battle of gettysburg introduction essay

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Battle of Gettysburg

By: History.com Editors

Updated: March 17, 2023 | Original: October 29, 2009

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. After a great victory over Union forces at Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania in late June 1863. On July 1, the advancing Confederates clashed with the Union’s Army of the Potomac, commanded by General George G. Meade, at the crossroads town of Gettysburg. The next day saw even heavier fighting, as the Confederates attacked the Federals on both left and right. On July 3, Lee ordered an attack by fewer than 15,000 troops on the enemy’s center at Cemetery Ridge. The assault, known as “Pickett’s Charge,” managed to pierce the Union lines but eventually failed at the cost of thousands of rebel casualties. Lee was forced to withdraw his battered army toward Virginia on July 4. The Union had won in a major turning point, stopping Lee’s invasion of the North. It inspired Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” which became one of the most famous speeches of all time.

Battle of Gettysburg: Lee’s Invasion of the North

In May 1863, Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia had scored a smashing victory over the Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville. Brimming with confidence, Lee decided to go on the offensive and invade the North for a second time (the first invasion had ended at Antietam the previous fall). In addition to bringing the conflict out of Virginia and diverting northern troops from Vicksburg, where the Confederates were under siege, Lee hoped to gain recognition of the Confederacy by Britain and France and strengthen the cause of northern “Copperheads” who favored peace.

On the Union side, President Abraham Lincoln had lost confidence in the Army of the Potomac’s commander, Joseph Hooker , who seemed reluctant to confront Lee’s army after the defeat at Chancellorsville. On June 28, Lincoln named Major General George Gordon Meade to succeed Hooker. Meade immediately ordered the pursuit of Lee’s army of 75,000, which by then had crossed the Potomac River into Maryland and marched on into southern Pennsylvania .

Battle of Gettysburg Begins: July 1

Upon learning that the Army of the Potomac was on its way, Lee planned to assemble his army in the prosperous crossroads town of Gettysburg, 35 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. One of the Confederate divisions in A.P. Hill’s command approached the town in search of supplies early on July 1, only to find that two Union cavalry brigades had arrived the previous day. As the bulk of both armies headed toward Gettysburg, Confederate forces (led by Hill and Richard Ewell ) were able to drive the outnumbered Federal defenders back through town to Cemetery Hill, located a half mile to the south.

Seeking to press his advantage before more Union troops could arrive, Lee gave discretionary orders to attack Cemetery Hill to Ewell, who had taken command of the Army of Northern Virginia’s Second Corps after Lee’s most trusted general, Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson , was mortally wounded at Chancellorsville. Ewell declined to order the attack, considering the Federal position too strong; his reticence would earn him many unfavorable comparisons to the great Stonewall. By dusk, a Union corps under Winfield Scott Hancock had arrived and extended the defensive line along Cemetery Ridge to the hill known as Little Round Top. Three more Union corps arrived overnight to strengthen its defenses.

Battle of Gettysburg, Day 2: July 2

As the next day dawned, the Union Army had established strong positions from Culp’s Hill to Cemetery Ridge. Lee assessed his enemy’s positions and determined—against the advice of his defensively minded second-in-command, James Longstreet—to attack the Federals where they stood. He ordered Longstreet to lead an attack on the Union left, while Ewell’s corps would strike the right, near Culp’s Hill. Though his orders were to attack as early in the day as possible, Longstreet didn’t get his men into position until 4 p.m., when they opened fire on the Union corps commanded by Daniel Sickles .

Over the next several hours, bloody fighting raged along Sickles’ line, which stretched from the nest of boulders known as Devil’s Den into a peach orchard, as well as in a nearby wheat field and on the slopes of Little Round Top. Thanks to fierce fighting by one Maine regiment, the Federals were able to hold Little Round Top, but lost the orchard, field and Devil’s Den; Sickles himself was seriously wounded. Ewell’s men had advanced on the Union forces at Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill in coordination with Longstreet’s 4 pm attack, but Union forces had stalled their attack by dusk. Both armies suffered extremely heavy losses on July 2, with 9,000 or more casualties on each side. The combined casualty total from two days of fighting came to nearly 35,000, the largest two-day toll of the war.

Battle of Gettysburg, Day 3: July 3

Early on the morning of July 3, Union forces of the Twelfth Army Corps pushed back a Confederate threat against Culp’s Hill after a seven-hour firefight and regained their strong position. Believing his men had been on the brink of victory the day before, Lee decided to send three divisions (preceded by an artillery barrage) against the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. Fewer than 15,000 troops, led by a division under George Pickett , would be tasked with marching some three-quarters of a mile across open fields to attack dug-in Union infantry positions.

Despite Longstreet’s protests, Lee was determined, and the attack—later known as “Pickett’s Charge”—went forward around 3 p.m., after an artillery bombardment by some 150 Confederate guns. Union infantry opened fire on the advancing rebels from behind stone walls while regiments from Vermont , New York and Ohio hit both of the enemy’s flanks. Caught from all sides, barely half of the Confederates survived, and Pickett’s division lost two-thirds of its men. As the survivors stumbled back to their opening position, Lee and Longstreet scrambled to shore up their defensive line after the failed assault.

Battle of Gettysburg: Aftermath and Impact

His hopes of a victorious invasion of the North dashed, Lee waited for a Union counterattack on July 4, but it never came. That night, in heavy rain, the Confederate general withdrew his decimated army toward Virginia. The Union had won the Battle of Gettysburg.

