be going well for Robert e. Lee, 193 00:10:37,547 --> 00:10:42,483 his invasion is facing one major problem. 194 00:10:42,485 --> 00:10:46,688 He hasn't heard from his cavalry in several days. 195 00:10:46,690 --> 00:10:49,957 Cavalry are the eyes and ears of the army. 196 00:10:49,959 --> 00:10:55,162 They are the whiskers on a cat, if you will. 197 00:10:55,164 --> 00:10:57,898 It leaves Lee blindfolded. 198 00:10:57,900 --> 00:10:59,500 He is groping in the darkness. 199 00:10:59,502 --> 00:11:02,703 And he does not know where the union army is. 200 00:11:02,705 --> 00:11:04,572 Narrator: Lee doesn't want to engage enemy troops 201 00:11:04,574 --> 00:11:06,774 until his cavalry returns. 202 00:11:06,776 --> 00:11:09,910 But it's not to be. 203 00:11:09,912 --> 00:11:12,447 On July 1st, elements of his army bump 204 00:11:12,449 --> 00:11:15,383 into a group of union cavalry on the outskirts 205 00:11:15,385 --> 00:11:18,519 of a small Pennsylvania town called gettysburg. 206 00:11:18,654 --> 00:11:20,755 [ Battlefield noises ] 207 00:11:27,063 --> 00:11:30,064 What begins as a minor scrap quickly spirals 208 00:11:30,066 --> 00:11:32,166 into a massive battle. 209 00:11:39,609 --> 00:11:41,409 As word of the clash spreads, 210 00:11:41,411 --> 00:11:44,412 union scouts watch for rebel troop movements. 211 00:12:23,987 --> 00:12:26,521 Where you headed? 212 00:12:30,660 --> 00:12:33,995 You see any Johnny rebels out there? 213 00:12:33,997 --> 00:12:36,129 They as ugly as I remember: 214 00:12:36,131 --> 00:12:39,200 Red eyes, fangs? 215 00:12:40,537 --> 00:12:43,638 How many? A lot? 216 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,948 Run along now, son. 217 00:12:53,950 --> 00:12:56,684 Narrator: Just miles away, a fight is brewing that 218 00:12:56,686 --> 00:12:58,685 will determine the fate of the nation. 219 00:12:58,687 --> 00:13:00,421 Hey, kid. 220 00:13:00,423 --> 00:13:02,690 What's the name of that town up there? 221 00:13:02,692 --> 00:13:05,226 Gettysburg. 222 00:13:07,764 --> 00:13:09,630 Never heard of it. 223 00:13:09,632 --> 00:13:11,498 And Wyman white is about 224 00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:14,001 to play a key role in its outcome. 225 00:13:25,481 --> 00:13:27,481 Narrator: Confederate colonel William oates 226 00:13:27,483 --> 00:13:29,750 and the men of his 15th Alabama 227 00:13:29,752 --> 00:13:32,687 have been on the move for almost 9 hours. 228 00:13:34,757 --> 00:13:36,023 During the night, they learned that 229 00:13:36,025 --> 00:13:38,292 a fight had broken out near gettysburg. 230 00:13:40,964 --> 00:13:42,262 And at 4 A.M., 231 00:13:42,264 --> 00:13:45,633 they began the 25-miles march to the battlefield. 232 00:13:45,635 --> 00:13:46,900 Adelman: And it's a hot day. 233 00:13:46,902 --> 00:13:48,836 It's the second-hottest day of the whole summer. 234 00:13:48,838 --> 00:13:50,238 These guys wear wool uniforms. 235 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:51,639 They had stayed up all night. 236 00:13:51,641 --> 00:13:52,973 And very few of them 237 00:13:52,975 --> 00:13:55,243 had any water left in their canteens. 238 00:13:57,447 --> 00:13:59,446 Narrator: Despite the conditions, 239 00:13:59,448 --> 00:14:02,450 the men are in high spirits. 240 00:14:02,452 --> 00:14:05,452 I'll Grant it that the union has a lot of troops. 241 00:14:05,454 --> 00:14:08,856 But there's one key thing that they seem to be missin'. 242 00:14:08,858 --> 00:14:11,058 And what's that? 243 00:14:11,060 --> 00:14:13,194 Men. 244 00:14:13,196 --> 00:14:15,529 And besides, it's clear the good lord 245 00:14:15,531 --> 00:14:17,864 is marchin' with us. 246 00:14:17,866 --> 00:14:20,601 Fourth of July is two days away. 247 00:14:20,603 --> 00:14:22,336 You think that's a coincidence? 248 00:14:24,274 --> 00:14:27,408 Adelman: They're coming up into Pennsylvania to win, 249 00:14:27,410 --> 00:14:30,143 and not just to win a battle but to win their independence. 250 00:14:30,145 --> 00:14:32,613 And many of them think this is possible. 251 00:14:32,615 --> 00:14:33,814 They're in enemy territory. 252 00:14:33,816 --> 00:14:37,018 They had beat a larger army time and time again. 253 00:14:37,020 --> 00:14:38,552 And at the end of this march, some of them, 254 00:14:38,554 --> 00:14:41,489 many of them can see the end of the civil war. 255 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,159 They have no idea that general Robert e. Lee 256 00:14:46,161 --> 00:14:50,631 has picked them to play a key role in the battle. 