Ask A Gettysburg Guide #118- The 20th Massachusetts- Ralph Siegel and Zack Fry

Step into the world of the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry — the famed “Harvard Regiment” — as we explore their gripping story at the Battle of Gettysburg in **Ask A Gettysburg Guide #118**.

This regiment, composed largely of Harvard-educated officers and Massachusetts volunteers, marched onto the fields of Gettysburg not knowing how decisively their courage would be tested ([https://www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com/the-harvard-regiment/] Arriving with roughly 301 men when they went into action, the 20th Massachusetts suffered devastating losses during the battle: about 30 killed, 94 wounded, and 3 missing ([https://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/union-monuments/massachusetts/20th-massachusetts/] Their colonel, Paul Joseph Revere — grandson of the Revolutionary-era patriot Paul Revere— was mortally wounded on July 2 and died on July 4; command shifted rapidly as officers fell, passing from Revere to Lt. Col. George N. Macy (wounded), then to Capt. Henry L. Abbott. On **July 3**, during Pickett's Charge, the regiment held a critical section of Cemetery Ridge near the famed “Copse of Trees.” As Confederate troops advanced toward the Union center, the 20th Massachusetts rose from their shallow rifle pits and delivered fierce, disciplined volleys that helped smash the Confederates’ assault — playing a vital part in defending what many consider the turning point of the war ([https://www.nps.gov/places/20th-massachusetts-monument.html). Their steadiness under overwhelming fire, even after nearly losing their commanding officers, stands as a testament to their valor and sacrifice.

In this episode, LBG Ralph Siegel and historian Zachery Fry take you through the regiment’s harrowing journey — their approach march, the brutal chaos of July 2 and 3, the loss of leadership, the feel of earth trembling under artillery, the smoke, the fear, the honor — and ultimately their role in one of the most defining clashes in American history. If you love learning about the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War storytelling, or want to understand what these soldiers endured in their own words and through the terrain itself, this episode is not to be missed.

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#Gettysburg #CivilWarHistory #20thMassachusetts #HarvardRegiment #BattleOfGettysburg #AmericanHistory #HistoryChannel #Documentary #GettysburgHistory #MilitaryHistory #America250 --- [1]: https://www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com/the-harvard-regiment/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "The \"Harvard Regiment\" | Gettysburg Battlefield Tours" [2]: https://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/union-monuments/massachusetts/20th-massachusetts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Monument to the 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment" [3]: https://www.nps.gov/places/20th-massachusetts-monument.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com "20th Massachusetts Monument (U.S. National Park Service)"