Though the cautious Meade would be criticized for not pursuing the enemy after Gettysburg, the battle was a crushing defeat for the Confederacy. Union casualties in the battle numbered 23,000, while the Confederates had lost some 28,000 men–more than a third of Lee’s army. The North rejoiced while the South mourned, its hopes for foreign recognition of the Confederacy erased.

Demoralized by the defeat at Gettysburg, Lee offered his resignation to President Jefferson Davis , but was refused. Though the great Confederate general would go on to win other victories, the Battle of Gettysburg (combined with Ulysses S. Grant’s victory at Vicksburg, also on July 4) irrevocably turned the tide of the Civil War in the Union’s favor.

Gettysburg Address

On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his most famous speech at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg. His now-iconic Gettysburg Address eloquently transformed the Union cause into a struggle for liberty and equality—in only 272 words. He ended with the following:

“From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

HISTORY Vault: Gettysburg

This powerful special strips away the romanticized veneer of the Civil War to tell the story of the soldiers on the frontlines.

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Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania

The first day’s battle (july 1), the second day (july 2), the third day and pickett’s charge (july 3), significance, legacy, and casualties.

What was the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg?

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Battle of Gettysburg

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• American Battlefield Trust - Gettysburg
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• Gettysburg Pennsylvania Historic Crossroads - Battle History
• National Park Service - Gettysburg Overview
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• Table Of Contents

When and where was the Battle of Gettysburg fought?

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1–3, 1863, during the American Civil War , in and around Gettysburg , Pennsylvania.

Who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg?

The Battle of Gettysburg, a major battle of the American Civil War , was fought between the Union army (the North) and the Confederate army (the South).

Who won the Battle of Gettysburg?

The Battle of Gettysburg was won by the Union army (the North).

The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the turning points of the American Civil War. The South lost many of its men, including generals and colonels, and Gen. Robert E. Lee lost all hope of invading the North. He fought the rest of the war on the defensive.

What was the Gettysburg Address?

The Gettysburg Address was a speech given on November 19, 1863, by U.S. Pres. Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg , Pennsylvania, in and around where the Battle of Gettysburg was fought.

Battle of Gettysburg , (July 1–3, 1863), major engagement in the American Civil War , fought 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Harrisburg , Pennsylvania , that was a crushing Southern defeat. It is generally regarded as the turning point of the war and has probably been more intensively studied and analyzed than any other battle in U.S. history.

After defeating the Union forces of Gen. Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville , Virginia , in May, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee decided to invade the North in hopes of further discouraging the enemy and possibly inducing European countries to recognize the Confederacy . Confederate morale was high while defeatist sentiment was spreading in the North, and Lee’s army numbered more than 71,000 troops.

In preparation for his invasion, Lee reorganized his army into three corps under Gen. A.P. Hill , Gen. James Longstreet , and Gen. Richard S. Ewell . The cavalry was led by Gen. Jeb Stuart . During the last week in June 1863, Stuart made a bold and possibly ill-advised cavalry sweep completely around the Federal forces, passing between them and Washington, D.C. On June 28, when his Army of Northern Virginia was extended deep into Pennsylvania, Lee was out of touch with his cavalry under Stuart, which should have served as the eyes of the army.

Through a spy, Lee received a report that Hooker’s Army of the Potomac was at Frederick , Maryland , under a new commander, Gen. George G. Meade , who had just replaced Hooker. Lee took immediate steps to meet this unexpected threat. Ewell, whose corps had been preparing to carry the offensive across the Susquehanna from positions at Carlisle and York , was ordered to move either to Cashtown or Gettysburg . Longstreet’s corps at Chambersburg and Hill’s corps at Greenwood, both of which had been preparing to move north, were to march east to Cashtown. This concentration east of South Mountain would put Lee in an excellent strategic position to defend or attack.

Early on June 29 Meade started north with Gen. John Buford’s two cavalry brigades scouting ahead of the army. While maneuvering to keep between Lee and the Federal capital, Meade intended to make Lee turn and fight before he could cross the Susquehanna . On June 30 Buford’s troopers met and drove back a Confederate brigade from Hill’s corps that was approaching Gettysburg. Hill then authorized Gen. Henry Heth to lead his division into Gettysburg the next day. Buford, meanwhile, had immediately recognized the strategic importance of Gettysburg as a crossroads and prepared to hold the town until reinforcements arrived.

On July 1 one of Buford’s brigades, armed with the newly issued Spencer repeating carbines , delayed Heth’s division until Gen. John F. Reynolds’s I Corps began to arrive at about 11:00 am . A vigorous counterattack drove Heth’s two leading brigades back with heavy losses on both sides. Reynolds was mortally wounded in the engagement; he would be the highest-ranking officer to die at Gettysburg and one of the most senior commanders to be killed in action during the war.