257 00:14:50,633 --> 00:14:52,833 As day two of the fighting begins, 258 00:14:52,835 --> 00:14:56,103 union forces have been driven from gettysburg and now 259 00:14:56,105 --> 00:14:58,839 cling to a Ridge south of town. 260 00:14:58,841 --> 00:15:00,441 They have the union army on the run. 261 00:15:00,443 --> 00:15:04,178 And Robert e. Lee is ready to end this thing right now. 262 00:15:04,180 --> 00:15:09,316 Narrator: He's come up with a bold plan to deliver the knockout blow. 263 00:15:09,318 --> 00:15:12,720 Lee's plan is to flank the union army. 264 00:15:12,722 --> 00:15:14,522 For some reason, the union army 265 00:15:14,524 --> 00:15:17,458 can never guard their flanks. 266 00:15:17,460 --> 00:15:19,393 Adelman: The end of your line is called your flank. 267 00:15:19,395 --> 00:15:21,195 And if an enemy arrives on your flank, 268 00:15:21,197 --> 00:15:22,529 it's called being flanked. 269 00:15:22,531 --> 00:15:24,932 Your enemy can shoot all the way down your line. 270 00:15:24,934 --> 00:15:26,667 They can't miss. If they don't hit this person, 271 00:15:26,669 --> 00:15:28,135 they'll hit him or him or him. 272 00:15:28,137 --> 00:15:30,738 And if you are being flanked like these guys are right here, 273 00:15:30,740 --> 00:15:32,273 um, you have two simple choices: 274 00:15:32,275 --> 00:15:33,941 Run away or get shot. 275 00:15:41,683 --> 00:15:43,350 Narrator: With their backs to the wall, 276 00:15:43,352 --> 00:15:45,753 the union has sent out some of their best troops 277 00:15:45,755 --> 00:15:47,388 to protect their lines. 278 00:15:58,901 --> 00:16:01,235 Wyman white and the second us sharpshooters 279 00:16:01,237 --> 00:16:02,636 now control the ground 280 00:16:02,638 --> 00:16:05,206 in front of the union's left flank. 281 00:16:15,251 --> 00:16:16,650 Motts: The sharpshooters get orders 282 00:16:16,652 --> 00:16:19,186 to move to the extreme left of the union army line. 283 00:16:19,188 --> 00:16:20,721 And what's the purpose of that? 284 00:16:20,723 --> 00:16:22,589 To cover the left of that line. 285 00:16:22,591 --> 00:16:23,924 If the enemy appears, 286 00:16:23,926 --> 00:16:25,325 they're gonna be really what you 287 00:16:25,327 --> 00:16:27,728 and I would call the first line of defense. 288 00:16:35,070 --> 00:16:36,604 You think they'll come up the road? 289 00:16:38,540 --> 00:16:41,875 No. I wouldn't. 290 00:16:41,877 --> 00:16:44,278 Narrator: Armed with a revolutionary weapon, 291 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,080 even small numbers of sharpshooters 292 00:16:46,082 --> 00:16:48,415 can inflict massive damage. 293 00:16:48,417 --> 00:16:51,218 Motts: These weapons that berdan sharpshooters carried, 294 00:16:51,220 --> 00:16:53,353 the sharps rifle, was a breech-shielding weapon. 295 00:16:53,355 --> 00:16:54,721 It loads from the rear. 296 00:16:54,723 --> 00:16:57,091 And one of the advantages of this is you could 297 00:16:57,093 --> 00:17:00,161 fire many rounds a minute compared to a regular 298 00:17:00,163 --> 00:17:03,531 Springfield rifle musket or Enfield rifle musket. 299 00:17:12,708 --> 00:17:14,975 Narrator: By mid-afternoon, rebel colonel William oates 300 00:17:14,977 --> 00:17:19,513 and his men reach the edge of the battlefield. 301 00:17:19,515 --> 00:17:21,849 Oates soon learns of the key role his troops 302 00:17:21,851 --> 00:17:25,119 are to play in Lee's plan to win the battle. 303 00:17:25,121 --> 00:17:28,922 His orders are to find the end of the union line 304 00:17:28,924 --> 00:17:31,058 and to turn the union left flank 305 00:17:31,060 --> 00:17:33,260 and to do as much damage as he can. 306 00:17:33,262 --> 00:17:35,429 [ Indistinct chatter ] 307 00:17:39,134 --> 00:17:41,268 Narrator: As the exhausted men try to catch their breath 308 00:17:41,270 --> 00:17:42,602 before the fight, 309 00:17:42,604 --> 00:17:45,139 a detail is sent out to find water. 310 00:17:47,476 --> 00:17:50,144 [ Mortar whistles ] 311 00:17:50,146 --> 00:17:53,614 -Rally, rally, rally! Rally! 312 00:17:53,616 --> 00:17:55,950 - Rally, rally! - Rally, rally, rally! 313 00:18:00,556 --> 00:18:01,889 Narrator: Before it returns, 314 00:18:01,891 --> 00:18:04,525 the position is pounded by union artillery. 