The United States line during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2 & 3 is often described as a fishook. Most of this US line followed Cemetery Ridge, a mostly open and exposed ridgeline that extends south from Gettysburg. The ridgeline is just under two miles and diminishes in height as it approaches Little and Big Round Top. Closer to Gettysburg, the US line curved around Cemetery Hill and reached Culps Hill, creating the fishhook.
On the evening of July 1, the first day of the battle, Federal forces began to establish this defensive line after retreating from the northern side of town. Federal troops defended the high ground on July 2 and July 3.
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 On July 2, 1863, US General Dan Sickles left Little Round Top open, exposing the Federal line along Cemetery Ridge to Confederate attack. Quick actions by Brigadier General Gouverneur K. Warren alerted US officers to the threat and brought reinforcements to defend this high ground. The fighting here on July 2 became some of the most famous of the Battle of Gettysburg.  From the top of the Culp’s Hill Observation Tower you can view most of the battlefield. To the north and west, across from town, is the First Day’s Battlefield. To the west and south is the United States position, from the Round Tops, up Cemetery Ridge, to Cemetery Hill and the Gettysburg National Cemetery, and into town. Across the field from Cemetery Ridge is the Confederate position at Seminary Ridge.  Devil's Den illustrates how the geology and topography of the land itself profoundly influenced the battle. Devil's Den is a rock outcrop located between the main Federal and Confederate lines during the Battle of Gettysburg. The boulders here were hotly contested on July 2, 1863, when fighting swirled around this spot.  This was the home of Lydia Leister and her four children in 1863. During the Battle of Gettysburg, US General George G. Meade established his headquarters here, and from this location coordinated the the Army of the Potomac's response to Confederate offenses on July 2 and 3, 1863. After the battle Mrs. Leister repaired the property and lived here until 1888.  The home of Abraham Brian sits along the northern end of Cemetery Ridge. The area around the farm would become the scene of heavy fighting on July 3, 1863. Abraham Brian and his family were part of the African American community of Gettysburg. The family left their home when Confederate troops entered Pennsylvania, fearing capture and enslavement. Following the battle, they returned to find their home greatly damaged by war.  After the Battle of Gettysburg, farmer Joseph Sherfy's peach orchard would forever be associated with the intense fighting that took place there on July 2, 1863. On that day, US General Dan Sickles advanced his troops beyond the Federal line on Cemetery Ridge and occupied the Peach Orchard. A Confederate assault pushed Sickles’ 3rd Corps soldiers into a retreat at around 6:30 pm that evening.  The restrooms located near the Pennsylvania Memorial are open seasonally.  The restrooms at Spangler's Spring are open seasonally. These restrooms are located near Spangler's Spring, Auto Tour Stop 13, down a path that runs along Geary Avenue.  On July 2, 1863, while fighting raged to the south at the Wheatfield and Little Round Top, retreating United States soldiers crossed this ground on their way from the Peach Orchard to Cemetery Ridge.  Spangler's Spring is a natural spring located at the base of Culps Hill. Fierce fighting swirled around this spot during the Battle of Gettysburg, and the location changed hands multiple times over the course of the battle.
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