Ian Chewbacca
3rd
2/18/09
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Union had just assigned a new commander. One in a long line of Generals who had proven to be nothing but puffed up politicians. His name was Meade, and Lincoln was hoping that he could get the desperate North a much-needed victory. The Army of Northern Virginia was invading Pennsylvania and the army of the Potomac was planning on attacking them from the rear. Gettysburg is said to have been the greatest battle of the Civil War. Over 160,000 men were involved in the battle and over 51,000 were killed, wounded or missing by the end of it.
Robert Edward Lee
Lee was not a man who strongly believed in slavery. He was a very patriotic man, born in the state of Virginia. Although he eventually led an army against the U.S.A. he was married to George Washington’s relative.
Soon after Lincoln was elected, in outrage, the Southern states started to secede. Lee was offered full command of the Union army, but a short time after this Virginia seceded and Lee regretfully declined. Returning to his home state, Lee became commander of Virginia’s military forces.
Realizing that Virginia would be the best place for the North to invade, the southern states soon sent the confederate army there, and the Virginian army was acclimated into the confederate army, although Lee did not get a field position.
When Lee finally took command, he suffered a series of defeats due to a lack of any strong navy and competent subordinates. He finally managed to push the Union army back to the James R. Lee managed many daring victories and escaped many near disasters.
The Union had replaced McClellan with a hopefully competent commander: Burnside. Lee destroyed him at Fredericksburg and soon the north had a new Commander: Hooker. Lee managed to defeat his larger force with a very risky counter intuitive attack. Although Lee won a victory, he lost one of his best field commanders: Stonewall Jackson.
In an attempt to take Pennsylvania, Lee led his army into the North in a military campaign that resulted in the battle of Gettysburg and the turning point of the Civil war.
George Meade
Beginning the war as Brigadier General of the Pennsylvanian Volunteers, he was influential in the construction of Washington D.C.’s defenses. After being wounded at the battle of Glendale, acting heroically at the second Battle of Bull Run and performing very well at South Mountain, it was no wonder when he was asked to take over the i.Corps at the battle of Antietam.
At Fredericksburg Meade led the only division to break through the confederate line that day, and he accomplished this feet in the centre of “Stonewall” Jackson’s line.
Meade took over control of the army of the Potomac in June 1863 after Hooker resigned.
The Start
On the morning of June 30, 1863, a brigade of confederate infantry was headed towards Gettysburg, after hearing that the Union had stored shoes and other supplies there. The Confederates had worn down their shoes and were in sore need of replacements.
As they neared the town, the spotted Union cavalry headed towards the town also. The next day, two confederate divisions went into town with the orders, “Get those Shoes”. They ran into the Union cavalry west of town. What began as a skirmish would escalate into the biggest battle of the war.
After hearing of the fight, Lee quickly sent 25,000 men to the divisions’ aid. The federals were pushed back through town (outnumbered by 5,000) eventually settling in to the South atop Cemetery hill. Confederate Gen. Ewell was ordered by Lee to take the high ground “if practicable”. The general hesitated, allowing for the Union soldiers to dig in and bring reinforcements, as well as artillery.
Day Two
Over night, union soldiers had occupied Cemetery ridge, a fishhook shaped ridge to the south of town. At the southern edge of this ridge was Little Round Top, a flat-topped hill. Confederate Gen Longstreet attacked the southern edge of Cemetery ridge that day. Several divisions of federals were ordered to defend little round top, including Major Gen. Sickle and Col. Lawrence Chamberlain. Ignoring orders, Sickle formed up his line in front of little round top, instead of on it. He lined up in the peach
orchard and in Devil’s den. Because of this, some confederates were able to get by him and reach the left flank of Little Round Top, where Chamberlain was. The confederates charged the thin union line time and time again.
Soon, the 20th Maine (which Chamberlain commanded) was low on ammunition and men. Chamberlain gave the order, and his far left flank advanced while wheeling around as if on a great hinge, in effect flanking the enemy. At this time, Company B of the 20th Maine popped out of hiding behind a small row of stones, firing a volley into the confederate’s side. All this happening at once had the rebels either running for their lives or surrendering their weapons to the 20th Maine. All in all, the company captured 600 rebels with a much smaller group.