315 00:18:09,231 --> 00:18:12,166 Oates and his men must flee and begin their mission 316 00:18:12,168 --> 00:18:15,136 to find and destroy the union army's left flank. 317 00:18:36,458 --> 00:18:38,459 Wyman white and the second us sharpshooters 318 00:18:38,461 --> 00:18:40,594 have now arrived at slyder farm. 319 00:18:43,933 --> 00:18:46,667 It's a large property that lies to the southwest 320 00:18:46,669 --> 00:18:48,668 of the union's left flank. 321 00:18:48,670 --> 00:18:52,272 It's also now just 1 mile to the east of colonel oates 322 00:18:52,274 --> 00:18:54,375 and the men of the 15th Alabama. 323 00:18:58,080 --> 00:18:59,680 It's awful quiet. 324 00:19:02,618 --> 00:19:03,717 Let's go over there. 325 00:19:14,696 --> 00:19:16,563 They have no idea that colonel oates 326 00:19:16,565 --> 00:19:19,300 and hundreds of the south's toughest soldiers 327 00:19:19,302 --> 00:19:21,168 are now heading right for them. 328 00:19:29,312 --> 00:19:32,312 Atkinson: The sharpshooters' presence around the slyder farm 329 00:19:32,314 --> 00:19:34,381 speaks to the fact that the union army 330 00:19:34,383 --> 00:19:36,784 is not expectin' an attack in that area. 331 00:19:36,786 --> 00:19:40,921 Otherwise, they would have had a larger body of men. 332 00:19:40,923 --> 00:19:43,524 But their sharpshooters are kind of like a thin screen, 333 00:19:43,526 --> 00:19:45,226 if you will. 334 00:19:52,935 --> 00:19:54,702 How many do you think we could hold off? 335 00:19:58,073 --> 00:20:03,744 Well, we got 60 guys, 50 shots each. 336 00:20:03,746 --> 00:20:06,747 That's about 3,000 rounds. 337 00:20:06,749 --> 00:20:08,214 That's a lot of dead crackas. 338 00:20:08,216 --> 00:20:10,951 If we don't miss. 339 00:20:10,953 --> 00:20:12,485 Now, don't you read the papers? 340 00:20:12,487 --> 00:20:15,222 We're berdan sharpshooters. We never miss. 341 00:20:18,427 --> 00:20:21,428 Well, what if it's more, like the kid said? 342 00:20:24,300 --> 00:20:25,365 Then we pull back to those woods, 343 00:20:25,367 --> 00:20:28,969 and we make 'em pay for every damn yard. 344 00:20:28,971 --> 00:20:30,537 I hope you're right. 345 00:20:42,117 --> 00:20:44,652 Narrator: William oates and his brother, John, 346 00:20:44,654 --> 00:20:47,821 are now just 1/2 mile west of slyder farm. 347 00:20:59,868 --> 00:21:03,537 What do ya think? 348 00:21:03,539 --> 00:21:05,939 They're definitely out there. 349 00:21:05,941 --> 00:21:07,541 There's more than a few skirmishers. 350 00:21:07,543 --> 00:21:10,277 [ Coughs, clears throat ] 351 00:21:10,279 --> 00:21:13,147 You sure you're up to it? 352 00:21:13,149 --> 00:21:15,816 I ever say different? 353 00:21:15,818 --> 00:21:17,217 All right. 354 00:21:17,219 --> 00:21:19,887 Tell your captain to take your company and two others. 355 00:21:19,889 --> 00:21:22,756 Hem around from the south Ridge. Just keep your head down. 356 00:21:22,758 --> 00:21:24,124 All right? Go on. 357 00:21:41,009 --> 00:21:43,911 Alabama, on your feet! 358 00:21:45,514 --> 00:21:48,015 Forward! 359 00:22:09,405 --> 00:22:11,872 [ Gun cocks ] 360 00:22:11,874 --> 00:22:13,874 Narrator: The fight that will forever change the course 361 00:22:13,876 --> 00:22:17,678 of the civil war is about to begin. 362 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:20,247 And Wyman white will be at the heart of it. 363 00:22:24,753 --> 00:22:26,053 Here they come. 364 00:22:27,890 --> 00:22:29,690 It's the whole damn rebel army. 365 00:22:37,733 --> 00:22:39,600 Narrator: Near the town of gettysburg, 366 00:22:39,602 --> 00:22:42,269 the battle that will determine the fate of the nation 367 00:22:42,271 --> 00:22:44,571 has entered its second day of carnage. 368 00:22:46,942 --> 00:22:51,144 And as 165,000 men clash just miles to the north, 369 00:22:51,146 --> 00:22:53,547 rebel colonel William oates leads a mission 370 00:22:53,549 --> 00:22:56,216 to find and flank the union army. 371 00:23:01,557 --> 00:23:04,757 They're comin'. 372 00:23:04,759 --> 00:23:06,693 Hold on, Edwin. 373 00:23:06,695 --> 00:23:09,562 All that now stands before the large rebel force 374 00:23:09,564 --> 00:23:13,567 is Wyman white and several dozen union sharpshooters. 