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The Civil War S1E5 — The Universe of Battle: 1863
8.6
The Civil War•Season 1•Episode 5

The Universe of Battle: 1863

8.6/10 · 471 votesSep 25, 199097 min

Ranked #2 of 9 in Season 1•+0.1 vs season avg

Discussion

This episode opens with a dramatic account of the turning point of war: the Battle of Gettysburg, the greatest ever fought in the Western Hemisphere. For three days 150,000 men will fight to the death in the Pennsylvania countryside, culminating in Pickett's legendary charge. This

Directed byKen Burns

Seasons1

Season 1 Episodes9

Cast18

David McCullough

David McCullough

Narrator (voice)

Sam Waterston

Sam Waterston

Abraham Lincoln (voice)

Julie Harris

Julie Harris

Mary Chestnut (voice)

Jason Robards

Jason Robards

Ulysses S. Grant (voice)

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman

Frederick Douglass / John Boston (voice)

Paul Roebling

Paul Roebling

Joshua Chamberlain (voice)

Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor

Walt Whitman (voice)

G

George Black

Robert E. Lee (voice)

Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller

William Tecumseh Sherman (voice)

Christopher Murney

Christopher Murney

Elisha Hunt Rhodes (voice)

C

Charles McDowell

Samuel R. Watkins (voice)

Horton Foote

Horton Foote

Jefferson Davis (voice)

Crew3

Ken Burns

Ken Burns

Writer

Ken Burns

Ken Burns

Director

Geoffrey C. Ward

Geoffrey C. Ward

Writer

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Episode Summary

"The Universe of Battle: 1863" is episode 5 of The Civil War season 1. It scored 8.6/10 from 471 votes, ranking #2 of 9 episodes this season (season average 8.5). Directed by Ken Burns and written by Ken Burns, Geoffrey C. Ward, it aired on September 25, 1990.