The Peach Orchard

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

This elevated position, owned by farmer Joseph Sherfy, became a key point of contention on July 2nd. Union General Dan Sickles controversially moved his III Corps forward from Cemetery Ridge to occupy the Peach Orchard against orders, creating a salient that extended the Union line but left it vulnerable. When Confederate artillery opened fire and Longstreet's infantry attacked, Sickles' position came under assault from multiple directions. The Peach Orchard, in full bloom at the time of battle, was devastated by artillery fire. Sickles was severely wounded here, losing his leg to a cannonball (he later donated the shattered bone to a medical museum and allegedly visited it annually). The fighting around the Peach Orchard was ferocious, with Union forces eventually being pushed back toward Cemetery Ridge. The controversy over Sickles' decision continues among historians - did his forward position absorb Confederate momentum and save the day, or did it needlessly sacrifice his corps? Standing at this intersection of roads where monuments cluster, you can see how the slightly elevated ground offered advantages but also exposure. The open terrain between here and the Confederate starting positions shows the killing ground Union soldiers had to defend.