The Battle of Gettysburg
Battle Map of June 30th, 1863
This battle map shows the current position of the Union and Confederate Armies.
The battle of Gettysburg was the change in strategic position for the Confederates, whereas they remained on the defensive for awhile and so they are now moving towards the offensive, starting with Gettysburg. General Robert E. Lee led his army to the small market town of Gettysburg to take supplies and threaten northern cities. News came that the Confederates were on the way, and so Abraham Lincoln ordered Major General Joseph Hooker and his army of the Potomac to move northward in pursuit of Lee, until three days later he was relieved by Major General George Gordon Meade. Lee was aware Meade was approaching and focused his army around Gettysburg.
The Strategies of the Union and Confederate Armies
Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade
The Union Strategy
The Union Army used a tactic called "The Anaconda" battle strategy to "choke" off the Southern army.
-The Union planned to continue fighting to close Southern ports in order to shut off trades and close any shipments of supplies and weaponry.
-They plan to attack the major cities, to diminish the South, like Atlanta, Georgia or Chancellorsville, Virginia.
-They plan to attack Vicksburg near the Mississippi river in order to cut the Confederacy in half.
This plan was to suffocate the South by cutting off all means of supplies and trades, and capturing major cities important for trades and ports. This strategy would cause the South to wither and be forced to rejoin the North to regain all that was lost.
The Union Army used a tactic called "The Anaconda" battle strategy to "choke" off the Southern army.
-The Union planned to continue fighting to close Southern ports in order to shut off trades and close any shipments of supplies and weaponry.
-They plan to attack the major cities, to diminish the South, like Atlanta, Georgia or Chancellorsville, Virginia.
-They plan to attack Vicksburg near the Mississippi river in order to cut the Confederacy in half.
This plan was to suffocate the South by cutting off all means of supplies and trades, and capturing major cities important for trades and ports. This strategy would cause the South to wither and be forced to rejoin the North to regain all that was lost.
The Confederate Strategy
The Confederate Army was playing a defensive battle in the Civil War to protect their territory and their major cities from harm, until the year 1862 when General Robert E. Lee believed that it was time to stop playing on the defensive and starting going on the offensive.
-The South wasn't very well adapt to being in an offensive position and becoming aggressive in battle, whereas they'd prefer to dig in and be defensive.
-The South was not trying to defeat the North, but just play a defensive strategy and protect themselves from the Northern attacks. This gave them low chances of winning the War because all they were trying to do was outlast the North, which would seem almost futile.
-The South wasn't to concerned on losing, because of winning most of the battles being thrown at them one by one.
-The South made a change in battle strategy by the Spring of 1863, when they Confederate army decided to move into the North and attack starting with Gettysburg.
The Confederate Army was playing a defensive battle in the Civil War to protect their territory and their major cities from harm, until the year 1862 when General Robert E. Lee believed that it was time to stop playing on the defensive and starting going on the offensive.
-The South wasn't very well adapt to being in an offensive position and becoming aggressive in battle, whereas they'd prefer to dig in and be defensive.
-The South was not trying to defeat the North, but just play a defensive strategy and protect themselves from the Northern attacks. This gave them low chances of winning the War because all they were trying to do was outlast the North, which would seem almost futile.
-The South wasn't to concerned on losing, because of winning most of the battles being thrown at them one by one.
-The South made a change in battle strategy by the Spring of 1863, when they Confederate army decided to move into the North and attack starting with Gettysburg.
Battle Map of July 1st, 1863
The Union cavalry under command of Brigadier General John Buford helped slow down the Confederate advance until Union infantry arrived. Confederate reinforcements also arrived and so help came from generals A.P Hill and Richard Ewell. General A.P Hill and Richard Ewell attacked the Union armies around the outskirts of Gettysburg. The confederates totaled in about 30,000 and defeated 20,000 Northerners on the first day of the battle. This caused the Union army to fall back through Gettysburg to the hills south of the town (Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill).
Battle Map of July 2nd, 1863
On the second day of the battle the Union army was defending a somewhat fishhook shaped range of hills and the ridges down south of Gettysburg with 90,000 soldiers in place. The Confederate Army was going around or wrapped around the Union Army's position with about 70,000 soldiers. During the afternoon time, General Robert E. Lee launched an attack on the Union's left flank landing heavy assaults trying to move them back. Meanwhile, there were battles occurring at Devil's Den, Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Peach Orchard, and Cemetery Ridge. James Longstreet moved through the South Mountains to press on Gettysburg and keep Meade from cutting Lee's communications. The Union was launching full scale attacks on Culp's hill and East of Cemetery Hill trying to get into a better formation of defending and slowly taking Confederate numbers. The Union was starting to recover slowly from the first day and remained vigilant and strong, however the Confederates was gaining more land as they pushed the Union.
Battle Map of July 3rd, 1863
The Union remained in a fishhook shaped position from Little Round Top, to Culp's hill defending as much as they could. Large amounts of fighting was still occurring on Culp's hill, which the Confederates wanted to take, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south. The turning point of this battle occurred in the main event, which was an infantry assault by 12,000 Confederates against the center of the Union Line along Cemetery Ridge, and it was called "Pickett's Charge." However, the charge was repelled by Union rifles, artillery fire, and defensive attacks creating great losses for the Confederate Army. This event in the war changed everything and was one of the Confederate's greatest mistakes in the war. The great losses led General Robert E. Lee to retreat his men down towards Virginia. This resulted in a Union victory.
The Second Draft: Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln gave a dedication ceremony for all lives that were lost during this battle. Over 51,000 casualties from both sides in three days. Lincoln gave his speech in dedication to the men that fought in the battle, which took less than two minutes and was one of the shortest speeches in history.