Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg was a big fight during the American Civil War. It happened from July 1 to July 3, 1863, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The fight was between the Union army, led by Major General George Meade, and the Confederate army, led by General Robert E. Lee. It was one of the largest and most important battles of the war.

The battle was very tough, and many soldiers were hurt or lost. The Union army won, which helped change the course of the war. After the battle, President Abraham Lincoln gave a famous speech called the Gettysburg Address to honor those who fought. The battle stopped General Lee’s move into the North and gave the Union an advantage.

Background

Military situation

Main articles: Gettysburg campaign and Gettysburg Battlefield

Further information: Battle of Chancellorsville, Eastern theater of the American Civil War, and American Civil War

After the Army of Northern Virginia beat the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee wanted to move his army into the North again. Lee hoped this would confuse Union plans and help the people in Virginia. Lee's army of 72,000 soldiers could also threaten big cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.

Lee's army started moving north from Fredericksburg, Virginia in early June. The Union army, led by Major General Joseph Hooker, followed them. On June 9, there were fights between soldiers on horses at Brandy Station. By mid-June, Lee’s army got ready to cross the Potomac River. On June 26, soldiers took over Gettysburg but did not find many supplies there. Later, Lee changed leaders and put Major General George Gordon Meade in charge of the Union army instead. On June 30, Confederate soldiers saw Union soldiers arriving in Gettysburg, which led to fights early on July 1.

Opposing forces

Union

Further information: Gettysburg Union order of battle

The Army of the Potomac was led by General Meade. It had more than 100,000 soldiers. The army was split into several groups, called corps. Each corps had its own leader. Some were led by Major General John F. Reynolds and Major General Winfield Scott Hancock. There were also other corps, like the III, V, VI, XI, XII Corps, and the Cavalry Corps.

Confederate

Further information: Gettysburg Confederate order of battle

General Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia with about 75,000 soldiers. After General Jackson died, the army was split into three infantry groups. The First Corps was led by Lieutenant General James Longstreet. The Second Corps was led by Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell. The Third Corps was led by Lieutenant General A. P. Hill. The Cavalry division was commanded by Major General J. E. B. Stuart.

First day of battle

The first day of the Battle of Gettysburg was on July 1, 1863. Union soldiers, led by Major General John F. Reynolds, set up defenses on three ridges west of Gettysburg. They waited for more troops to come from the south.

Confederate soldiers under General A.P. Hill moved toward these ridges. Fighting started around 7:30 a.m. when Confederate soldiers met Union cavalry. The Union soldiers held their ground, but more Confederate troops arrived later. General Reynolds was killed, and Major General Abner Doubleday took command.

As the day continued, the Confederates pushed the Union soldiers back toward the town of Gettysburg. The Union XI Corps, led by Major General Oliver O. Howard, also came to defend the town. By the end of the day, Union forces moved to higher ground south of the town at Cemetery Hill. Major General Winfield S. Hancock arrived and chose Gettysburg as the main battlefield. The first day was a big battle with many soldiers fighting.

Second day of battle

Further information: Little Round Top; Cemetery Hill § Battle_of_Gettysburg,_Second_Day; and Culp's Hill § Second_day

Plans and movement to battle

On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, more soldiers from both sides came to the battlefield. The Union soldiers arranged their lines in a shape like a “fishhook.” The Confederate soldiers arranged their lines about a mile west of the Union lines.

General Lee, who led the Confederate soldiers, planned to attack the Union positions. He wanted one part of his army to attack the Union’s left side and another part to attack the Union’s right side. However, his plans were not complete, and some of his soldiers arrived late.

Attacks on the Union left flank

One Confederate general, Lafayette McLaws, found Union soldiers led by Daniel Sickles in an unexpected place. Sickles had moved his soldiers forward without orders, which created a weak spot in the Union line. This caused heavy fighting, especially in areas called the Wheatfield and Devil’s Den. Many soldiers were hurt, and one general, Sickles, was injured badly by a cannonball.

Attacks on the Union right flank

Another Confederate general, Ewell, planned to attack the Union’s right side, but his soldiers were far away and had trouble moving into position. The Union soldiers defending Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill held their positions despite the attacks.

Third day of battle

Lee's plan

On July 3, General Lee wanted to attack again. He planned for General Longstreet to hit the Union left while General Ewell attacked Culp's Hill. But before Longstreet was ready, Union troops began firing at Confederate positions on Culp's Hill. After a long fight, the Union line held strong.

Lee had to change his plan. He decided that Longstreet would lead an attack with Pickett's division and six other brigades toward the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. Before the attack, Confederate artillery would try to weaken the Union defenses.