Out in the front, Sickles wasn’t fairing quite so well. In fact he lost his right leg, the Peach orchard, and most of his Corps.
Later that day, Gen. Ewell attacked the northern flank of the Union army, at Culp’s hill and Cemetery hill. Although the attack lasted into the darkness, he only managed to take some trenches at Culp’s hill and was completely unsuccessful at Cemetery hill.
3rd Day
The small success for the Confederates the day before on Culp’s hill was destroyed when, after vigorously attacking the Union lines many times, a counter attack was mounted, driving the rebels down the hill and across Rock creek. This attack occurred early in the morning.
About the time the fight on Culp’s hill ended, fresh troops under the Confederate George Pickett were being lined up in the trees parallel to Cemetery hill. Their numbers were around 13,000. Confederate Cavalry were sent around Union lines in a flanking maneuver in an attempt to divert attention from the Confederate infantry that were going to advance soon. General Meade was not expecting an attack on the centre of his line and therefore
sent most of the men stationed there to the southern end of the line. This left only 5,750 men stationed in the centre of the ridge.
One hundred Seventy rebel cannon opened fire on Cemetery hill to soften up the Union lines for
the assault. Although this was the largest artillery bombardment of the war, it was largely ineffective due to the inferior cannon of the Confederates. Not knowing of this Confederates went ahead with the plan.
The Federals returned fire, but around 2:30 they the abruptly stopped to conserve ammunition and confuse the rebels into thinking that they were out of the same. The ruse worked.
When George Pickett asked Gen. Longstreet for the go-ahead to advance Longstreet was so overcome with emotion that he could only nod (Longstreet had opposed an all out charge and knew that it would destroy the army). The men advanced in the scorching heat. The line was a almost a mile long.
As they got within range, the Union cannon pelted them with grapple shot and the riflemen destroyed whole companies with a veritable hailstorm of lead. When they neared the Union trenches, the rebels fired one volley, and then charged with a bloodcurdling yell. At the points where they actually reached the trenches, there was fierce hand-to-hand fighting and guns firing at point blank range.
The rebels were near to achieving their goal when the Union reinforcements arrived and sent a volley into their ranks. They retreated, leaving 7,500 dead on the field.
The Confederate casualties of the battle of Gettysburg, including dead, wounded and missing, were 28,000 of their 75,00. The Federal casualties, including dead, wounded and missing, were 23,00 of 88,000. That night and the following day, the Confederates retreated into Northern Virginia. The Northern army chose not to follow, a decision heavily criticized by Lincoln.
Conclusion
The battle of Gettysburg is the most talked about and most remembered of all the battles of the Civil War. It started out as a skirmish that started out as a fight over shoes. After Lincoln memorialized it in November of 1863, as a national military cemetery, it has drawn many tourists looking for a great piece of history. The Confederate army would go on to fight many battles, but would never fully recover from the blow that they were dealt at Gettysburg. Cemetery hill, a place with some of the thickest fighting of the battle, had a sign on the entrance to the cemetery, it read, “Any man who uses a weapon on these grounds will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law”. Please note the irony of that statement…
Work cited
"Civil War / battle" history place online History Place
21 Febuary 2009 <http:/'/www.historyplace.com/civilwar/battle.htm>
"George Meade" wikipedia online Wikipedia Encyclopedia
17 Febuary 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Meade>
"Gettyburg" american civil war online American Civil War
16 Febuary 2009 <http://americancivilwar.com/getty.html>
"Lee, Robert" american civil war online American Civil War
18 Febuary 2009 <http://americancivilwar.com/south/lee.html>
"Robert E. Lee" wikipedia online Wikipedia Encyclopedia
17 Febuary 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robet_E_Lee#Civil_War>
Shaara, Michael The Killer Angels Random House New York 1974
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