On July 4, 1863 when most of the country was ready to celebrate the birth of their nation General Lee and his army were ready for a counter attack that never came. However, General Meade did send a small detachment of troops to pursue Lee’s army but it was not a large detail and it would not make great efforts to chase after the rebel army. After the fighting was all over the battle would be proclaimed a Union victory that struck deep into the heart of the Confederacy. The Confederate Army was already challenged due to its lack of supplies and personnel. "It's my fault," Lee was heard to say after the battle of Gettysburg. He blamed himself for the loss, and he was not entirely mistaken; his decision on the third day of battle to pitch a massive frontal assault on the center of the Union line, known as Pickett's …show more content…
Before this time the Union Command of the Army of the Potomac was plagued with unsatisfactory commanders, General McClellan who was removed from command due to his inability to agree with the War Department. General Burnside was only in command for a few months and had been relieved due to his inability to control the battlefield and take ground. General Hooker, who commanded the army for a short period of approximately six months and would resign due to his differences with Washington about personnel and supplies, he also failed to out maneuver and defeat an army that was only half the size of his at the battle of Chancellorsville. “The Battle of Gettysburg was largest battle in the Western hemisphere. Here, more men died than any other place in North America. Gettysburg was the turning point of the war. The casualties were so great that never again did the Confederate Army possess the moral and physical strength to invade the Union. ” This is why the victory at Gettysburg changed the course of the Civil
bloody and costly years for both sides we come to the date of July 1,
Today, the Battle of Gettysburg is considered one of the most important battles of the American Civil War. However, with 23,049 casualties on the Union side and 28,063 on the Confederate side, it can also be considered one of the bloodiest (Civil War Trust). Such heavy losses naturally rattled the entire nation and Americans on both sides began to question the war and what it stood for. As Americans gathered together at the consecration ceremony of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, the much acclaimed orator and politician Edward Everett delivered what was meant to be the Gettysburg Address. Yet, today, it is not Edward Everett’s Gettysburg Address that the world remembers, but Abraham Lincoln’s, who was invited to the ceremony almost as an afterthought. Lincoln’s 272 words helped remake America by giving hope to its citizens at a time when they were at their lowest.
Americans had been engaged in a Civil War which had been begun in April of 1861 with shots fired on a fort in South Carolina. In the summer of 1863 in a small town called Gettysburg, there would be a fierce battle fought between the Union Army of the Potomac led by General George G. Meade and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee. The events of the battle would overcome the losses suffered by the Union and put the Confederacy on the run. “Over 165,000 men would converge, and before the fighting ended, the ground would run red with blood. The battle was fierce, and the casualties proved it. But the casualties that resulted would not be in vain, at least for the Union; the formidable power
The Civil War, composed of the Union run by numerous generals replacing one another, and the Confederacy lead by Robert E. Lee, was and still is one of the most gruesome wars in American History, and the Battle of Gettysburg is considered by most as an incredible turning point of the war. This is due to how the Union brought down the Confederacy’s winning streak, and gave the Confederacy a huge blow to their manpower, supplies, and overall strength to win (Battle of Gettysburg, 1). Robert E. Lee, though a great general throughout the Civil War, was a failure during the Battle Gettysburg because he was not able to get his men to their jobs done in time. Another reason he was a failure was because of his plan to attack again on July 3rd which
The geography of the North destroyed the chances that the South had of winning. The number of casualties for the South was about the same as the North, but it affected the South way more because they had a way smaller amount of men. As a result, the south lost all of its morale and confidence in winning this war. Both armies, exhausted, held their positions until the night of July 4, when Lee withdrew. The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War, costing the Union 23,000 killed, wounded, or missing in action. The Confederates suffered 25,000 casualties. The South had won most battles before the Battle of Gettysburg because they were fought in the South. Unfortunately, for the South, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in the North and the North's geography was totally different from what they are accustomed to. Robert E. Lee wrote letters to Jefferson Davis saying he cannot fulfill his position as General. He states, “I cannot even accomplish what I myself desire. How can I fulfill the expectations of others?...”(Document C) His morale and confidence in these letters have been diminished. Abraham Lincoln on the other hand wrote the Gettysburg address. This speech made the south lose more of its morale and hope in the war. h In this speech he gave a new meaning to the war. The Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point in the Civil War due to geography,
The Gettysburg Battle was known as the bloodiest battle during the Civil War, as millions of lives were lost on both sides of the nation. In 1863 the Confederate and Union armies, both with 75,000 men, marched to face each other. General Robert E. Lee was the General who commanded the Confederate Army, and George Meade was appointed on June 27 as the new Union army general. On June 30, the Union and the Confederate army readied themselves for the battle ahead.(Background Essay) Geography, casualties, and the morales aided to the belief that then Battle of Gettysburg was a time when the tide shifted in favor of the North.
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought by the largest number of soldiers, totaling 172,000 young men (“American Civil War”). During the Civil War, our nation was divided by the North (Union Army) and the South (Confederate Army) for opposing viewpoints on slavery and states’ rights. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought over three long, arduous days. The soldiers struggled under their respected generals in a 25 mile battle zone (“American Civil War”). This battle was a triumphant victory and a heart-wrenching loss for the troops of the Yankee North and Rebel South. The complexity of the Battle of Gettysburg brought together two fronts whose decisions and commitment would determine its outcome.