375 00:23:17,573 --> 00:23:19,172 If the rebel attack succeeds, 376 00:23:19,174 --> 00:23:23,377 they may win the battle of gettysburg and the civil war. 377 00:23:23,379 --> 00:23:25,813 They're comin' fast. 378 00:23:26,916 --> 00:23:28,782 [ Gun cocks ] 379 00:23:28,784 --> 00:23:31,384 I just can't imagine what's goin' through Wyman white's mind 380 00:23:31,386 --> 00:23:32,920 when he looks up in front of him, 381 00:23:32,922 --> 00:23:35,855 and thousands of people are heading to you. 382 00:23:35,857 --> 00:23:38,659 And the only protection you've got are your friends armed 383 00:23:38,661 --> 00:23:41,028 right there next to ya. And that's it. 384 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,034 Almost there. 385 00:24:15,430 --> 00:24:16,763 Charge! 386 00:24:16,765 --> 00:24:18,499 [ Men screaming ] 387 00:24:37,186 --> 00:24:38,919 Motts: The confederates feel that they're facing 388 00:24:38,921 --> 00:24:41,221 the main line of union resistance here. 389 00:24:42,725 --> 00:24:45,459 Why? Because they're putting up a lot of firepower. 390 00:24:45,461 --> 00:24:47,126 Not only are they putting up a lot of firepower, 391 00:24:47,128 --> 00:24:48,996 but once again, it's accurate. 392 00:25:10,219 --> 00:25:14,755 They hung out there, uh, 'til the last minute. 393 00:25:14,757 --> 00:25:17,290 Fall back. 394 00:25:17,292 --> 00:25:19,626 They were almost crowded in by bayonets 395 00:25:19,628 --> 00:25:20,961 before they left and decided 396 00:25:20,963 --> 00:25:22,429 to withdraw off of that position. 397 00:25:22,431 --> 00:25:24,965 So the confederates were right on top of them. 398 00:25:39,314 --> 00:25:41,515 Narrator: As the rebels storm the farm, white 399 00:25:41,517 --> 00:25:44,651 and his fellow sharpshooters have only one chance: 400 00:25:44,653 --> 00:25:47,453 Sprint for the cover of big round top, 401 00:25:47,455 --> 00:25:49,256 a thickly forested hill that stands 402 00:25:49,258 --> 00:25:51,224 just behind their position. 403 00:25:53,262 --> 00:25:55,162 [ Gunshots ] 404 00:26:00,068 --> 00:26:02,169 [ Men screaming ] 405 00:26:12,948 --> 00:26:14,614 Ah! 406 00:26:14,616 --> 00:26:17,017 Get up. Get up. What? What? 407 00:26:17,019 --> 00:26:18,952 Get up! They're comin'. 408 00:26:18,954 --> 00:26:21,088 [ Men screaming ] 409 00:26:24,026 --> 00:26:26,026 The fighting that breaks out in the woods of big round top, 410 00:26:26,028 --> 00:26:28,028 I don't think a lot of people know about. 411 00:26:28,430 --> 00:26:30,130 [ Gunshots ] 412 00:26:33,702 --> 00:26:36,169 Narrator: Pursued by hundreds of enraged rebels, 413 00:26:36,171 --> 00:26:38,238 white and the other sharpshooters scramble up 414 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,440 the steep slopes of the hill. 415 00:26:40,442 --> 00:26:42,576 [ Grunting ] 416 00:26:44,847 --> 00:26:46,513 But despite being outnumbered 417 00:26:46,515 --> 00:26:48,515 almost 10 to 1, 418 00:26:48,517 --> 00:26:50,851 white has no intention of running. 419 00:26:55,324 --> 00:26:57,123 Motts: When the sharpshooters decide to retire, 420 00:26:57,125 --> 00:27:00,861 let's remember they're retiring to the next place of defense. 421 00:27:00,863 --> 00:27:03,664 Then they're firing until the confederate line advances 422 00:27:03,666 --> 00:27:04,931 to the point where they're at. 423 00:27:04,933 --> 00:27:06,399 Then they go back to their next point 424 00:27:06,401 --> 00:27:08,735 that they think is defendable that they can find 425 00:27:08,737 --> 00:27:10,771 and then fire again. 426 00:27:18,347 --> 00:27:20,613 They're putting up a volume of fire that oates 427 00:27:20,615 --> 00:27:22,949 and the 15th Alabama can not ignore. 428 00:27:31,493 --> 00:27:34,961 Narrator: As an endless wave of rebels close in on their position, 429 00:27:34,963 --> 00:27:37,296 white can't hold them any longer. 430 00:27:37,298 --> 00:27:38,364 Let's go. 431 00:27:38,366 --> 00:27:40,433 As the union's first line of defense, 432 00:27:40,435 --> 00:27:42,101 white and his fellow sharpshooters 433 00:27:42,103 --> 00:27:44,104 must now try to find the federal army 434 00:27:44,106 --> 00:27:46,239 and warn them of the coming attack. 435 00:27:48,710 --> 00:27:51,778 If oates gets behind them, the entire yankee line 436 00:27:51,780 --> 00:27:53,180 will be in hell. 437 00:28:02,858 --> 00:28:05,725 Narrator: 72,000 of the south's toughest troops 438 00:28:05,727 --> 00:28:08,061 have invaded the north in a bold attempt 439 00:28:08,063 --> 00:28:10,163 to finally end the civil war. 440 00:28:12,601 --> 00:28:14,534 A desperate fight to drive them back 441 00:28:14,536 --> 00:28:17,471 has now broken out near the town of gettysburg. 