Largest artillery bombardment of the war

Around 1 p.m., about 150 to 170 Confederate guns began a big bombardment, one of the largest of the war. The Union artillery waited and then answered after about 15 minutes. The Confederate artillery ran low on ammunition and did not hurt the Union line much.

Pickett's Charge

Main article: Pickett's Charge

Around 3 p.m., Confederate soldiers began moving toward Cemetery Ridge, a distance of three-quarters of a mile. This attack is known as Pickett's Charge.

As they came close, Union artillery and infantry fired heavily. Though the Union line shook for a moment, reinforcements came and stopped the Confederate attack. The farthest point reached by the Confederates is called the "high-water mark of the Confederacy." Many Confederate soldiers did not make it back.

Cavalry battles

There were two important cavalry fights on July 3. The first happened near the end of the Confederate artillery fire and stopped Confederate cavalry from flanking the Union troops. The second was an unsuccessful attack by Union cavalry on Confederate infantry, led by General Kilpatrick. One Union officer, General Farnsworth, was killed in this fight.

Northeast of Gettysburg

Stuart's cavalry, along with Jenkins' brigade, was sent to protect the Confederate left flank and to try to flank the Union right if Pickett's Charge succeeded. They fought Union cavalry led by General Gregg and Custer near East Cavalry Field. The fight ended with both sides staying in place, but Gregg and Custer stopped Stuart from getting behind the Union infantry.

Southwest of Gettysburg

After hearing about the Union's success against Pickett's Charge, General Kilpatrick led a cavalry attack against Confederate infantry near Big Round Top. The terrain was difficult, and Longstreet's troops were well-protected. General Farnsworth led one of the attacks and was killed.

Aftermath

Many soldiers were hurt during the Battle of Gettysburg. The Union lost many soldiers, and the Confederate army also lost a lot. Some important Confederate leaders were hurt or captured.

After the battle, the Confederate army left Gettysburg and went back to Virginia. The Union army followed but could not catch them before they crossed the river. The news of the Union win made many people in the North happy, but some still worried the war would continue.

More than four months later, a special ceremony was held in Gettysburg to honor those who had died. President Abraham Lincoln gave a famous speech called the Gettysburg Address, which helped change how people thought about the war.

Historical assessment

Further information: Lost Cause of the Confederacy

Decisive victory controversies

People have talked a lot about what the Battle of Gettysburg really meant. Even though it didn’t seem like a big deal at first, many later thought it was an important moment in the Civil War. Some say it was a big win for the Union because after this battle, the Confederate army stopped trying to attack and could only react to the Union’s moves.

Many believe Gettysburg was a big win for the Union, but some historians say it wasn’t the final deciding moment of the war. The war went on for two more years after this battle. Some say the Confederate army was still strong after Gettysburg, while others point out that both sides had lost many soldiers in earlier battles, which made the Confederates weaker. Overall, Gettysburg was a very important battle, but not the absolute turning point that ended the war.

Lee vs. Meade

Before Gettysburg, Robert E. Lee was known as a very successful general. He had won many battles, but at Gettysburg, he faced George G. Meade and the Union Army, who fought well on their own ground. Meade’s army used strong defensive positions and quick moves to defend against Lee’s attacks.

Some say Lee made mistakes, like being too confident in his troops or not managing his generals well. Others say Meade was a good leader who made smart decisions during the battle. Both generals faced criticism after the battle, but Meade’s army held their ground and stopped Lee’s attacks.

Battlefield preservation

Gettysburg National Cemetery and Gettysburg National Military Park are cared for by the U.S. National Park Service to help us remember history. Even though Gettysburg is a famous battlefield from the Civil War, some parts are at risk of being built on for homes or businesses.

There have been some wins for protecting the battlefield. Plans to build a casino near Gettysburg were stopped in 2006 and again in 2011 thanks to people speaking up. The American Battlefield Trust has helped save land too, buying and protecting over 1,242 acres (5.03 km²) of the battlefield since 1997.

In popular culture

At the 50th anniversary Gettysburg reunion (1913), many veterans met to remember the battle. They included many from the Union and some from the Confederacy. They had a symbolic re-enactment to show unity.

At the 75th anniversary Gettysburg reunion (1938), more veterans came back to honor the battle.

The battle has appeared in films and books. One children's story, Window of Time (1991), is about a boy who travels back in time to the battle. The 1993 film Gettysburg tells the story from the point of view of important leaders.

See also: Commemoration of the American Civil War on postage stamps