The Gruesome Gettysburg Account From Devil’s Den

An 18-year-old Georgia soldier charged toward Devil’s Den during the Battle of Gettysburg — and what he witnessed there stayed with him for the rest of his life. On July 2, 1863, John W. Lokey of the 20th Georgia Infantry advanced across the deadly ground below Devil’s Den as Benning’s Brigade fought its way toward the rocky heights. Artillery shells exploded against the rocks. Musket fire swept the hillside. Men fell all around him. Years later, Lokey wrote about what he saw. What makes his account especially remarkable is that one of the most gruesome moments he described appears to be corroborated by an officer who witnessed the same event from another perspective. In this episode of History with Waffles, we walk the actual Gettysburg battlefield and retrace the route of the 20th Georgia toward Devil’s Den. We examine the terrain, the Confederate assault, the capture of Union artillery, the death of Colonel Jack Jones, Lokey’s own wounding, and the unexpected Union soldier who helped him escape the battlefield. Standing on the ground where these events happened gives an entirely different understanding of what these soldiers experienced on July 2, 1863. This is the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of one young soldier who survived it. If you enjoy American Civil War history, Gettysburg battlefield stories, forgotten soldiers, primary-source accounts, and walking the actual ground where history happened, subscribe to History with Waffles. We stand where it happened. CHAPTERS 00:00 An 18-Year-Old at Gettysburg 01:58 The 20th Georgia at Devil’s Den 02:39 The Forgotten Story of John W. Lokey 03:02 Benning’s Brigade Attacks Devil’s Den 03:33 Charging Uphill Under Fire 04:03 Lokey’s Life Before the Civil War 04:56 Following the 20th Georgia’s Route 05:28 The Fight Reaches Devil’s Den 06:02 Confederates Capture the Union Guns 06:21 Colonel Jack Jones Is Hit 06:48 Lokey Sees the Aftermath 07:09 Walking the Deadly Approach 08:00 The Hard Fighting Around Devil’s Den 08:44 What It Took to Climb This Hill 09:42 Lokey Describes What He Saw 10:30 Benning’s Account Confirms the Story 11:38 The Horrors Lokey Had Already Seen 12:29 Lokey Is Shot at Gettysburg 12:42 A Union Soldier Comes to His Aid 13:17 Who Was the Soldier Who Saved Him? 14:06 Understanding the Battlefield From Devil’s Den 14:48 How the Artillery Could Have Struck Jones 15:09 Lokey’s Life After Gettysburg 15:50 From Gettysburg to Appomattox 16:03 Remembering Colonel Jack Jones 16:48 Returning to the 20th Georgia’s Attack Route 17:15 The Ground Where It Happened 17:44 The Human Cost of Gettysburg 18:08 Final Thoughts From Devil’s Den #Gettysburg #CivilWar #DevilsDen #20thGeorgia #AmericanCivilWar #GettysburgBattlefield #CivilWarHistory #HistoryWithWaffles