Cemetery Hill And The Blood Stained Final Words Of Isaac Avery: Gettysburg

On July 2, 1863, Colonel Isaac E. Avery led North Carolina soldiers into one of the most desperate assaults of the Battle of Gettysburg. Their objective was East Cemetery Hill, a critical position in the Union Army’s defensive line. As darkness fell, Confederate soldiers from the 6th North Carolina and other regiments of Hoke’s Brigade advanced toward the hill. Artillery thundered overhead, rifle fire erupted through the smoke, and desperate hand-to-hand fighting broke out as Confederate troops reached the Union defenses. But somewhere on that battlefield, Avery’s life was about to change forever. In this episode of History with Waffles, we walk the actual ground where Avery’s men advanced, examine the battlefield terrain, investigate where he may have received his mortal wound, and reveal the remarkable handwritten message he left behind. We also explore the story of Elijah, an enslaved man who accompanied Avery into the Confederate Army and played a role in the aftermath of his death. From the North Carolina mountains to the bloody slopes of Gettysburg, this is a story of courage, suffering, slavery, family, and the terrible human cost of the American Civil War. In this episode: The Confederate assault on East Cemetery Hill Colonel Isaac E. Avery and the 6th North Carolina Infantry The struggle for the Union Army’s defensive line The battlefield location where Avery was mortally wounded His surviving handwritten final message Elijah’s involvement in the aftermath The fate of Avery and his family We stand where it happened. If you enjoy Civil War history, Gettysburg battlefield exploration, firsthand soldier accounts, and the forgotten stories behind America’s bloodiest battles, subscribe to History with Waffles. What do you think? Could a successful Confederate assault on Cemetery Hill have changed the outcome of Gettysburg? Share your thoughts in the comments. #Gettysburg #CivilWar #HistoryWithWaffles #BattleOfGettysburg #CivilWarHistory 00:00 A Dying Soldier's Final Words at Gettysburg 02:14 The Forgotten Attack on Cemetery Hill 04:06 The High Ground That Saved Gettysburg 05:27 Following the Confederate Advance 06:52 Who Was Colonel Isaac E. Avery? 07:54 The Approach to Cemetery Hill 09:28 From North Carolina to the Civil War 10:52 Walking the Path of the Attack 12:45 Where Avery's Nightmare Begins 13:45 Into the Smoke and Gunfire 15:07 The Battle for Cemetery Hill 16:34 The Reinforcements That Never Came 17:57 Inside the Union Defenses 19:43 The Deadly Climb Up Cemetery Hill 21:14 Searching for Where Avery Fell 23:01 The Officer on the White Horse 24:04 A Bullet Through the Neck 25:10 Avery's Final Message to His Father 26:22 The Last Climb to Cemetery Hill 29:08 Elijah and the Aftermath of Avery's Death 31:02 Remembering the Battle and Its Soldiers 32:07 Closing Thoughts from Gettysburg