By 1:00 pm all three divisions of the I Corps were deployed along Seminary Ridge, and two divisions of Gen. Oliver O. Howard ’s XI Corps had arrived to defend the northern approaches to the town. A third division of the XI Corps was posted on Cemetery Hill. Howard reached the field about noon, turning his XI Corps over to Gen. Carl Schurz and succeeding Gen. Abner Doubleday in overall command of the battlefield. The Federals resisted on both fronts until about 2:30, but an attack by Gen. Jubal Early ’s division against the northeast flank of the XI Corps led to collapse of their entire position. The XI Corps was routed, exposing the flank of the I Corps and forcing it to retreat. Before the defenders could rally on Cemetery Hill, the two Union corps had sustained more than 50 percent casualties. Lee now had superior strength available, but, being in the dark as to the enemy’s true dispositions , he did not want to bring on a general engagement until Longstreet’s corps arrived.

About 4:00 pm Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock arrived to examine the situation for Meade and decide whether to drop back to previously prepared positions along Pipe Creek, some 15 miles (24 km) southeast. After recognizing the importance of Culp’s Hill and ordering that it be occupied, Hancock studied the terrain and reported that Gettysburg was the place to fight. Having reached the same conclusion, Meade had already ordered the III Corps (under Gen. Daniel Sickles ) and the XII Corps (under Gen. Henry Slocum) forward. Lee told Ewell to attack Cemetery Hill “if possible,” but Ewell did not elect to take the risk. By the end of the first day, total casualties already amounted to some 15,500 killed, wounded, captured, or missing.

By dawn Meade’s troops had occupied a line along Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill, and Cemetery Ridge. Both opposing commanders recognized that a Confederate success on the Federal right would jeopardize Meade’s position by threatening his line of communication along the Baltimore Pike. Lee wanted to exploit this strategic weakness, but Ewell argued that Longstreet should make the main attack on the opposite flank. Longstreet, on the other hand, contended that Lee should make Meade attack.

Delayed by the opposition of his corps commanders, Lee did not issue his orders until 11:00 am . Longstreet was to envelop the Federal south flank and attack north along the Emmitsburg Pike , where Lee erroneously believed Meade’s main line to be. Hill and Ewell were to make secondary attacks. When Longstreet’s artillery started preparatory firing at 3:00 pm , Meade rushed to the heretofore neglected south flank and found that Sickles had not positioned his III Corps along Cemetery Ridge as directed but had moved forward to higher ground. This created a dangerous salient and weakened the south flank, but it was too late to pull him back. Gen. John Bell Hood ’s division of Longstreet’s corps attacked the Union left at 4:00 pm .

About this time Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren , Meade’s chief engineer, had reached Little Round Top and found it undefended. Before the 500 Alabama troops who had scaled Big Round Top could continue their attack from that hill, Warren had diverted sufficient Federal reserves to defend Little Round Top. While Warren’s action secured the main battle position, the Federal III Corps was driven from “Sickles’s salient” with crippling losses. There was desperate fighting at Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, the Wheat Field, and the Peach Orchard. Both Hood and Sickles were seriously wounded . Confederate secondary attacks were so poorly timed, however, that Meade could shift strength from quiet parts of his line and move reserves to meet each new threat. Hill attacked too late to achieve significant results, and not until 6:00 pm did Ewell launch the assault that should have begun hours earlier to coincide with Longstreet’s. Some of Ewell’s troops reached Cemetery Hill but were driven off, while others were stopped on the southeast slopes of Culp’s Hill. Casualties on the second day numbered some 20,000 killed, captured, wounded, or missing; taken by itself, the second day of Gettysburg ranks as the 10th bloodiest battle of the entire war.

In spite of Longstreet’s objections, Lee was determined to attack again on the third day. Meade, on the other hand, was less confident, and it was only after a formal council of war that he decided to stay and fight. While Ewell made a secondary attack against Culp’s Hill, Lee planned to hit the Federal center with 10 brigades, three of which were the fresh troops of Gen. George Pickett ’s division. Although this attack has been immortalized as “ Pickett’s Charge ,” that general’s only overall responsibility was to form the divisions of Brig. Gen. James Johnston Pettigrew (who had assumed command of Heth’s division after Heth was wounded on July 1) and Gen. Isaac Trimble (who had taken over Gen. Dorsey Pender’s division after Pender was mortally wounded on July 2) as they reached their attack positions on his left. Longstreet, not Pickett, was in command of the operation. Shortly after 1:00 pm the Confederates started a tremendous artillery bombardment, which was answered immediately by Federal counterfire.

At 3:00 pm the infantry moved out of the woods in parade ground order and started across the 1,400 yards (1,280 meters) of open fields toward Cemetery Ridge. The Federals watched in awed silence as some 15,000 Confederate troops moved toward them. Then the Federal artillery, which had ceased fire an hour earlier to save ammunition, went back into action with devastating effect at a range of about 700 yards (640 meters). Almost unscathed by the Confederate artillery preparation, most of which had gone over their heads, the roughly 10,000 Federal infantry against whom the attack was directed waited coolly behind stone walls and held their fire until the Confederates were within effective range. The southern spearhead broke through and penetrated onto Cemetery Ridge, but there it could do no more. Critically weakened by artillery during their approach, formations hopelessly tangled, lacking reinforcement, and under savage attack from three sides, they marked “the high tide of the Confederacy” with the bodies of their dead and wounded. Leaving 19 battle flags and hundreds of prisoners, the Confederates retreated, demoralized but without panic. Part of one Union brigade advanced to hasten their retreat, but the Army of the Potomac had been too roughly handled to mount a counterattack.