442 00:28:20,409 --> 00:28:22,142 In hopes of winning the battle, 443 00:28:22,144 --> 00:28:23,810 rebel colonel William oates 444 00:28:23,812 --> 00:28:26,479 has been ordered to find and destroy the left flank 445 00:28:26,481 --> 00:28:28,948 of the union army. 446 00:28:28,950 --> 00:28:31,818 After a bloody clash with yankee sharpshooters, 447 00:28:31,820 --> 00:28:34,487 he's taken the summit of big round top, 448 00:28:34,489 --> 00:28:39,492 a large hill that lies to the south of the union mine. 449 00:28:39,494 --> 00:28:43,696 Once there, he's reunited with his little brother, John. 450 00:28:43,698 --> 00:28:46,133 William. 451 00:28:48,303 --> 00:28:49,836 Told you I wouldn't miss the fight. 452 00:28:49,838 --> 00:28:52,038 Glad to see ya. 453 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:53,640 All right. Come here. 454 00:28:53,642 --> 00:28:55,775 I'll show you what I'm thinkin', okay? 455 00:28:55,777 --> 00:28:57,110 We got this whole Ridge line 456 00:28:57,112 --> 00:28:58,645 that runs right across here, okay? 457 00:28:58,647 --> 00:29:01,648 Adelman: William c. Oates, in command of his own regiment, 458 00:29:01,650 --> 00:29:02,916 gets on top of big round top. 459 00:29:02,918 --> 00:29:05,252 And he can see the... All the hills below him 460 00:29:05,254 --> 00:29:06,586 and see that he's on the high point. 461 00:29:06,588 --> 00:29:09,122 He wanted to fortify big round top and stay there. 462 00:29:09,124 --> 00:29:10,590 And I don't blame him. 463 00:29:10,592 --> 00:29:13,393 He said that he could convert big round top into a Gibraltar 464 00:29:13,395 --> 00:29:14,927 that he could hold against 10 times 465 00:29:14,929 --> 00:29:16,662 the number of men he had. 466 00:29:16,664 --> 00:29:19,266 - Colonel oates. - Made it over on this side. 467 00:29:19,268 --> 00:29:21,301 -Colonel oats, sir. [ Panting ] 468 00:29:23,405 --> 00:29:24,937 Orders from general law: 469 00:29:24,939 --> 00:29:27,073 You're to abandon this position immediately 470 00:29:27,075 --> 00:29:28,775 and find the enemy flank. 471 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,313 Sir. 472 00:29:35,284 --> 00:29:38,885 Atkinson: He was probably very angry. 473 00:29:38,887 --> 00:29:41,488 But once oates sets his mind to something, 474 00:29:41,490 --> 00:29:43,022 he's going to do it. 475 00:29:43,024 --> 00:29:45,625 That's what he's done his entire life. 476 00:29:45,627 --> 00:29:48,829 And so he is gonna push that attack very aggressively. 477 00:29:48,831 --> 00:29:51,497 He will get his men moving. He will find the enemy. 478 00:29:51,499 --> 00:29:53,867 And he will try to destroy them. 479 00:29:55,504 --> 00:29:58,704 Narrator: Oates will now lead his men towards little round top, 480 00:29:58,706 --> 00:30:01,975 a smaller hill located 1/2 mile to the north. 481 00:30:01,977 --> 00:30:04,044 There, rebel generals believe oates 482 00:30:04,046 --> 00:30:07,180 can get behind the left flank of the union army 483 00:30:07,182 --> 00:30:09,115 and win the battle of gettysburg. 484 00:30:13,288 --> 00:30:17,257 But oates isn't the only one looking for the union flank. 485 00:30:17,259 --> 00:30:18,858 A half mile away, 486 00:30:18,860 --> 00:30:20,927 union sharpshooter Wyman white 487 00:30:20,929 --> 00:30:23,863 is struggling up the face of little round top. 488 00:30:23,865 --> 00:30:24,998 Go. 489 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:26,466 The sharpshooters that were at the base 490 00:30:26,468 --> 00:30:29,202 of big round top, including Wyman white, 491 00:30:29,204 --> 00:30:31,204 when they leave their positions, 492 00:30:31,206 --> 00:30:32,672 they're going to go back to try to find 493 00:30:32,674 --> 00:30:34,140 where the union line is located. 494 00:30:34,142 --> 00:30:36,910 And they don't know where the union line is located. 495 00:30:39,414 --> 00:30:41,948 Narrator: White's desperate to find the union troops. 496 00:30:41,950 --> 00:30:43,750 Come on. Keep it goin', chaldwig. 497 00:30:43,752 --> 00:30:46,353 Come on. Okay. 498 00:30:46,355 --> 00:30:49,022 He has no idea if his superiors realize 499 00:30:49,024 --> 00:30:52,225 that 2,000 of the south's toughest men are racing 500 00:30:52,227 --> 00:30:55,561 toward the union flank. 