Gettysburg quotes

View Quote [to Longstreet, on the nature of the army] Soldiering has one great trap. To be a good soldier, you must love the army. To be a good commander, you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love. We do not fear our own death, you and I. But there comes a time... we are never quite prepared for so many to die. Oh, we do expect the occasional empty chair, the salute to fallen comrades. But this war goes on, and the men die, and the price gets ever higher. We are prepared to lose some of us, but we are never prepared to lose all of us. And there is the great trap, General: When you attack, you must hold nothing back. You must commit yourself totally. We are adrift here in a sea of blood, and I want it to end. I want this to be the final battle.

View Quote Fate made them soldiers. War made them brothers. Courage made them Heroes.

View Quote Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.

View Quote For the glory of Virginia, form your brigade.

View Quote Gentlemen. We are the flank.

View Quote Hello, my bully boys! Virginia has arrived!

View Quote Hold to the last. To the last what? Exercise in rhetoric. Last shell? Last man? Last foot of ground? Last Reb?

View Quote I don't like going in without Pickett. It's like going in with one boot off. I'll wait as long as I can before sending my boys in.

View Quote I guess we Southerners and you English have at least one thing in common. We'd rather lose the war than admit to the mistake. No fifteen thousand men, ever made, can take that ridge.

View Quote I must tell you now, I believe this attack will fail. No fifteen thousand men, ever made, can take that ridge.

View Quote If they get batteries up there, we're gonna need buckets to catch the lead.

View Quote It doesn't make sense; hold a gun on a man to get him to fight.

View Quote It's my fault. If they fight, we must fight with them. And does it matter after all who wins? Was that ever really the question?

View Quote Mutiny. I thought that was a word for the navy.

View Quote Place the guns! Bring up the guns!