PVT. Edwards enlisted on 4/17/1862 at Norfolk, Va. and was mustered in on the same day. He would survive the mauling that his regiment took at Malvern Hill, Va. (7/1/1862). The reg. suffered 16 dead and 81 wounded. Now, at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, Mr. Edwards would take part in perhaps the most famous charge in military history, Pickett's charge. Lee, having tested both ends of the Union line now was determined to break them in the center. He orders Gen. George Pickett's division, which when in battle array, was about a mile wide, to make the assault. A Confederate artillery bombardment meant to soften the Union line has very little effect, though the Rebels do not realize it. Many projectiles overshoot completely, and many more simply did not find the mark. Gen. Longstreet, 1st Corps Commander pleads with Lee to reconsider the charge, and move by the Union left flank. If successful, Longstreet reasoned, this would put the Confederate army more or less between the Federal Army and Washington. This would force their hand and at the same time give Robert E. Lee a chance to pick a more suitable line to defend. Lee, for that moment, simply could not believe that his Army would not be successful in his plan and disregards Longstreet's warning. For this his men would pay a terrible price. The Division would move forward across the mile between lines and at a certain point the flank brigades would angle in to converge on the famous "Copse of trees" at the Union center. PVT. Edward's brigade, commanded by Gen. Armistead, was near the center of the formation and had nearly a straight trajectory to the enemy. They moved forward, in formation, and the entire scene was described as amazing and tragic. Rebel and Federal spectators alike, are deeply moved when, under heavy fire, the Confederates repeatatily stopped to dress their lines. The division is maimed and would never be the same after that day. Many men, seeing absolutely no point in continuing, tried to make their way back, though still under heavy fire. Countless others fell dead or dying. A number of men, Gen. Armistead's (Edward's brigade) actually make it across and pierce the Union line. The lack of support and the small number of men that made it simply make the tragedy more poignant. As was said of a different battle and held true here, "They gained nothing but glory, and lost their best men" in the process. PVT. Edwards fell somewhere on this field, severely wounded. He would die of those wounds on 7/18/1863. The 57th Va. took 53 dead, 125 wounded, and 134 P.O.W.. His, and his comrade's gallantry inspire as much awe today, 145 years later, as they did on that terrible day.