William Gamble
William Gamble
Col. William Gamble commanded a Union cavalry brigade in Gen Buford's First Division that held Gettysburg on June 30th. He was riding with one of his companies when they met the first elements of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and began the Battle of Gettysburg on the morning of July 1st, 1863.
Gamble ordered his troops to dismount and take position behind a rail fence. While his troops were hopelessly outnumbered they held the Mississippi brigades from Gen A.P. Hill's corps for about seventy minutes while other Union troops were hurried up to join the fight. When it came time to retire Colonel Gambles troops only needed to fall back some 250 yards to the rear, where the Union battle lines had formed.