Early in the day, Ewell had attacked Culp’s Hill without success. Stuart, whose bone-tired brigades had arrived the previous evening, was driven back by three Federal cavalry brigades when he tried to envelop Meade’s strategic north flank. At the other end of the lines, Federal cavalry was foolishly employed in futile and costly charges across rough terrain against Hood’s infantry.

Lee waited during July 4 to meet an attack on Seminary Ridge that never came. That night, taking advantage of a heavy rain, he started retreating to Virginia through the South Mountain passes. Lee was held up at Williamsport for a week waiting for the Potomac River to run down, but on the night of July 13 he withdrew his army and trains into the Shenandoah Valley before Meade, who had appeared on his front the day before, could launch an attack.

After the war, when Gettysburg was recognized as the turning point, Southern sentiment charged Longstreet with “losing the war” by not properly cooperating with his commander on July 2 and 3. Longstreet was unenthusiastic about the invasion of Pennsylvania and advocated forcing the Federal army to attack. Confederate successes at First and Second Bull Run , Antietam , and Fredericksburg had convinced him that the war could be won by adopting a tactical defensive posture while conducting strategic offensive operations. However, according to Lee’s biographer, Douglas Southall Freeman , “Lee never gave any intimation that he considered Longstreet’s failure at Gettysburg more than the error of a good soldier. To Longstreet’s credit was the belief that Cemetery Ridge, on July 2–3, was too strong to be stormed successfully. If, when the balance of Longstreet’s account is struck, it still is adverse to him, it does not warrant the traditional accusation that he was the villain of the piece.”

Lee’s defeat stemmed from overconfidence in his troops, Ewell’s inability to fill the boots of Gen. Thomas J. (“Stonewall”) Jackson , and faulty reconnaissance. The last cannot be attributed entirely to Stuart’s unfortunate raid. Lee was so dependent on Stuart personally that he failed to properly employ the four cavalry brigades left at his disposal. Meade has been criticized for not destroying the Army of Northern Virginia by a vigorous pursuit. However, it must be said to his credit that only five days after taking command, Meade had stopped the Confederate invasion and won a three-day battle. Coming the day before Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ’s triumph at Vicksburg , Meade’s victory meant that destruction of the Confederacy was only a matter of time.

Losses were among the war’s heaviest: of about 94,000 Northern troops, casualties numbered about 23,000 (with more than 3,100 killed); of more than 71,000 Southerners, there were about 28,000 casualties (with some 3,900 killed). Dedication of the National Cemetery at the site in November 1863 was the occasion of Pres. Abraham Lincoln ’s Gettysburg Address . The battlefield became a national military park in 1895, and jurisdiction passed to the National Park Service in 1933.

Adams County, PA  |  Jul 1 - 3, 1863

The Battle of Gettysburg marked the turning point of the Civil War . With more than 50,000 estimated casualties, the three-day engagement was the bloodiest single battle of the conflict.

How it ended

Union victory. Gettysburg ended Confederate general Robert E. Lee ’s ambitious second quest to invade the North and bring the Civil War to a swift end. The loss there dashed the hopes of the Confederate States of America to become an independent nation.

After a year of defensive victories in Virginia, Lee’s objective was to win a battle north of the Mason-Dixon line in the hopes of forcing a negotiated end to the fighting. His loss at Gettysburg prevented him from realizing that goal. Instead, the defeated general fled south with a wagon train of wounded soldiers straining toward the Potomac. Union general Meade failed to pursue the retreating army, missing a critical opportunity to trap Lee and force a Confederate surrender. The bitterly divisive war raged on for another two years.

On June 3, soon after his celebrated victory over Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker at the Battle of Chancellorsville , Gen. Robert E. Lee leads his troops north in his second invasion of enemy territory. The 75,000-man Army of Northern Virginia is in high spirits. In addition to seeking fresh supplies, the depleted soldiers look forward to availing themselves of food from the bountiful fields in Pennsylvania farm country, sustenance the war-ravaged landscape of Virginia can no longer provide.

Hooker also heads north, but he is reluctant to engage with Lee directly after the Union’s humiliating defeat at Chancellorsville. This evasiveness is of increasing concern to President Abraham Lincoln . Hooker is ultimately relieved of command in late June. His successor, Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade, continues to move the 90,000-man Army of the Potomac northward, following orders to keep his army between Lee and Washington, D.C. Meade prepares to defend the routes to the nation’s capital, if necessary, but he also pursues Lee.

On June 15, three corps of Lee’s army cross the Potomac, and by June 28 they reach the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. While Lee loses precious time awaiting intelligence on Union troop positions from his errant cavalry commander, Gen. Jeb Stuart , a spy informs him that Meade is actually very close. Taking advantage of major local roads, which conveniently converge at the county seat, Lee orders his army to Gettysburg.

July 1. Early that morning a Confederate division under Maj. Gen. Henry Heth marches toward Gettysburg to seize supplies. In an unplanned engagement, they confront Union cavalry. Brig. Gen. John Buford slows the Confederate advance until the infantry of the Union I and XI Corps under Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds arrives. Reynolds is killed in action. Soon Confederate reinforcements under generals A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell reach the scene. By late afternoon, the wool-clad troops are battling ferociously in the sweltering heat. Thirty thousand Confederates overwhelm 20,000 Federals, who fall back through Gettysburg and fortify Cemetery Hill south of town.

