Virginia Memorial and Confederate Avenue

Stop on Gettysburg Battlefield Historic Tour, a free self-guided tour.

This striking monument features an equestrian statue of General Robert E. Lee atop his horse Traveller, facing the Union lines he ordered his men to attack during Pickett's Charge. Dedicated in 1917, it honors the approximately 15,000 Virginians who fought at Gettysburg. Lee chose this ground for his headquarters during the battle and from near here launched the fateful assault on July 3rd. Confederate Avenue runs along Seminary Ridge, the Confederate battle line during the second and third days. Walking or driving along this road provides perspective on what Confederate soldiers saw as they prepared to assault the Union position across nearly a mile of open farmland. The avenue is lined with monuments to various Confederate units, though far fewer than on the Union side due to limited post-war funding in the South. The view across the fields toward Cemetery Ridge helps explain why Lee believed the attack could succeed - the distance seems manageable, but the Union artillery and massed infantry hidden behind stone walls proved devastating. Standing here, you can contemplate the burden of command and the tragic cost of Lee's decision to order the charge despite objections from his subordinate General James Longstreet.