I'm just curious, I'd love more insight. I'm confused with who was fighting who and why. I'd also like to know more about General Barksdale, why was he important? Why did his words before death have such a huge impact?
Can't answer your question directly, but here are some earlier threads and the FAQ section to read while you wait:
Why was the Battle of Gettysburg so significant to the victory of Union?
Gettysburg was one of the major encounters between the two primary armies in the primary theater of the war. The battle came about because Lee (the confederate commander) wanted to force a decisive engagement and bring the Union to a negotiating table. The battle raged for three days, with over 160,000 men engaged in fighting. So there were a number of minor engagements that made up the battle as a whole.
Barksdale was the commander of a brigade. One of 43 brigades at the battle on the Confederate side. He reported to his Division commander, McLaws; who reported to a corps commander, Longstreet; who reported to the overall commander Lee. So while he was a general, he wasn't a particularly high ranking one.
Barksdale arrived with the rest of Longstreet' Corps after the close of fighting on July 1st, and was put on the right of the Confederate line. Most of the fighting on the morning of July 2nd took place even further to Barksdale's right. The Union forces were pushed back and up onto a couple of high points, which they were able to hold. That left the Union forces directly in front of Barksdale's brigade exposed and out in front of the rest of the Union line. So in late afternoon McLaws division was sent forward to destroy these brigades. Fighting raged on at points known as the Wheat Field, the Peach Orchard, and Sickle's Salient. When Barksdale's brigade engaged around 5:30 pm it came out of a line of trees and advanced and crushed union brigade blocking them, forcing those men to retreat.
They chased the Union men about a half mile where Union reinforcements counterattacked. Barksdale was wounded there, near a stream called Plum Run, as his men were forced back. He would die the next day in a Union field hospital. After the Confederate withdrawal, night fell and the fighting finally ceased for the night.
I'm not sure what final words you have for Barksdale. The ones I have are the ones he said to his aide, "I am killed! Tell my wife and children that I died fighting at my post." They were very typical last words for the period, as dying well was a very important concept at the time. A lot of reported last words were of men asking that they be remembered for having died properly in the line of duty. I don't think his last words were unusual at all. Nor can I recall them being particularly well remembered as inspiring.