BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
Most historians would agree that the Battle of Gettysburg is the most notable and influential battle during the American Civil War. Taking place from July 1st to July 3rd of 1863, the battle that involved General’s Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army and General George G. Meade of the Union Army. Meade had recently been promoted by President Abraham Lincoln to command the Potomac army, whom Lincoln had grown to distrust under the leadership of Commander Joseph Hooker. Lee however, was brimming with confidence after a clear and war defining victory at Chancellorsville a little over a month prior.
Lee wished to invade the North, with the goal being that another victory could show the strength of the Confederate Army and impress the French and British whose resources would play a large role in deciding the War. After an early push by Lee, 30,000 Confederate Soldiers defeated 20,000 men of the Union Army just northwest of Gettysburg, forcing a retreat by Meade’s men to Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill. While defending the hill line, the northerners were attacked on their left flank by Lee’s army, it seemed as though the attack would be effective, but the Northern defense units stood strong and held the same positions at the end of July 2nd that they began the day with.
“Pickett’s Charge” is the most discussed portion of the Battle of Gettysburg. This attack from the Confederates occurred on July 3rd, which was day 3 of fighting, and was an infantry attack of the center line of the Union defense. Lee was intent on making an impact in this battle, so he enlisted 15,000 infantry soldiers under the command of George Pickett to run through open fields to attack a Union line that was dug-in and protected. The charge went as one would expect, the Confederate army was decimated by artillery attack while being protected by stone walls, and Pickett’s army lost approximately two-thirds of their men.
After the debacle that was Pickett’s charge, General Lee withdrew his troops in preparation for a counter attack from the Union army that would never come. General Meade was content with simply deterring the Confederate Army from advancing into northern territory, while relishing in the victory that was the three day fight at Gettysburg. The final casualty count would be 23,000 Union soldiers, and 28,000 lost fights for the Confederacy. This short battle would have a major impact on the war, as it switched the momentum in favor of the Union. Add in that there would be no foreign recognition for the Confederacy, and there was very little positive momentum for the southern people to build off of. Robert E. Lee would attempt to resign after his blunder, but his request was denied by southern President Jefferson Davis. Although Lee would go on to lead the Confederates to many victories in the Civil War, many will forever remember his defeat at Gettysburg to be the defining moment in his career, and the defining moment for the Confederate army.