Early in the morning on Wednesday, July 1st, the Confederates marching towards town drove in the Union cavalry pickets.  Union Brigadier General Buford had positioned his men along Herr Ridge to allow for the room to facilitate his planned, tactical, fighting withdrawal. Knowing the advancing Confederates seriously outnumbered his men, Buford strove to keep the Southerners from taking the high ground south of town as he waited for the arrival of the Northern infantry he knew to be close by.

Soon, from this same Herr Ridge, the men of CSA Major General Henry Heth's Division would launch their first attack on the Northern lines. The men in gray would slowly push their blue-clad counterparts back towards McPherson Ridge before Union Major General Reynolds arrived on the field. Before days end, Buford's cavalrymen would suffer 127 casualties holding back their gray clad foes. [H]

Lieutenant Colonel S. G. Shepard of the Seventh Tennessee Infantry briefly described their advance towards the thin Cavalry line. "We left our camp near Cashtown, Pa., early on the morning of July 1, and marched down the turnpike road leading to Gettysburg. We had advanced about 3 miles when we came upon the enemy's pickets, who gradually fell back before us for about 3 miles, which brought us in sight of the enemy, upon a slight eminence in our front and to the right of the road. General Archer halted for a short time while a section of a battery opened fire upon them. He then deployed the brigade in line, and advanced directly upon the enemy through an open field." [5]

The contending Southerner's division's commander, Major General Henry Heth would also describe the advance in his report, adding one interesting and likely dubious claim. "On reaching the summit of the second ridge of hills west of Gettysburg, it became evident that there were infantry, cavalry, and artillery in and around the town. A few shots from Pegram's battalion (Marye's battery) scattered the cavalry vedettes. One of the first shells fired by Pegram mortally wounded Major-General Reynolds, then in command of the force at Gettysburg."

As General Buford would later note, "By daylight on July 1, I had gained positive information of the enemy's position and movements, and my arrangements were made for entertaining him until General Reynolds could reach the scene. On July 1, between 8 and 9 a.m., reports came in from the First Brigade (Colonel Gamble's) that the enemy was coming down from toward Cashtown in force. Colonel Gamble made an admirable line of battle, and moved off proudly to meet him. The two lines soon became hotly engaged, we having the advantage of position, he of numbers. The First Brigade held its own for more than two hours, and had to be literally dragged back a few hundred yards to a position more secure and better sheltered. Tidball's battery, commanded by Lieutenant Calef, Second U.S. Artillery, fought on this occasion as is seldom witnessed. At one time the enemy had a concentric fire upon this battery from twelve guns, all at short range. Calef held his own gloriously, worked his guns deliberately with great judgment and skill, and with wonderful effect upon the enemy. The First Brigade maintained this unequal contest until the leading division of General Reynolds' corps came up to its assistance, and then most reluctantly did it give up the front. A portion of the Third Indiana found horse-holders, borrowed muskets, and fought with the Wisconsin regiment that came to relieve them. [5]

Click on the thumbnail image to the right to see a full panoramic view of Herr Ridge as seen from Buford Avenue, north of the Chambersburg Pike between the Railroad Cut and Oak Hill.