Goofs

At the start of the film and through July 1st, J.L. Chamberlain wears the shoulder straps of a Lt. Col. (silver oak leaves). Afterward, he wears the shoulder straps of a full Colonel (eagles). This is because Chamberlain did not receive written notice of the confirmation of his promotion until June 30. The promotion was post dated to May 20.

In the scene between Major Walter H. Taylor and General Lee at midnight July 3rd, Major Taylor's rank insignia changes to two stars (Lieutenant Colonel). In earlier scenes he wore only one star (Major).

During the beginning of the Confederate cannonade at the outset of Pickett's Charge, Gen. Meade's headquarters is hit by a cannonball. In a later shot, the house is completely intact.

General Longstreet's shifting beard.

While General Longstreet talks to Colonel E. Porter Alexander during the bombardment of Cemetery Ridge on July 3rd, a Rebel gun emplacement is hit over Longstreet's shoulder, and the explosion throws a Confederate gunner over the earthworks. The camera turns to Colonel Alexander, then comes back to Longstreet. The same gun is shown intact,and the wounded Confederate is gone.

General Garnett is obliged to ride during Pickett's charge; and General Armistead advances on foot. In real life, Armistead was also mounted at the start of the charge. His horse was killed under him, and he carried on by foot.

In the film, Moxley Sorrell holds the rank of major. In real life, Sorrell was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on June 18, 1863, 13 days before the battle of Gettysburg.

When Gen. Meade first arrives at the battlefield, he says it's so dark out there he couldn't see a damn thing. Historical lunar data shows that the moon was 99% full, and with a cloudless night it should have been "bright as day" outside.

When Tom Chamberlain talks to the captured Confederates, one of them says he is a Tennessean from Archer's Brigade of Heth's division. He then says he was captured in the railroad cut west of Gettysburg. The Confederates in the railroad cut were Mississippians from Davis's brigade of the same division. The Tennesseeans fought in McPherson's Woods, half a mile away.

Before the July 2 fighting, Lee meets outdoors with several Confederate generals, and says "good morning." Gen. Heth is visible, with a bandage on his head. He was knocked unconscious during the afternoon fighting on July 1, and he was still unconscious the next morning.

In the long shot of Pickett's Charge, the object in the background is actually a flag, the Confederacy's "Second National" or "Stainless Banner," carried by a man on horseback. It's white with a dark canton, and moving at a gallop. From a distance, it looks like the outline of a van driving by.

Some Confederate generals talk about Charles Darwin. General Pickett says that he refuses to believe that man descended from apes. Darwin's "The Descent of Man," which theorizes on the ape-like origins of the human species, was published in 1871. "On the Origin of Species," published in 1859, caused considerable scientific and religious debate in the early 1860s. Though the book explicitly avoided human evolution, the debate surrounding it did not. In 1863, educated people likely would have known about the controversy.

During Pickett's Charge, General Garnett says, "Give them the cold steel, boys!" General Armistead said it just before leading his men over the stone wall. However, troops leading bayonet charges used the phrase often during the Civil War. It's very likely that other commanders said it before July 3, 1863.

After the first day of battle, General Hancock and General Buford make arrangements to send General Reynolds' body to "his folks in Lancaster." Reynolds' mother died in 1843, and his father died in 1853. "Folks" can refer to any family members, not just parents.

The director deliberately dressed Lieutenant Colonel Fremantle in a red uniform, carrying a cup of tea, to avoid confusing the audience. Fremantle's British uniform would have been dark blue, similar to that of a Union officer.

The battle of Little Round top takes place on the afternoon of July 2. After the battle, as Chamberlain speaks to the wounded Sergeant Kilrain, the actor's breath is visible, indicating cold weather. Later in the film, when a messenger climbs Big Round Top to speak with Chamberlain, the messenger's breath is visible.

Near the end of the charge down Little Round Top, a Union Soldier on the right side of the screen has a bayonet bent at a 90 degree angle.

When the rebel sharpshooter hits General Reynolds, he falls from his horse onto his back. A soldier rushes to his side and cradles Reynolds' head with his left hand. A blood pack is clearly visible in the soldier's hand. The soldier moves his hand back, and his hand is bloody a minute later.

When Longstreet arrives at Lee's headquarters on the afternoon of the first day, shadows from the stage lights are visible on the farmhouse wall, cast by a light source off camera to the left. The position of the sun is to the right, and natural shadows are visible, cast right to left.

On the first day, Heth's Division formed on Herr's ridge and advanced in line of battle toward Buford's troopers, not 50 yards in front of Buford. Filming required the units to be positioned much closer to each other to be seen in the same picture. Long range lenses make things look closer together than they really are.

When the 20th Maine arrive at the Union center on the 3rd day of battle and Col. Chamberlain is about to be taken to meet General Hancock, he tells Ellis Spear to take the men to their relief point and refers to him as "Major Spear." Spear was not promoted to major until August 28, nearly two months after the Battle of Gettysburg.

After Colonel Rice congratulates Chamberlain following the fighting on Little Round Top, Chamberlin walks past several of his troops one of whom (in the lower right of the screen just before the cut) is out of uniform. He is wearing a blue nylon jacket and a modern day baseball hat.

When Col. Chamberlain talks to his brother Tom while sitting on the big rock after the Battle of Little Round Top, a car drives by on a road in the background, on the right.

In the Director's Cut, where Buford discusses strategy with his officers in the Gettysburg cemetery, the tombstones are clearly from after the Civil War, with designs and craftsmanship from as late as the mid 20th century.

During the Civil War the correct U.S. Army salute was palm out, British style.

A jet contrail is visible when Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain walks past the violins on his way to talk to the Confederate captives.

The opening scene is dated Tuesday, June 30, 1863. It appears to be first light on Monday, June 29. Harrison would've spent all day gathering information on Union troop strength and movement, then reported to Longstreet that evening. Longstreet and Lee would confer all that night, making plans based on Harrison's information. The scene in which Longstreet says "Let the boys sleep a little longer" would've been just before dawn on the 30th. That was also when Buster Kilrain woke Colonel Chamberlain with news of the arriving troops.

In an early "marching" scene prior to the beginning of the battle, a soldier pounds a drum without making any noise.

In the final scenes of Pickett's Charge, the harnesses and wires that pull the men who are blown backwards by the cannon are visible.

Before the third day of battle, General Armistead tells General Longstreet about a party in California, hosted by General Hancock, for various officers about to depart for service in the Confederate Army. Armistead says that Mrs. Myra Hancock sang the song Kathleen Mavourneen at the party. According to historian Bruce Catton Albert Sidney Johnston's wife sang Kathleen Mavourneen at the party.

In only one scene is Maj. Walter H Taylor, Lee's aide, wearing the correct number of collar stars (1) on his uniform. For the rest of the film, he is wearing two, commensurate with the rank of Lt. Colonel. However Taylor was not promoted to Lt. Colonel until December, 1863, five months after the battle.