Where was Robert Rodes at Gettysburg? #history #civilwar #union #confederate

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]Longstreet's attack got underway by 4:00 p.m.

[00:00:03]Ewell had some men climb into the cupola of a church to watch Longstreet's attack and give him updates on how it was going.

[00:00:10]The soldiers reported to Ewell that Longstreet's attacks were a splendid success.

[00:00:15]With that, Ewell opened up an artillery barrage on Culp's Hill that got silenced because the Confederate artillery was on an inferior hill.

[00:00:23]It was past 7:00 before Johnson's division made their attack.

[00:00:27]Then, Early made his attack on Cemetery Hill.

[00:00:30]Early was supposed to get support from Rodes, but it never materialized.

[00:00:35]Early was furious when the attacks failed. Early and Ewell went to Rodes' headquarters to find out why he didn't attack. Rodes insisted that he couldn't make the attack because Hill's closest division couldn't give him support, but Ewell surmised it was because Rodes failed to deploy his men properly.

[00:00:53]Ewell received orders for him to support Longstreet's attack the next day.

[00:00:57]Ewell prepared for a dawn assault, but the Federals beat him to the punch, launching their own attack.

[00:01:02]Ewell needed to draw the enemy's attention so that Longstreet would have a better chance at breaking the center.

[00:01:08]His men battled for hours, and Longstreet's attack kept getting postponed. Eventually, Ewell pulled his men back, unable to do anything further.

[00:01:17]Afterward, Ewell rode to inspect his position.

[00:01:20]He got close to Cemetery Hill, but was warned that sharpshooters were present and they liked to pick off officers.

[00:01:27]Ewell thought the distance too great and went forward. One of his staff members was shot, and when asked, Ewell said he had been hit, too.

[00:01:35]A staff officer jumped off his horse and asked where he had been hit. He showed the staffer his wooden leg.

[00:01:41]Ewell jokingly said, "I'll trouble you to hand me my other leg."

[00:01:45]The staffer got the extra wooden leg and attached it.

[00:01:49]Ewell remarked to Gordon, "Suppose that ball had struck you, we would have had the trouble of carrying you off the field, sir. You see how much better fit for a fight I am than you are.

[00:02:00]It don't hurt a bit to be shot in a wooden leg.