Gettysburg

From a narrated map, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia crosses the Potomac River and invades the North in June 1863, marching through Maryland into Pennsylvania. Lee aims to strike the Union on favorable ground while the army maneuvers toward Gettysburg. The maneuvering signals the coming clash between the two sides.

On June 30, Confederate spy Henry Thomas Harrison informs Lt. Gen. James Longstreet that the Union Army of the Potomac is moving; Hooker has been replaced by Meade. Longstreet relays the information to Lee, who is wary of relying on a cavalry report. Lee orders concentration near Gettysburg despite doubts.

Lee orders the army to concentrate near the town of Gettysburg after weighing the earlier reports. He wants to draw the Union into battle on ground of his choosing. The plan sets the stage for the climactic engagement in Pennsylvania.

Brig. Gen. John Buford's cavalry discerns the approaching Confederates and decides to stand on favorable terrain rather than retreat. He sends for reinforcements from Reynolds's I Corps. The Union army slows the Confederate advance, buying time for defenses.

Reynolds arrives to reinforce Buford but is killed by a Confederate sharpshooter. The Union army is pushed back from Gettysburg to Cemetery Ridge as Lee's forces press forward. Ewell is ordered to take the Union positions 'if practicable' but hesitates.

That evening, Confederate cavalry chief J. E. B. Stuart finally arrives at headquarters, prompting Lee to reprimand him for being out of contact. Longstreet's second division also arrives; Pickett's division comes later. The command confusion underscores the mounting pressures on the Confederate side.

On July 2, Col. Strong Vincent's brigade deploys to Little Round Top, placing the 20th Maine at the end of the line. Chamberlain persuades the remaining 2nd Maine soldiers to fight, reinforcing the line at the crucial flank. The Union defense secures a vital position on the battlefield.

Lee orders Longstreet to deploy two divisions to attack Little Round Top. Hood's assault is launched despite protests, and Hood is wounded at Devil's Den. The Union defense holds the high ground for now.

As ammunition runs low on the Union side, Chamberlain orders a dramatic bayonet charge and a right-wheel drive down the slope. The attack sustains the Union flank and repels the Confederate onslaught.

Stuart's late arrival and Pickett's divisions moving into position mark the end of a tense second day. Lee reprimands Stuart for the delay while Longstreet's forces prepare for the next phase.

On July 3, Lee orders a coordinated assault with Pickett, Trimble, and Pettigrew against the Union center at Cemetery Ridge. Longstreet expresses doubts that the attack will succeed, given the well-fortified Union defense behind a stone wall.

General Porter Alexander commands artillery to silence the Union guns on the ridge but struggles to make an impact. Despite heavy fire, Confederate artillery cannot break the line, hampering the planned assault.

One of Pickett's brigades, commanded by Lewis Armistead, crosses the Union stone wall but Armistead is wounded and captured. The Union troops respond fiercely, and the Confederate assault loses momentum under mounting casualties.

Witnessing the heavy losses, Lee withdraws his forces in retreat that evening. The fighting at Gettysburg ends with the Union holding the ridge and the Confederates retreating to the south.

The film closes by showing the fates of the major generals and leaders involved in the battle, reflecting on the enormous costs and consequences of the clash. The narrative ties together the strategic and personal arcs that defined the three-day struggle.