WILLIAM LEE J. LOWRANCE
CONFEDERATE
ARMY, C.S.A.
MARRIED: Sarah C. Stewart, 3 Jan. 1846 to 30 Aug., 1907 in
Atlanta, GA.
CHILDREN: Eugene, William, Winfred H., Margaret L., Robert S., John
C
PARENTS: John Nichols 1799 – 1884 and Jane Kilpatrick 1799 – 1848
RELATIONSHIP: Son of John Nichols Lowrance, grandson of Joshua Lowrance,
great-grandson of John and Anne Nichols Lowrance, and great-great grandson of
Johannes and Mary Perkins Lowrance the original settler in the United States.
MILITARY: 3rd
Army CORPS, “Pender’s Division”, Fourth Brigade “Scales Brigade”, 34th
North Carolina Infantry, C.S.A.
Fought
at the Battle of Gettysburg
OCCUPATION: Minister and Colonel in the military
The
Gettysburg Campaign
JUNE 1863
Following
his victory at Chancellorsville in May, 1863, General Lee received approval
from his government to invade the north. Lee hoped an invasion would fuel the
northern peace movement and, at least, disrupt the Union war effort. After the
death of Stonewall Jackson, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, 75,000-strong, had
been reorganized into three army corps under Longstreet, Ewell, and A.P. Hill,
with a cavalry division under J.E.B. Stuart. On June 3, advance troops of the
Confederate army left their camps near Fredericksburg and marched west toward
the Shenandoah Valley.
The 95,000-strong Federal Army of the
Potomac, under General Hooker, was initially uncertain of Lee's intentions. On
June 9, Hooker ordered cavalry general Alfred Pleasonton to conduct a reconnaissance
with 11,000 men across the Rappahannock River toward Brandy Station. Pleasonton
ran into Stuart's cavalry, and the largest cavalry battle of the war ensued.
The result was a standoff, but the Federals were now alerted to the Confederate
army's movements.
By June 13, elements of Ewell's corps
appeared before Winchester. On the same day, Hooker with-drew the Army of the
Potomac from the Rappahannock and ordered it north. On June 14-15, Ewell
attacked the 9,000-strong Federal garrison at Winchester and defeated it,
inflicting heavy losses and capturing much valuable war material.
After Winchester, Lee's army moved unchecked into the
Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. On June 25, Lee agreed to Stuart's plan to
take three brigades of cavalry across the Potomac cast of the Blue Ridge
Mountains, and cut across the rear of the Federal army. Stuart's march
encountered frequent delays and detours and an increasingly aggressive Federal
cavalry, and was unable to rejoin Lee until July 2.
By June 28, Longstreet and Hill's
corps were at Chambersburg. Divisions of Ewell's corps had crossed the
mountains to York and Carlisle, and were preparing to move against Harrisburg.
However, Lee learned on this day that the Federal army was at Frederick, and
that Hooker had been replaced by General Meade. Lee decided to bring his entire
army east of the mountains and offer battle. At the same time, Meade moved his
army north. By June 30, both armies were converging upon Gettysburg and the battle,
which would be the turning point of the war, was set to commence.
JULY 1 1863
After
the discovery on June 30 that Gettysburg was occupied by Brigadier General John
Buford's division of Federal cavalry, the Confederates on July 1 sent the divisions
of Major General Henry Heth and Major General William Pender of Hill's Corps,
down the Chambersburg Road to drive Buford away and occupy Gettysburg.
The battle began at 5.30 a.m., when
shots were exchanged over Marsh Creek. In the face of Buford's resistance, Heth
pushed on cautiously until he reached a point about two miles west of
Gettysburg. Here he deployed two brigades in line, and pressed ahead; it was
nearly 10 a.m. Federal General John F. Reynolds, commanding I Corps, arrived on
the field at this point, and determined to engage Herb. He ordered I Corps and
Major General Oliver 0. Howard's XI Corps to march to Gettysburg.
Soon after 10.30 a.m., I Corps
arrived and engaged Heth along McPherson's Ridge. By 11.30 a.m., Heth had been
defeated and forced to withdraw to Herr Ridge. Early in the action, Reynolds
was killed, and field command devolved upon Howard. A lull now settled over the
field as both sides brought up reinforcements. The Federal I Corps deployed to
defend the western approaches to Gettysburg, while XI Corps formed up north of
the town. Buford's cavalry covered the flanks. Howard left one division in
reserve on Cemetery Hill. His strategy was simple: delay the Confederates long
enough to enable the rest of the Federal army to concentrate.
Lee arrived on the field after noon.
He had initially hoped to avoid a general engagement since the strength of the
enemy was unknown, and the terrain in the Gettysburg area unfamiliar. But, soon
after noon, Rodes's division of Ewell's Corps arrived on Oak Hill and attacked
the right of I Corps. At 2 p.m. Heth's division joined the attack on I Corps.