501 00:30:55,563 --> 00:30:58,031 Around this rock. Go. 502 00:31:05,507 --> 00:31:07,974 White. 503 00:31:07,976 --> 00:31:10,310 Where are they? I don't see anything. 504 00:31:10,312 --> 00:31:15,581 White! Below them. 505 00:31:15,717 --> 00:31:17,583 [ Gunshots ] 506 00:31:17,585 --> 00:31:20,520 White, where are they? 507 00:31:20,522 --> 00:31:23,056 There. 508 00:31:26,461 --> 00:31:27,460 Hold your fire! 509 00:31:27,462 --> 00:31:29,662 [ Gunshots continue ] 510 00:31:29,664 --> 00:31:31,731 Hold your damn fire! 511 00:31:31,733 --> 00:31:35,135 We're union men. 512 00:31:35,137 --> 00:31:36,569 We're comin' up. 513 00:31:38,273 --> 00:31:40,540 [ Men screaming, gunshots ] 514 00:31:46,614 --> 00:31:49,749 White's found elements of several union regiments. 515 00:31:51,686 --> 00:31:55,355 After union commanders finally learned of the rebel clan, 516 00:31:55,357 --> 00:31:58,058 they were rushed to position just minutes ago. 517 00:32:14,109 --> 00:32:15,641 William oates has finally found 518 00:32:15,643 --> 00:32:17,643 the left flank of the union army. 519 00:32:17,645 --> 00:32:19,846 If he can beat it and take the high ground, 520 00:32:19,848 --> 00:32:22,782 the rebels have a good chance of winning the battle. 521 00:32:22,784 --> 00:32:24,117 Adelman: He is a great soldier. 522 00:32:24,119 --> 00:32:25,919 And he will plow forward with his men 523 00:32:25,921 --> 00:32:29,322 and unleash one of the most ferocious attacks at gettysburg. 524 00:32:31,192 --> 00:32:33,259 Narrator: The fight that will forever change the course 525 00:32:33,261 --> 00:32:36,229 of the civil war is about to begin. 526 00:32:41,002 --> 00:32:43,203 If the confederates get possession 527 00:32:43,205 --> 00:32:45,338 of little round top, in my mind, 528 00:32:45,340 --> 00:32:46,606 that's pretty much a deal breaker. 529 00:32:46,608 --> 00:32:47,941 You're gonna get control of the road 530 00:32:47,943 --> 00:32:50,343 that's behind, uh, little round top. 531 00:32:50,345 --> 00:32:51,744 You're gonna be able to put artillery 532 00:32:51,746 --> 00:32:54,247 and fire up the union line. 533 00:32:56,752 --> 00:32:58,284 Adelman: The confederates are worn out. 534 00:32:58,286 --> 00:33:00,352 They are hungry, tired, thirsty. 535 00:33:00,354 --> 00:33:02,689 But what confederates have going for them 536 00:33:02,691 --> 00:33:05,625 is that the 15th Alabama is a particularly dogged unit. 537 00:33:05,627 --> 00:33:07,159 These guys are experienced. 538 00:33:07,161 --> 00:33:09,295 They've been in more than 15 battles already. 539 00:33:09,297 --> 00:33:11,831 And they had made the union flee at most of them. 540 00:33:11,833 --> 00:33:14,034 [ Men screaming ] 541 00:33:17,906 --> 00:33:19,706 Here they come. 542 00:33:32,787 --> 00:33:36,156 The fight for little round top is a particularly savage fight. 543 00:33:39,394 --> 00:33:40,659 You have the confederates launching, 544 00:33:40,661 --> 00:33:43,262 depending on who you listen to, two, three, four, 545 00:33:43,264 --> 00:33:46,532 five charges against the union. 546 00:33:46,534 --> 00:33:48,667 Narrator: But each time, they are driven back 547 00:33:48,669 --> 00:33:51,271 by Wyman white and the union troops. 548 00:33:57,079 --> 00:33:59,412 Motts: Wyman white and the second United States sharpshooters 549 00:33:59,414 --> 00:34:04,818 really have a front-row seat to that major engagement. 550 00:34:04,820 --> 00:34:06,486 And because they're specially armed, 551 00:34:06,488 --> 00:34:08,021 because they can put up a lot of rifle fire 552 00:34:08,023 --> 00:34:10,757 and put it up accurately, they're gonna make a dent 553 00:34:10,759 --> 00:34:12,492 in this confederate advance. 554 00:34:20,034 --> 00:34:23,870 I want you to take your men over that Ridge and up there. 555 00:34:26,908 --> 00:34:28,441 Adelman: William c. Oates, during this fight, 556 00:34:28,443 --> 00:34:29,576 was right where he should be. 557 00:34:29,578 --> 00:34:31,444 He is up with his regimen. 558 00:34:31,446 --> 00:34:34,314 Atkinson: Oates always led from the front. 559 00:34:34,316 --> 00:34:36,583 In other words, he would never send his men 560 00:34:36,585 --> 00:34:38,585 where he was unwilling to go. 561 00:34:46,460 --> 00:34:48,928 It becomes like a horror movie. 