Gettysburg Part 2

On the third and final day of fighting at Gettysburg, the Confederates, determined to break the Union lines, attempted to charge the middle at Cemetery Ridge. This came to be known as Pickett's Charge. This Confederate move confuses me. Why would they attempt such a desperate move on only the third day of fighting? The Union laid siege to Vicksburg for months, a won due to their patience. To me, this charge was foolish, and wasted the lives of many young soldiers. Thousands of men marched right into the Union guns. Even Longstreet himself doubted that the charge would work. The success of the charge relied entirely on an ineffective artillery barrage. The decision by Lee to use the charge not only lost the battle, but also destroyed any hope of the Confederacy for independence.