Why did Pickett's Charge fail?

mibmob

Because if you pickett it will never get better. Apr 07 05, 7:21 AM

Arpeggionist

On to a more serious answer. General Lee figured that the Union camp was out of ammunition and supplies. On the union side was one officer named Chamberlain who gave what might have sounded like a crazy order to use the bayonettes. Also, General Lee focused his entire forces on Pickett's Charge, figuring he'd massacre the Union army and go on to conquer Harrisburg. He was wrong. Had he left so much as a small force of soldiers in the rear to attack someplace else after Pickett's Charge, he might have won. That was his tactical mistake. Apr 07 05, 8:26 AM

robboy

It's hard to condense the decisions that caused the failure of the so-called Pickett's Charge, but if anything defines it, it would be bad information: Lee didn't realize that the high position held by the Union was so well massed and provisioned. Lee's decision to use that attack method wasn't particularly unusual in warfare of the time and was quite often very effective, as it must be a daunting sight to any opposing force to look out over a sea of thousands of soldiers marching steadily at you. It's a maneuver intended to intimidate and conquer by sheer force of numbers. As to Chamberlain, a hero by any standard and a most able commander, the order to fix bayonets is the most common order given to infantry when anticipating close quarter combat. Hand to hand fighting was everywhere along the lines where the Confederacy had indeed broken through at several locations, and bayonets, rifle butts, rocks, and bare hands were used to determine who would live or die. Apr 07 05, 9:15 AM

SOTHC

Due to insufficient cannon fire you could say that the battery was faulty and that is why the charge failed Apr 07 05, 12:11 PM

mibmob

Now now, SOTHC, we must have serious answers here... Apr 07 05, 12:19 PM

robboy

Isn't he always serious? Apr 07 05, 12:40 PM