Gettysburg: American Civil War and Battle Essay

Submitted By ctfor_three
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Gettysburg This battle was absolutely essential to the civil war because this battle forced the confederacy to flee to the South again and no longer take the offensive strategy. Without the South taking the offensive against the North there was no way for the South to win with less troops and supplies. Robert E. Lee had a lot of future opportunities taken from him when he decided to have picket’s charge go into an open field. Robert E. Lee had a lot of his men taken away from him. The North had capitalized after that and the South had no chance of winning the war after this battle. The Battle of Gettysburg was the most influential battle because of the number of deaths and the influence it made on the South, limiting them for further siege of the North.
Build Up to the Battle
Crushing defeat of Hooker’s army
Major General George Gordon placed in charge of Union’s largest Army
George Gordon hoped to draw Lee on high ground along Pipe Steam Creek
General Lee receives word that the Federal Army of the Potomac is heading to Pennsylvania
Union sends scouts ahead and enter Gettysburg
Strategies of both leaders
General Lee’s strategy
Army of Northern “Virginia was about to invade the North with its two of three corps
Continue to invade into the North and end this war
Major General George Gordon’s strategy
Camp along open ground and draw Lee into an open area
Stay patience and wait for the right moment to strike
Viewpoints
North
Won the battle and did a very good job with holding their position
Stopped the South from going any farther into the North
South
Very unsuccessful battle
This loss put them on the defensive for the rest of the war.
5 Courses of the Battle of Gettysburg
On July 2nd Union defended a range of hills with 90,000 soldiers
120 Generals were present at Gettysburg and 9 were killed or injured
General Lee lost 23 battle flags in Pickett’s charge more than the previous 14 months combined
Over 50,000 casualties on this day
General Lee lost 1/3 of his army

Legacies and effects
Know as the single most bloody day in all of American history
1,400 monuments, markers, and tablets in Gettysburg
Gave the momentum of the war to the North and helped them win the war
The most influential battle in the North because both sides needed to