July 2. On the second day of battle, the Union defends a fishhook-shaped range of hills and ridges south of Gettysburg. The Confederates wrap around the Union position in a longer line. That afternoon Lee launches a heavy assault commanded by Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet on the Union left flank. Fierce fighting rages at Devil's Den, Little Round Top , the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, and Cemetery Ridge as Longstreet’s men close in on the Union position. Using their shorter interior lines, Union II Corps commander Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock and others move reinforcements quickly to blunt Confederate advances. On the Federal right, Confederate demonstrations escalate into full-scale assaults on East Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill . Although the Confederates gain ground on both ends of their line, the Union defenders hold strong positions as darkness falls.

July 3. Believing his enemy to be weakened, Lee seeks to capitalize on the previous day’s gains with renewed attacks on the Union line. Heavy fighting resumes on Culp's Hill as Union troops attempt to recapture ground lost the previous day. Cavalry battles flare to the east and south, but the main event is a dramatic infantry assault by 12,500 Confederates commanded by Longstreet against the center of the Union position on Cemetery Ridge. Though undermanned, the Virginia infantry division of Brig. Gen. George E. Pickett constitutes about half of the attacking force. During Pickett’s Charge, as it is famously known, only one Confederate brigade temporarily reaches the top of the ridge—afterwards referred to as the High Watermark of the Confederacy. This daring strategy ultimately proves a disastrous sacrifice for the Confederates, with casualties approaching 60 percent. Repulsed by close-range Union rifle and artillery fire, the Confederates retreat. When ordered to reform his men after the attack by Lee, Pickett purportedly replied "I have no divsion". Lee withdraws his army from Gettysburg late on the rainy afternoon of July 4 and trudges back to Virginia with severely reduced ranks of wasted and battle-scarred men.

As many as 51,000 soldiers from both armies are killed, wounded, captured or missing in the three-day battle. The carnage is overwhelming, but the Union victory buoys Lincoln’s hopes of ending the war. With Lee running South, Lincoln expects that Meade will intercept the Confederate troops and force their surrender. Meade has no such plan. Even as Lee’s escape is hampered by flooding on the Potomac, Meade does not pursue them. When Lincoln learns of this missed opportunity on July 12, he laments, “We had only to stretch forth our hands & they were ours.” Months later, in November 1863, a portion of the Gettysburg battlefield becomes a final resting place for the Union dead.  President Lincoln uses the dedication ceremony at the Gettysburg's Soldiers’ National Cemetery to honor the fallen and reassert the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address :

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

Between 6,000 and 10,000 enslaved people supported Lee’s army as cooks, hospital attendants, blacksmiths, and personal servants to officers. Lee surely knew that some would desert him up north in Gettysburg. In January of that year, Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation , which gave enslaved people in the Confederate states their freedom. Despite this, many slaves remained loyal to their masters on the battlefield at Gettysburg, and later accompanied them home or carried the effects of those who had died back to their families in the South. Others took advantage of the Union victory to break their bonds and join the opposition. Some black camp workers were taken prisoner along with the Confederate soldiers at Gettysburg and, once released, many stayed in the North.

As Confederates advanced on Gettysburg there was terror among the approximately 2,400 residents there as well as in the neighboring towns. White residents feared for their lives and property; African Americans feared enslavement. Many white civilians huddled in basements, but for people of color the stakes were greater, and they fled. In Gettysburg, Abraham Brian, a free black man who owned a small farm near Cemetery Ridge, left with his family, as did Basil Biggs, a veterinarian, and Owen Robinson, an oyster seller. Nearby in Chambersburg, some contrabands—former slaves who sought refuge with the Union Forces—were kidnapped by Confederate cavalry units. The Emancipation Proclamation stated that those seeking freedom from states of rebellion could not be re-enslaved. Accordingly, the Union refused to hand over contrabands to the Confederates, and this, too, prompted retaliation. Confederate soldiers threatened to burn the homes of white residents who were sheltering contrabands. Often, Confederate troops assumed that free blacks were contrabands solely because of their skin color.

After the battle, residents of what had only days before been a peaceful agricultural and college town were in despair. There was literally blood running through the streets, as the dead were piled up in horrific numbers. Slain animals were left to rot. The fields were scorched and barren. Farmers had to rely on the army or government to supply food. Wounded soldiers languished, waiting for medical attention. Camp Letterman , an army field hospital, was established east of Gettysburg and triaged patients until they could be transported to permanent facilities in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. Nurses for the United States Sanitary Commission, a Union relief organization staffed largely by women, provided essential care and comfort.

Residents of Gettysburg managed to bury the dead in a temporary cemetery. However, prominent members of the community lobbied for a permanent burial ground on the battlefield that would honor the defenders of the Union. The Soldiers’ National Cemetery was dedicated in November 1863 but was not completed until long after. The last of Gettysburg’s wounded shipped out in January 1864, along with the medical personnel. The field tents and temporary shelters came down. The battlefield remains a testament and memorial to the events of July 1–3, 1863.