At 3 p.m., the battle spread north of the town when Jubal Early's division of
Ewell's Corps attacked down the Harrisburg Road and crushed the flank of XI
Corps. At about the same time, west of Gettysburg, Pender's division relieved
Heth and assaulted I Corps' position along Seminary Ridge. By 4 p.m., both
Federal corps were in retreat through Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill. Federal losses
numbered slightly over 9,000, including some 3,000 captured, compared with
Confederate losses of about 6,500.
The day's action had resulted in a
Confederate victory, but Federal forces held onto the high ground south of
Gettysburg, where their position was soon strengthened by reinforcements.
JULY 2 1863
The
success of his army in the fighting on July 1 encouraged Lee to renew the
battle on July 2. An early morning reconnaissance of the Federal left revealed
that their line did not extend as far south as Little Round Top. Lee directed
Longstreet to take two divisions of I Corps and march south until they reached
the flank of the Federal forces. They would attack from this point, supported
by a division of A.P. Hill's corps - a total force of nearly 20,000 men. While
Longstreet carried out the main offensive, Ewell was ordered to conduct a
demonstration against the Federal right. However, he was given discretion to
mount a full-scale attack should the opportunity present itself.
The Federal army was well prepared
for Lee's offensive. Six of its seven corps had arrived on the battlefield, and
VI Corps was making a thirty-six-mile forced march to reach it. Meade had
deployed his army in a fish-hook-shaped formation, with the right on Culp's
Hill and Cemetery Hill, the center along Cemetery Ridge, and the left on Little
Round Top. The left of the Federal line was held by Major General Daniel
Sickles's III Corps. Sickles was dissatisfied with his assigned position and in
the early afternoon, without orders, he advanced his line nearly half a mile
west in order to take advantage of the high open ground around a nearby peach
orchard.
Soon after Sickles took up this new
position, Longstreet attacked. Third Corps was hard pressed and Meade sent V
Corps and part of 11 Corps to reinforce Sickles in the Peach Orchard. But,
after furious fighting, Longstreet's forces broke through, causing Sickles's
entire line to collapse. The Confederates pursued to the base of Little Round
Top, but Federal reinforcements, including elements of VI Corps, checked their
advance. Farther north, elements of a division of the Confederate III Corps
advanced to the slopes of Cemetery Ridge before they too were forced to retire.
On the Federal right, Ewell did not
attack until evening, after Longstreet's onslaught had subsided. The effort to
storm Cemetery Hill was ultimately unsuccessful. Ewell's attacks were also
repulsed at Culp's Hill, although a foothold was gained near the base of the
hill.
The second day's fighting had cost
each army some 9,000 casualties. Lee's forces had again gained ground, but had
failed to dislodge the Federal army from its strong position.
JULY 3 1863
Lee's
confidence was unshaken by the events of July 2. That night, he ordered
Longstreet, who had been reinforced by Major General George Pickett's division,
to renew his assault on the Federal left. Simultaneously, Ewell, who had also
been reinforced, was to storm Culp's Hill. Stuart's cavalry, which had rejoined
the army late that day, was ordered to march well east of Gettysburg, and
attempt to penetrate to the Federal rear where they might disrupt
communications and distract Meade.
Meanwhile, Meade had determined to
hold his position and await Lee's attack. However, at Culp's Hill he authorized
XII Corps to drive Ewell's forces out of the captured Federal trenches at
daylight. The Federal effort opened with a concentrated artillery bombardment
which precipitated a tremendous musketry battle.
With Ewell already engaged, Lee rode
to Longstreet's headquarters to observe his preparations for the attack on the
Federal left. Longstreet misunderstood his orders and was planning instead a
movement to turn the Federal left. With the hope of a coordinated attack now
lost, Lee was forced to modify his plans. He determined to shift his main
attack to the Federal center on Cemetery Ridge. Longstreet was placed in
command of the effort. The plan was first to subject the Federal position to
bombardment by nearly 140 cannon, then to send Pickett, Pettigrew and half of
Trimble's divisions (formerly Heth's and Pender's) - nearly 12,000 men -
forward to smash the Federal center.
While Longstreet made his
preparations during the morning, Ewell's forces were defeated in their
counterattacks on Culp's Hill, and withdrew around 11:00 a.m.
At l:00 p.m., Longstreet opened the
great bombardment of the Federal line. The Federal army replied with
approximately 80 cannon and a giant duel ensued which lasted for nearly two
hours. After the bombardment subsided, the infantry went forward. This has
subsequently been known throughout history as "Pickett's
Charge." Federal artillery, followed by musketry, cut their
formations to pieces and inflicted devastating losses. A small Confederate
force effected one small penetration of the Federal line, but was overwhelmed.
The attack ended in disaster, with nearly 5,600 Confederate casualties.
Meanwhile, three miles east of Gettysburg, Stuart's cavalry was engaged by
Federal cavalry under Brigadier General David Gregg. The cavalry clash was
indecisive, but Stuart was neutralized and posed no threat to the Federal rear.
The battle was effectively over.
Federal losses numbered approximately 23,000, while estimates of Confederate
losses range between 20,000 and 28,000. Source: This description of the battle was taken,
for the most part, from James M. McPherson's " The Atlas of the Civil War."