An Essay On The Battle Of Gettysburg

Two years after the start of the Civil War, the Union and the Confederate armies came to meet in one of the most famous battles of the Civil War; the Battle of Gettysburg. A battle that played a critical factor in determining how both sides would continue to fight future battles. The Battle of Gettysburg took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the first three days of July in 1863. Though not victorious, it is in the Battle of Gettysburg in which General Robert E. Lee can be proclaimed as a master of the organization of war. It was in the summer of 1863 that would mark a turning point during the Civil War. It is estimated that tens of thousands had already perished as a result of the war from both the Union and the Confederacy. With no definite side to be declared victorious, there were still thousands more to die by the time the Civil War would come to an end. The Battle of Gettysburg was a decisive triumph for the Union despite the fact that the South continued to fight for two more years.

The Strategic Setting

On the eve of 1 July 1863, thousands of Union soldiers were already staged in the small town of Gettysburg. Most of these soldiers were widely dispersed throughout Gettysburg. A large presence of Union soldiers gathered on the western side of Gettysburg near the McPherson Ridge. They were responsible for the security of the western edge of Gettysburg. Having had a change of command, Major General George G. Meade then took command of the Union’s troops just two days prior. General Lee’s army was also dispersed and Lee began to move troops towards Gettysburg. Major cities in the North such as Philadelphia; Washington DC; and Baltimore were all under the threat of attack from the Confederate Army of North...

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...army to procure the lead. Later on, a misinterpretation from General Meade that was made caused the Union to lose a great number of soldiers and almost lost a very valuable position at Little Round Top. Union troops however, maintained composure and defeated the Confederate attack on Culp’s Hill, forcing the Confederates to retreat. The ultimate mistake that shifted the course of the battle was on the third day when the Confederates believed that they had destroyed the artillery from the union. Had a different approach from General Picket occurred, rather than through open fields, then perhaps General Lee’s army would have won the battle of Gettysburg and maintained position in Northern soil. Terrible losses and the retreat of the South were significant turning points of the war. The South had to abandon its effort to take the war to North from that point on.