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Civil War   |   Battle Brandy Station Culpeper County, VA  |  Jun 9, 1863 Result: Inconclusive Est. Casualties: 1,299 Union: 866 Confederate: 433

Civil War   |   Battle Second Winchester Frederick County, VA  |  Jun 13 - 15, 1863 Result: Confederate Victory Est. Casualties: 4,709 Union: 4,443 Confederate: 266

Civil War   |   Battle Aldie Loudoun County, VA  |  Jun 17, 1863 Result: Inconclusive Est. Casualties: 415 Union: 305 Confederate: 110

Civil War   |   Battle Middleburg Loudoun County, VA  |  Jun 17 - 19, 1863 Result: Inconclusive Est. Casualties: 390 Union: 350 Confederate: 40

Civil War   |   Battle Upperville Loudoun County, VA  |  Jun 21, 1863 Result: Inconclusive Est. Casualties: 389 Union: 209 Confederate: 180

Civil War   |   Battle La batalla de Gettysburg Adams County, PA  |  Jul 1 - 3, 1863 Result: Union Victory Est. Casualties: 51,112 Union: 23,049 Confederate: 28,063

Civil War   |   Battle Gettysburg Adams County, PA  |  Jul 1 - 3, 1863 Result: Union Victory Est. Casualties: 51,112 Union: 23,049 Confederate: 28,063

Civil War   |   Battle Falling Waters Washington County, MD  |  Jul 13 - 16, 1863 Result: Inconclusive Est. Casualties: 1,760

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The Battle of Gettysburg: The most important turning point of the Civil War?

The Battle of Gettysburg, unfolding over three sweltering days in July 1863, remains a pivotal moment in American history.

As the smoke cleared and the echoes of cannon fire faded, the landscape bore witness to a confrontation that would shape the course of the Civil War and the nation's very identity.

But what led to this monumental clash in a small Pennsylvania town?

Why is Gettysburg often labeled the turning point of the Civil War?

And how did its aftermath, including President Lincoln's iconic address, redefine America's vision of itself? 

What were the causes of the Battle of Gettysburg?

By early 1863, the Civil War had raged for two tumultuous years, with neither the Union nor the Confederacy able to secure a decisive advantage.

The Confederacy, buoyed by victories at Fredericksburg in December 1862 and Chancellorsville in May 1863, saw an opportunity to shift the momentum of the war.

General Robert E. Lee believed that by taking the war into Union territory, he could relieve pressure on war-torn Virginia, gather supplies from the rich farmlands of Pennsylvania, and possibly even influence Northern public opinion in favor of peace negotiations.

Lee's plan was ambitious. He aimed to move his Army of Northern Virginia through the Shenandoah Valley and into Pennsylvania, keeping the Union forces off balance.

Meanwhile, the Union Army of the Potomac, having suffered a crushing defeat at Chancellorsville and undergoing a change in leadership with Major General George G. Meade replacing Major General Joseph Hooker, was determined to defend their territory and halt Lee's advance.

As June 1863 drew to a close, the two armies, largely unaware of each other's precise locations due to the absence of Confederate cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart, began to converge around the town of Gettysburg. 

The key commanders and leaders of the battle

The Battle of Gettysburg saw some of the Civil War's most prominent military figures leading their troops into the fray.

On the Confederate side, the Army of Northern Virginia was commanded by General Robert E. Lee, a seasoned leader with a series of victories under his belt.

Lee's trust in his subordinates was evident, with key roles played by Lieutenant General James Longstreet, who commanded the First Corps, and Lieutenant General A.P. Hill, who led the Third Corps.

Another significant figure was Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell, who had recently replaced the legendary Stonewall Jackson after his untimely death and was now in charge of the Second Corps.

Facing them was the Union's Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade.

Meade, a cautious and competent leader, had only been in command for a few days before the battle, having replaced Major General Joseph Hooker.

Under Meade's leadership were several corps commanders, including Major General Winfield S. Hancock of the Second Corps, known for his leadership skills and bravery, and Major General Daniel Sickles of the Third Corps, whose controversial decisions during the battle would be heavily scrutinized.

Major General John F. Reynolds, one of the Union's most respected officers, played a crucial role on the first day of battle but met a tragic end.

Day One: Initial Engagements (July 1, 1863)

On the morning of July 1, 1863, the town of Gettysburg witnessed the beginning of what would become one of the most significant battles in American history.

The initial engagements were sparked when Confederate forces, specifically a division under Major General Henry Heth of A.P. Hill's Third Corps, encountered Union cavalry led by Brigadier General John Buford.

Buford's men, though outnumbered, were well-positioned and managed to delay the Confederate advance, buying time for Union infantry reinforcements to arrive.

The Union's Eleventh Corps, commanded by Major General Oliver O. Howard, and the First Corps, under the leadership of Major General John F. Reynolds, soon joined the fray.

Reynolds, seeing the strategic importance of holding the ground, made swift decisions to reinforce Buford's line.

Tragically, Reynolds was killed early in the action, a significant loss for the Union.

Despite this setback, the Union forces initially held their ground.

However, as the day progressed, the Confederates received reinforcements from Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell's Second Corps.

This bolstered their numbers and allowed them to apply increasing pressure on the Union flanks.

By afternoon, the Union Eleventh Corps faced a fierce assault from the north and was eventually pushed back through the town, suffering heavy casualties.

The combined weight of the Confederate attacks eventually forced the Union forces to retreat to a defensive position on Cemetery Hill, setting the stage for the subsequent days of battle.

Day Two: Fierce Fighting on the Flanks (July 2, 1863)

With Union forces holding a defensive line that stretched from Culp's Hill to Cemetery Hill and curved southward along Cemetery Ridge to the Round Tops, General Robert E. Lee saw an opportunity.

