The Battle of Gettysburg:
Introduction: “After his astounding victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, in May 1863, Robert E. Lee led his Army of Northern Virginia in its second invasion of the North—the Gettysburg Campaign” (History.com staff).The Battle of Gettysburg “fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War.” (History.com staff) The Battle was “fought 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.” ("Battle of Gettysburg.") Lee’s goals for the battle were “to collect supplies in the abundant Pennsylvania farmland and take the fighting away from war-ravaged Virginia. He wanted to threaten Northern cities, weaken the North's appetite for war and, especially, win a major battle on Northern soil and strengthen the peace movement in the North.” (History.com staff) George G. Meade was a new commander, Lee recognized that and wanted to take advantage of the new union general. (“Battle of Gettysburg”)
The battle in detail: “On the morning of July 1, Confederate and Union forces clashed north and west of Gettysburg.” (Jennifer Stock) It was a Confederate victory on the first day of battle. However on the second day the union military, led by George G. Meade came ready to fight. (“Battle of Gettysburg”) “On July 2, the second day of fighting, Union forces numbering approximately ninety thousand, made their stand in the hills around Gettysburg. The Union Army spread over approximately 2 miles (3 kilometers) in a fishhook formation.” (Jennifer Stock) Seventy-Thousand confederate troops surrounded the union troops. However due to lack of organization, the union won the second day. “The third day of the battle, July 3, brought both the most intense fighting and highest number of losses.” (Jennifer Stock) “A Confederate cannon attack was intended to clear the way for an infantry charge; however, the cannons overshot the battlefield, landing in the fields behind the Union forces.Though Longstreet had command, the charge of twelve thousand Confederate troops came to be known as “Pickett’s Charge” after Major General George Pickett. Two out of three Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded. Many historians consider Pickett’s Charge the end of Confederate hopes for victory. The failure of the charge marked a turn in the war.” (Jennifer Stock) “The retreat was another turning point in the war. Never again were the weakened confederate forces able to seriously threaten Northern territory.” (Alan Brinkley)
Significance: “Although the Battle of Gettysburg did not end the war, it was the great battle of the war, marking the point when the ultimate victory of the North over the South became clear to both sides alike.” (“Battle of Gettysburg”) There was a “dedication of the National Cemetery at the site in November 1863 was the occasion of Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The battlefield became a national military park in 1895, and jurisdiction passed to the National Park Service in 1933.” (The Battle of Gettysburg”) “Casualties on both sides were high. More than 23,000 Union soldiers and as many as 28,000 Confederate soldiers lay dead on the fields of Gettysburg.” (Jennifer Stock)
Bibliography:
"The Battle of Gettysburg: July 1–3, 1863." Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History. Ed. Jennifer Stock. Vol. 6: North America. Farmington Hills,
MI: Gale, 2014. World History in Context. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation. N.p.: Chris Freitag, n.d. Print.
“Battle Gettysburg.” American Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <http://americancivilwar.com/getty.html>.
“Battle of Gettysburg.” History.com. History.com staff, 2009. Web. 14 Jan. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-gettysburg>.
"Battle of Gettysburg." Britannica School.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/36637>.
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