Gettysburg's Peach Orchard: Longstreet, Sickles, and the Bloody Fight for the "Commanding Ground" Along the Emmitsburg Road

This study examines the fighting at farmer Joseph Sherfy's peach orchard on July 2, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg—the first full-length treatment of this pivotal action. While historical accounts of Gettysburg's second day typically focus on the Union defense of Little Round Top, the day's most influential action occurred nearly one mile west along the Emmitsburg Road. On July 2, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered Lt. Gen. James Longstreet to launch a massive assault against the Union left flank, intending to seize the Peach Orchard as an artillery position. Union Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles, a former congressman from New York, misinterpreted his orders and occupied the orchard first. The resulting fighting was among Gettysburg's bloodiest and most controversial. Sickles's advance forced Longstreet's forces to fight for every inch of ground to Cemetery Ridge, ultimately crushing the Peach Orchard salient and threatening Maj. Gen. George Meade's left flank. The command decisions made at the Sherfy property influenced actions across the entire battlefield and influenced Lee's decision to order the July 3 assault known as Pickett's Charge. Based on primary accounts and terrain analysis, this work combines military details with human interest stories.