Rees - Goman family ancestry site

The Battle of Gettysburg - July 1-4, 1863

Pvt. Thomas E. Goman, 57th New York, Co. K

     There is no indication in Thomas Goman's record that he was absent from the battle at Gettysburg.  Perhaps the most famous battle of the American Civil War, this battle was large.  The Union force under General George Meade numbered 94,000 men and the Confederate force under General Robert E. Lee numbered almost 72,000 men.

     As General Lee moved his army north into Pennsylvania, General Meade moved the Army of the Potomac parallel to Lee, placing it to Lee's east (between Lee and Washington, D.C.
    
     The 57th N.Y.V.I. regiment was in the 3rd brigade, 1st division, II (2nd) Corps under Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, in Meade's Army of the Potomac.

     To understand what Goman probably saw when he was at Gettysburg, I have outlined (below) the movements of his regiment and where it was placed on the field of the three day battle.

     DAY ONE  On Wednesday July 1, 1863, the opening shots to this battle were fired.  Union General Buford's two cavalry brigades (2,748 men) faced Confederate General Heath's infantry division (7,461 men), and the four day battle started.  Buford sent a message to Meade, and Meade told all commanders to move their corps forward.  Meade placed Major General Reynolds as field commander as Meade himself had not reached the field.  Reynolds was shot and died between 10-11 AM.  Later that afternoon, Hancock arrived on the field before his corps and took command.  By the end of the day, 22,000 Union troops and 27,000 Confederate troops had engaged.

     DAY TWO  On Thursday, July 2, 1863, throughout the previous evening and the morning of July 2nd, most of the remaining troops arrived.  Using the map at the right as a guide, the Union forces positioned for the most part on Cemetery Ridge.  The Confederate forces were about a mile to the west.  Elements of the Union forces (off beyond the bottom of the map) were moving forward and being repelled by the Confederates.  The Union line eventually straightened out down to the Little and Big Round Tops (hills).  Confederate General A. P. Hill's division moved directly toward the II Corps  but fell back.

     DAY THREE  Friday, July 3, 1863, was actually the last day of this battle.  Lee was going to renew his attack of the previous day, but changed his plans.    Confederate General Longstreet commanded Picket's division and six brigades from Hill's corps.  This was a line of 12,500 Confederate troops.  Before the charge there was a fierce artillery barrage from 300 canons, about equally divided on each side.  This was most likely the largest artillery barrage on the North American continent.  As the Confederate's canons ceased firing, the Confederate troops stepped out in a line about a mile wide.  The headed toward the "Union center" - right where Goman's regiment was situated.  As the Confederate's moved closer the Union artillery changed to canister shot.   The Confederates troops made several changes in direction (toward the north) to deceive the Union commanders.  As the Confederates moved closer, the Union infantry opened fire.  The Confederates started to penetrate the Union line at the "Angle" just north of where the 57th N.Y. was placed.  The Union lost 1,500 troops and the Confederates lost about 6,55.  ("Lost" includes killed and wounded.

     DAY FOUR  Saturday, July 4, 1863, became a day of informal truce, where both sides collected the dead and wounded.  Lee's Army of Northern Virginia started to withdraw as Meade's Army of the Potomac held the field.  Meade did not follow the Confederate army south.  Although Gettysburg became the turning point of the war, ten months later Goman would suffer a gunshot wound at the Battle of the Wilderness.