Gettysburg re-enactment 1998

The Battle of Gettysburg in 1998 was the largest re-enactment in history, with perhaps as many as 25,000 "troops" taking part. The climax of the 3-day event was a recreation of Pickett's Charge, the disastrous Confederate frontal attack on the third and final day of the original battle, 3 July 1863. The re-enactment involved at least the actual number of troops engaged in 1863 and probably more, particularly on the Federal side.

No photograph can do justice to the incredible spectacle as, following a huge artillery duel by nearly 100 guns, over 12,000 Confederates stepped out the trees and perfectly aligned, marched in long lines towards the waiting Union troops.

This picture shows the Confederates, starting to lose heavy casualties and cohesion as they cross the "Emmitsburg Road", drive in Union skirmishers and advance into a storm of fire. In just a few minutes and true to history, the ground was covered in thousands of "casualties" and the attack was repulsed with great loss.

An estimated 100,000 visitors watched the three day re-enactment.

In July 2003 over 100 British re-enactors (from the Southern Skirmish Association) visited Gettysburg on the battle's 140th anniversary. Mostly recreating one regiment, the 1st Louisiana, for this occasion, the group staged displays supported by some American  re-enactors and retraced the actual route of Pickett's Charge in full battle order.

Due to bad weather during the spring, the official 140th anniversary re-enactment was postponed to August, so the number of attendees was not particularly high at around 7,500.  The 1998 event therefore remains the largest single re-enactment to date.

Composite photo by Philipp Elliot-Wright

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Updated 25 October 2003