Gettysburg Battle: A Memorable Event in the American Culture

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The Civil War of the United States was one of the foundations that made this country what it is today. However, it is believed that one battle determined the outcome of this War. If this battle had gone another way, the United States that we know today would not exist as it is. This is the battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg represents a vital turning point during the Civil War because it was the battle with most casualties in the United States, it restored the faith of the Union Army and the confederates never gained back the offensive position resulting in the Union Army gaining the victory of this war.
According to General Meade, this three day battle (July 1st- 3rd, 1863) went down as follows. The Union army believed the confederate army had 100000 men leaded by General R. E. Lee crossed the Potomac River and was moving forward into Cumberland Valley. So, in June 28, General Meade started gathering troops and strategizing. However it was not until June 30th that they first sight enemy troops in Cashtown road. By this time, General Reynolds (general serving the Union) was in charge to occupy Gettysburg. General Reynolds reached the place on July 1st and found Buford’s (another general from the Union) cavalry engaged with confederates. Reynolds moved around went to Cashtown road and attacked. By this time, the Union was being successful; they had even captured several prisoners, including General Archer from the Confederate army (Meade). Then, the same day, around 1 and 2 pm, the Confederates brought superior forces and they changed the way of the battle; the Confederates were now winning. This lead that, at 4 pm, Major General Howard (Union) decided to withdraw from Cementery Ridge at south of the town. This, h...

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Lincoln, Abraham, President. "Gettysburg Address (1863)." Speech. Gettysburg Battle. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Library of Congress. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.
Meade, George. "Major General George Meade's Account of the Battle of Gettysburg (October 1, 1863)." The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. 1st ed. Vol. 1. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1889. 305, 307–9, 324–25. Print. Ser. 1.
Secondary sources
"Gettysburg." Civil War Trust. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.
LaFantasie, Glenn. "Lincoln and the Gettysburg Awakening." Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, Vol. 16, No. 1 (1995), pp. 73-89. JSTOR.Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
Roelofs, Mark H. "The Gettysburg Address: An Exercise in Presidential Legitimation. "Presidential Studies Quarterly 8.3 (1978): 226-36.JSTOR. Wiley.Web. 22 Sept. 2013

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