He devised a plan to attack both Union flanks simultaneously, hoping to find a weak point and roll up the line.

On the Confederate left, Lieutenant General James Longstreet's First Corps was tasked with launching a major assault against the Union left flank.

However, delays in positioning and a longer march than anticipated meant that the attack did not commence until late afternoon.

When it did, Brigadier General John Bell Hood's division struck the Union positions at Devil's Den, the Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard.

Fierce fighting ensued, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. The Confederates managed to make some gains, but the Union line, though bent, did not break.

Perhaps the most iconic struggle of the day occurred at Little Round Top, a rocky hill on the Union's extreme left.

Recognizing its importance, Union Brigadier General Gouverneur K. Warren scrambled to get troops to defend it.

The 20th Maine Infantry, commanded by Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, played a pivotal role, holding the line against repeated Confederate assaults and even launching a desperate bayonet charge when ammunition ran low.

Meanwhile, on the Union right at Culp's Hill and East Cemetery Hill, Confederate forces under Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell launched their attacks in the evening.

While they achieved some initial success, especially in capturing portions of the earthworks on Culp's Hill, determined Union resistance, especially from the Twelfth Corps, prevented a complete breakthrough.

By nightfall, both sides were exhausted. While the Confederates had made some gains, the Union line still held strong. 

Day Three: Pickett's Charge and the Climax (July 3, 1863)

The third day at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, began with a continuation of the fighting at Culp's Hill.

Union forces, having reinforced their positions overnight, launched counterattacks to reclaim the trenches and earthworks they had lost the previous evening.

By mid-morning, after several hours of combat, Confederate forces were pushed back, and the Union right flank was securely in Federal hands once again.

However, the main event of the day, and arguably the most remembered moment of the entire battle, was the massive Confederate assault against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge.

This assault, commonly known as Pickett's Charge, was named after one of the leading Confederate division commanders, Major General George Pickett.

The charge involved some 12,500 Confederate soldiers from Pickett's division, as well as divisions commanded by Brigadier Generals J. Johnston Pettigrew and Isaac R. Trimble.

Before the infantry assault, a massive artillery bombardment from over 150 Confederate cannons targeted the Union center, aiming to soften the defenses.

The Union artillery responded, and for nearly two hours, the roar of cannons filled the air.

However, the Confederate bombardment was less effective than hoped, and many of the Union defenses remained intact.

Around 3 pm, the Confederate infantry began their advance. Marching across nearly a mile of open ground, they faced artillery fire from the Union line and flanking positions.

Despite the devastating fire, Confederate soldiers pressed on, with some even reaching the Union defenses at the Angle and engaging in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

However, the assault could not sustain itself. Union reinforcements, combined with the withering fire from multiple directions, halted the Confederate advance and forced them to retreat.

The failure of Pickett's Charge marked the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Lee's gamble to break the Union center had failed, resulting in over 50% casualties for the Confederate attackers.

Recognizing the dire situation, Lee ordered a retreat back to Virginia the following day, ending the most significant battle of the Civil War.

The horrific casualties and losses

The Battle of Gettysburg, spanning three days of intense combat, resulted in staggering numbers of casualties, making it the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

Both armies paid a heavy price for the fierce fighting that took place around the town of Gettysburg.

The Union Army, under the command of Major General George G. Meade, suffered approximately 23,000 casualties.

This number encompassed those killed, wounded, captured, or missing. While the defensive nature of their position provided some protection, the close-quarters combat, especially on the second and third days, led to significant losses.

Notable among these was the death of Major General John F. Reynolds, one of the Union's most respected commanders, on the first day of battle.

The Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee, faced even higher casualties, with estimates nearing 28,000.

This represented a significant portion of Lee's army. The losses were particularly acute during Pickett's Charge on the third day, where over half of the Confederate soldiers who participated were killed, wounded, or captured.

These losses were not just in terms of numbers; the Confederate Army also lost a significant portion of its officer corps, which impacted its fighting capability in subsequent battles.

The sheer scale of casualties at Gettysburg underscored the ferocity of the battle and the determination of both sides.

The fields, woods, and town bore witness to the human cost of the conflict, with makeshift hospitals and burial details overwhelmed by the task at hand. 

Why did Lincoln give the famous Gettysburg Address?

A few months after the Battle of Gettysburg, on November 19, 1863, a ceremony was held to dedicate the Soldiers' National Cemetery, a final resting place for the Union soldiers who had fallen during those fateful three days in July.

The main speaker for the event was Edward Everett, a renowned orator of the time, who spoke for over two hours.

However, it was President Abraham Lincoln's brief address, lasting just a few minutes, that would capture the essence of the battle and the larger war's purpose.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, composed of a mere 272 words, eloquently expressed the profound significance of the Civil War.

He began by referencing the founding of the United States and the principles of liberty and equality set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

He then honored the soldiers who had given their lives at Gettysburg, emphasizing that their sacrifice was a testament to the nation's ideals.

But Lincoln also looked to the future. He spoke of the "great task" remaining before the nation: to ensure that the democracy for which so many had fought would endure.

He concluded with a vision of a "new birth of freedom" and a government "of the people, by the people, for the people," that would not perish from the earth.

In its brevity and depth, the Gettysburg Address distilled the complexities of the Civil War into a clear narrative of sacrifice, purpose, and hope.