The Battle of Gettysburg was a short lived battle with tremendously tragic amounts of bloodshed and casualties. The physical battle, lasting the short span from July 1st to July 3rd 1863, is considered by many, the most significant and important battle of the American Civil War. Unfortunately what many consider the most significant battle of the American War was also indeed the bloodiest battle fought on American soil. Confidence can be to blame for the outset of this battle and how it began. In May of 1863, the Confederate army leader, Robert E. Lee was fortunate enough in Chancellorsville, Virginia when he and his army claimed the victory against the Army of the Potomac. Lee experienced a high of confidence from the victory, which ultimately
The three-day Battle of Gettysburg, starting on July 1st in 1863, would be known to be one of the most memorable and important battles in history. It would become the major outcome of the Civil War. The day of the outburst of the Battle of Gettysburg was a hot humid day on the first of July. It was between two sides. One side was the Union, which was the Army of Potomac Commanded by General George G. Meade, along with other notable commanders such as John F Reynolds, Winfield Scott Hancock, Daniel E. Sickles, George Sykes, John Sedgwick, Oliver O. Howard, Henry W. Slocum, and Alfred Pleasonton (“Battle of Gettysburg,” 2016). The other side was the Confederate Soldiers called the Army of Northern Virginia who was commanded by General Robert E. Lee, along with other notable commanders as well, which were James Longstreet, Richard S. Ewell, A. P. Hill, and J.E.B. Stuart (“Battle of Gettysburg,” 2016). Between these two sides, the Army of Potomac had a great advantage with 93,700 men and 372 guns, while the Army of Northern Virginia were outmanned and outgunned with only 70,100 men and 280 guns. The Army of Potomac’s mission was to defeat the Army of Northern Virginia as well as to make sure Washington, D.C. remained safe. It may seem like the Army of Potomac would be the clear winner at the Battle of Gettysburg yet the Army of Northern Virginia had a strategy that would help to attempt to beat the Union which was to go on the aggression and confront them. This would
The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War because the Confederate morale declined while the Union’s dramatically increased. “I have seen and heard
The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most famous battles of the Civil War. The battle was fought from July 1 to July 3 near Gettysburg. The famous battle was between Robert Lee and his Northern Virginia Army and George Meade and the North's Army of the Potomac, The Union. The original leader of the Army of the Potomac was General Joseph Hooker, but President Lincoln relieved Hooker of his duties and named Meade the new General of the Army. Many soldiers died from both sides during this battle and that is the reason it is known as one of the bloodiest battles. The Battle of Gettysburg was General Robert Lee's second attempt at invading the North and there was a definite aftermath to this battle.
The Battle of Gettysburg is one of the most important events to occur in the American Civil War. The Federals were attacked by the Confederates from the left and the right. General Robert E. Lee learned that the Army of Potomac was on its way and he assembled his army in the Harrisburg. When he arrived, he found that two Union brigades had arrived the day before. By July 2nd, the Union Army had strong forces in Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Ridge. General Lee decided to attack the Federals where they already were. It was a devastating defeat for the Confederates. The Union lost 23,000 men. The Confederate lost 28,000 men. This battle turned the Civil War in the Union’s favor.
This most important Civil War Battle occurred over three summer days, July 1 - July 3 1863, around the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It began as not that big of a deal but by the time it ended, there were 160,000 Americans. Before the battle, a lot major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington D.C, were under threat of attack from General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia which had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania. The Union Army of the Potomac under its new commander, General George G. Meade, marched to intercept Lee. ( Jeffry D. Wert)
The battle of Gettysburg took place between July 1st - 3rd 1963. In the May of 1963 Lee had been given the go ahead for a north invasion. Lee hoped that a victory in the north would help increase the peace movement which was gathering some support there. This, along with the weakening of the Union army, may initiate talks of surrender by the Federal Army. On June 30th come of the Confederate army marched into the town of Gettysburg but wee driven back by a Union cavalry which was already there. So, the next day the Confederates attacked with more force, with troops from the wast, north and east. This drove the Union army back and up onto Cemetery Hill. This however, resulted in giving the Union a good position for defence. On July 2nd Lee ordered more attacks and an attempt to storm Cemetery Hill. This was unsuccessful, but resulted in 9,000 casualties. At 1.00pm on July 3rd Confederates opened fire on the Federal line and major duel continued for two hours. Then the infantry moved forward which is known as "Pickett 's Charge" . The Confederate army was driven back and the battle was considered a Union victory. The battle left the Confederates with around 28,000 casualties and the Union with
An interesting turn of events would soon favor the Federal Army as General J.E.B. Stuart and his cavalry were north and east of Gettysburg causing a lot of fear in the North but consequently were not performing adequate reconnaissance, the result was that General Lee did not know where General Meade and the Army of the Potomac were or what their strength was (Freeman, 147). When Confederate General Henry Heth moved into