an attack named after its commanding general -- george pickett. >> approximately 13,000 southern soldiers form battle lines that stretched over a mile along this ridge. it would advance across the union fields through union cannon fire to try and break the center of the line. but the attack did not succeed. >> reporter: pickett's charge was a noble, but futile charge. the losses were staggering. general lee was forced to retreat under cover of darkness. >> it is really spelling the end of the confederacy, the end of this rebellion. >> reporter: the toll of dead and wounded at gettysburg -- 51,000. the war went on for two more years. but the army of the south never got any further north than gettysburg. >> reporter: there's still more "teen kids news" ahead, including sports. see you in a minute. >> reporter: some of the world's finest athletes have six feet -- four on the ground and two in the stirrups. kristen reports from a competition where olympic hopefuls strut their stuff. >> reporter: gabe, i'm here at the united states equestrian federation 2007 festival of champions. and yes, tha

you have been long admired for your portrayals of general george pickett, as you prepare for your role in appomattox, i was wondering if you could speak for your preparation and what you hope to bring to that role and how you will endeavor to unlock the lincoln in you? [ laughter ] >> the main preparation is for an hour every day i'm stretched. [ laughter ] we've got four inches to go. [ laughter ] and then with the lifts things should work out just fine. you know, "on to appomattox" is a proposed mini series. some of you may be aware of it. some may not. what they've done, i've read the script which is why i agreed to do it, and they're excellent. i think it's a difficult climate anytime to make anything about the civil war. i think it's a -- put i wish them all the best. and what really is happening. and i'll talk about preparation in a second. making something like this is a bit like making stone soup, you know? basically, they go out, the guys who want to do this who have credibility, i mean, they're guys who have produced many things and they're good. they go out to actors that th

as historical as a real figure as george pickett or stonewall jackson or abraham lincoln for that matter. when you play somebody, you have to play it with a self-love and self-loath they go have. you have to really embrace the character. my kind of motto is and this i stated several time in "avitar" because people come up to me constantly and say i really hate you. and they mean it in the nicest way, you know. and my feeling for characters is if i don't love them, who will. and if i love them deeply and enough, then i can bring you to some kind of understanding. or not even understanding, recognition. i just want you to recognize iclan. so what that is, to me, my relationship with my characters is many things but one of the things it is is an act of kindness, me toward the characters. and i've come to believe as i've gotten older that the most important life lessons, the most important quality that in my life is kindness, more so than intelligence or intrupdity or anything. but if you can live a kind life, i think you're going to die happy, which has yet to be determined, of course. [ la