562 00:34:51,265 --> 00:34:52,532 You can hear the cries 563 00:34:52,534 --> 00:34:54,734 and the screams of the wounded men. 564 00:34:58,607 --> 00:35:00,607 Narrator: As the ground is soaked with rebel blood, 565 00:35:00,609 --> 00:35:03,276 the 15th claws its way up the hill. 566 00:35:09,217 --> 00:35:11,016 The line holds for now. 567 00:35:11,018 --> 00:35:13,219 But it could fall at any moment. 568 00:35:16,291 --> 00:35:20,026 If it does, and oates gets behind the yankee army, 569 00:35:20,028 --> 00:35:23,062 the battle of gettysburg is all but over. 570 00:35:27,869 --> 00:35:29,869 [ Battlefield noises ] 571 00:35:31,339 --> 00:35:34,807 Narrator: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 572 00:35:34,809 --> 00:35:36,476 The largest battle of the civil war 573 00:35:36,478 --> 00:35:38,645 has entered its 35th hour. 574 00:35:42,083 --> 00:35:45,919 The fighting has already claimed almost 25,000 casualties. 575 00:35:49,290 --> 00:35:50,890 To win the battle, 576 00:35:50,892 --> 00:35:52,158 rebel colonel William oates 577 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:55,128 has been sent on mission to flank the union line. 578 00:35:58,033 --> 00:36:00,432 To succeed, he must now push union sharpshooter 579 00:36:00,434 --> 00:36:03,836 Wyman white and hundreds of yankee soldiers 580 00:36:03,838 --> 00:36:05,805 off the summit of little round top. 581 00:36:08,109 --> 00:36:09,976 Atkinson: It really gets to the point, 582 00:36:09,978 --> 00:36:12,245 after several charges had taken place, 583 00:36:12,247 --> 00:36:14,914 as to who is going to have the last man standing. 584 00:36:14,916 --> 00:36:17,450 Both sides are running out of ammunition. 585 00:36:17,452 --> 00:36:19,986 Both sides are running out of men. 586 00:36:19,988 --> 00:36:21,654 Uh, and both sides are... 587 00:36:21,656 --> 00:36:23,856 Are at the end of their rope. 588 00:36:27,529 --> 00:36:28,928 Narrator: Further down the slope, 589 00:36:28,930 --> 00:36:32,064 William oates steels his men for one last charge. 590 00:36:32,066 --> 00:36:34,333 Forward! [ Men cheer ] 591 00:36:34,335 --> 00:36:36,970 Narrator: He's convinced the union line is about to crack. 592 00:36:43,878 --> 00:36:44,911 I'm out. You? 593 00:36:46,815 --> 00:36:49,082 As ammunition begins to run low, 594 00:36:49,084 --> 00:36:52,552 Wyman white wonders if the line can hold back one more attack. 595 00:36:54,623 --> 00:36:56,856 [ Men screaming ] 596 00:37:00,762 --> 00:37:03,296 Here they come. 597 00:37:06,501 --> 00:37:08,768 Look there. 598 00:37:10,305 --> 00:37:12,504 Incredibly, a union regimen 599 00:37:12,506 --> 00:37:14,107 fighting to the left of Wyman white 600 00:37:14,109 --> 00:37:16,376 has stormed down little round top 601 00:37:16,378 --> 00:37:18,111 and charged the rebels. 602 00:37:18,113 --> 00:37:20,146 [ Men screaming ] 603 00:37:33,395 --> 00:37:36,195 Adelman: With confederate soldiers just strewn about everywhere 604 00:37:36,197 --> 00:37:38,197 and seeing the futility of further attacks, 605 00:37:38,199 --> 00:37:39,799 he was ultimately convinced 606 00:37:39,801 --> 00:37:41,467 that he had to order that retreat. 607 00:37:41,469 --> 00:37:44,536 And he ordered it with the greatest amount of reluctance. 608 00:37:44,538 --> 00:37:46,739 - Retreat! - Let's get out of here. 609 00:37:46,741 --> 00:37:48,875 [ Men screaming ] 610 00:37:51,612 --> 00:37:53,612 Hands up! 611 00:37:53,614 --> 00:37:55,315 [ Indistinct chatter ] 612 00:37:58,619 --> 00:38:01,087 They're runnin'. My god, they're runnin'. 613 00:38:01,089 --> 00:38:03,356 [ Cheering ] 614 00:38:25,713 --> 00:38:27,513 Narrator: Oates flees with the shattered remains 615 00:38:27,515 --> 00:38:29,349 of the 15th Alabama. 616 00:38:32,453 --> 00:38:35,588 Almost 40% of his regiment have been killed or wounded 617 00:38:35,590 --> 00:38:37,790 on the bloody slopes of little round top. 618 00:38:53,007 --> 00:38:56,476 Among the fallen is his younger brother, John. 619 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:14,727 [ Men screaming, gunshots ] 620 00:39:16,164 --> 00:39:19,699 Atkinson: William had always looked after John. 621 00:39:19,701 --> 00:39:21,901 I think it was one of the worst experiences 622 00:39:21,903 --> 00:39:24,837 in William oates' life, 623 00:39:24,839 --> 00:39:26,572 the day he had to leave his brother 624 00:39:26,574 --> 00:39:28,640 behind on that battlefield. 625 00:39:28,642 --> 00:39:32,345 I can't imagine the pain which that caused him. 626 00:39:38,652 --> 00:39:40,652 Narrator: The next day, after one more attempt 627 00:39:40,654 --> 00:39:42,789 to break the union line fails, 628 00:39:42,791 --> 00:39:47,593 general Lee calls off the invasion of the north. 629 00:39:47,595 --> 00:39:49,261 In 3 days of fighting, 630 00:39:49,263 --> 00:39:53,166 almost 25,000 of his men have been killed or wounded. 631 00:39:59,541 --> 00:40:00,807 Oates and the rest of the army 632 00:40:00,809 --> 00:40:03,276 must limp back to Virginia, 633 00:40:03,278 --> 00:40:05,511 dreaming of what could have been. 634 00:40:08,415 --> 00:40:10,883 Atkinson: The confederate army enters Pennsylvania 635 00:40:10,885 --> 00:40:12,485 with the highest morale 636 00:40:12,487 --> 00:40:15,087 probably of any army in history, 637 00:40:15,089 --> 00:40:19,091 expecting victory. 638 00:40:19,093 --> 00:40:23,296 They march out of Pennsylvania very despondent, 639 00:40:23,298 --> 00:40:28,034 saddened by all the losses that they've incurred 640 00:40:28,036 --> 00:40:29,902 and the battle which they had just... 641 00:40:29,904 --> 00:40:32,371 That they have just... 642 00:40:32,373 --> 00:40:35,441 Was that close to winning that day. 643 00:40:35,443 --> 00:40:36,976 Um... 644 00:40:40,314 --> 00:40:41,781 What if? 645 00:40:48,923 --> 00:40:51,224 [ Telegram whirring ] 646 00:41:09,276 --> 00:41:12,278 Narrator: In Washington, D.C., an anxious Abraham Lincoln 647 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:17,416 finally receives a telegram from the gettysburg battlefield. 648 00:41:17,418 --> 00:41:20,085 He learns that union forces have tangled with the best 649 00:41:20,087 --> 00:41:23,556 the rebels could muster and won. 650 00:41:23,558 --> 00:41:25,691 It's proof that Lee can be beaten 651 00:41:25,693 --> 00:41:28,294 and that maybe one day, the civil war 652 00:41:28,296 --> 00:41:30,730 can be brought to an end. 653 00:41:37,238 --> 00:41:41,240 Lee's army incurs so many losses here at gettysburg 654 00:41:41,242 --> 00:41:44,310 that he will never be able to renew the offensive. 655 00:41:44,312 --> 00:41:46,178 The south's greatest chance 656 00:41:46,180 --> 00:41:48,847 of winning independence is gone. 657 00:41:48,849 --> 00:41:50,983 [ Thunder rumbles ] 658 00:41:50,985 --> 00:41:52,818 [ Lightning crashes ] 659 00:41:56,324 --> 00:41:59,058 Sure beats the fireworks show I saw in Concord last year. 660 00:42:00,928 --> 00:42:02,728 Happy fourth of July, white. 661 00:42:03,664 --> 00:42:05,197 [ Canteens clank ] 662 00:42:05,199 --> 00:42:07,667 Happy fourth of July. 663 00:42:08,736 --> 00:42:10,603 [ Lightning crashes ] 664 00:42:11,472 --> 00:42:13,873 Adelman: It is unquestionable that the second United States 665 00:42:13,875 --> 00:42:16,808 sharpshooters forever changed the battle of gettysburg. 666 00:42:16,810 --> 00:42:18,210 They forced the confederate attack 667 00:42:18,212 --> 00:42:19,478 to go to a different place. 668 00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:21,480 They slowed the confederate line down. 669 00:42:21,482 --> 00:42:25,885 I don't know of another unit on the gettysburg battlefield 670 00:42:25,887 --> 00:42:28,955 that had a bigger impact for their smaller numbers. 671 00:42:33,027 --> 00:42:35,695 Narrator: In the summer of 1864, 672 00:42:35,697 --> 00:42:37,363 during his 27th battle, 673 00:42:37,365 --> 00:42:39,332 William oates is shot. 674 00:42:41,836 --> 00:42:45,271 He survives and goes on to become the governor of Alabama. 675 00:42:50,712 --> 00:42:54,180 Wyman white continues to serve with the us sharpshooters. 676 00:42:57,918 --> 00:43:00,386 At the end of the war, he returns to New Hampshire 677 00:43:00,388 --> 00:43:02,922 and marries in 1867. 678 00:43:05,392 --> 00:43:08,994 In 1888, oates writes a letter to one of the commanders 679 00:43:08,996 --> 00:43:11,931 of the union sharpshooters at gettysburg. 680 00:43:11,933 --> 00:43:13,332 It says, 681 00:43:13,334 --> 00:43:15,067 "you and your command deserve a monument 682 00:43:15,069 --> 00:43:18,471 for turning the tide in favor of the union cause. 683 00:43:18,473 --> 00:43:20,539 But for the service on your part, 684 00:43:20,541 --> 00:43:23,609 I am confident we would have swept away the union line 685 00:43:23,611 --> 00:43:25,745 and have captured little round top, 686 00:43:25,747 --> 00:43:28,581 which would have won the battle for us."