Over time, Lincoln's words have become a foundational statement of American values and a reminder of the costs and responsibilities of democracy.

How Gettysburg influenced the Civil War

While the American Civil War would continue for nearly two more years, the momentum had shifted.

General Robert E. Lee's attempt to carry the war into the North had been thwarted, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia retreated, never again to launch a major offensive on Northern soil.

For the Union, the victory at Gettysburg bolstered morale and provided a much-needed boost in confidence.

President Abraham Lincoln, who had faced criticism for the war's handling and the high human cost, now had a significant victory to point to.

The success at Gettysburg, combined with the Union's capture of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, marked a shift in the war's tide.

Beyond the immediate military implications, Gettysburg held profound symbolic significance.

The battle, with its immense casualties and dramatic confrontations, became emblematic of the broader struggle between the Union and the Confederacy.

It highlighted the lengths to which both sides were willing to go to achieve their objectives, whether preserving the Union or establishing a separate Southern nation.

In the years that followed, Gettysburg became a place of pilgrimage. Veterans from both sides returned to the battlefield to remember, reflect, and reconcile.

The establishment of the Gettysburg National Military Park ensured that the land where so many had fought and died would be preserved for future generations.

Today, the park serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made during the Civil War and the enduring importance of the principles for which the war was fought.

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Battle of Gettysburg

In late June 1863, more than two years into the American Civil War, Union and Confederate military forces converged on the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. After a series of military successes, Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee led his Army of Northern Virginia into Union territory in his second invasion of the North. He hoped that a Confederate victory in Pennsylvania would convince Northern politicians to abandon the war. The Union Army of the Potomac, led initially by General Joseph Hooker and then General George Meade, crossed the Potomac River to pursue Lee’s forces.

On July 1, Confederate forces attacked the Union lines at Gettysburg from the northwest and north, initially pushing the Union army back. By July 2, both Confederate and Union armies had fully assembled, with seventy thousand and ninety-four thousand men, respectively. Confederates launched assaults on the Union left at sites like Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union right, Confederates charged Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. Across these sites and despite significant losses, the Union held its lines. On July 3, fighting resumed, most notably on Cemetery Ridge, where 12,500 Confederates charged the center of the Union line during Pickett's Charge. Union rifle and artillery fire repulsed the charge at great loss to the Confederate army. On July 4, Lee led his army on a difficult retreat back to Virginia.

Some fifty thousand soldiers from both armies died in the three-day battle at Gettysburg, making it the most deadly military battle in US history. The town of Gettysburg had to deal with the aftermath of this brutal conflict: Bodies covered fields, wounded soldiers flooded hospitals, and property was destroyed. The Battle at Gettysburg is considered a turning point in the Civil War because it ended Lee’s long run of victories and marked the Confederate Army’s last attempt to invade the North. On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honor the fallen Union soldiers and redefine the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.

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The Gettysburg Address

Abraham lincoln.

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Abraham Lincoln’s Speech “The Gettysburg Address” Essay

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Introduction

Analysis of the speech, the significance of the speech, works cited.

Lincoln is one of the most renowned presidents of the United States. He was an inspiring leader and his speeches still speak to people’s hearts. Lincoln’s speeches have been used by many people who pursued different goals (Peatman 203). Thus, presidents of the USA, leaders of other countries and even filmmakers often refer to Lincoln’s words (Peatman 203).

One of his speeches used most often is the Gettysburg Address. It appeals to people’s hearts and focuses on the greatest values cherished by Americans. Admittedly, the speech may mean different things to different people. I would like to analyze the speech to understand what it means for me and why it has such an effect on me.

In the first place, it is necessary to note that it quite a brief but very appealing address to the nation. In just one paragraph, Lincoln revealed basic values of democracy. He focused on major values, equality and liberty (Lincoln n.p.). The speech contains many bright metaphors that appeal to people’s hearts.

For instance, Lincoln notes that even though they came to dedicate the cemetery to brave soldiers of the Civil War, they could not “consecrate” the land as the men “living and dead” had consecrated it with their blood (Lincoln n.p.). The President calls the cemetery a “resting place” for courageous soldiers who deserve the rest after their great labors (Lincoln n.p.). Admittedly, these literary devices make the speech memorable and touching.

It is remarkable that Lincoln speaks a lot about the nation. Thus, he starts his speech with mentioning first settlers who “brought forth… a new nation, conceived in liberty” (Lincoln n.p.). The nation and liberty are two central topics in the Gettysburg Address. The President stresses that it is the responsibility of people to protect gaining of their ancestors. The first settlers started the nation cherishing principles of liberty and the Civil War was the period when the nation got “a new birth of freedom” (Lincoln n.p.).

The inspiring leader reminds the great purpose of the horrible Civil War that took lives of thousands of brave men. Importantly, the President does not employ the concept of the country that implies territories and natural resources. He utilizes the concept of the nation, in other words, people who are the primary value for him. This is very important as people are more willing to follow the leader who cares about them, not some lands.

It is also noteworthy that Lincoln uses first person plural. He does not say that somebody has to do something for the nation. He stresses that he and people who are present (as well as the entire nation) have to act and struggle for liberty. Lincoln inspires people as he shows his readiness to act. Therefore, the President is the model and people are eager to follow him.

The brief analyses has shown major characteristics of the speech and it is easy to understand what it means for me and why. In the first place, the speech is a call for action. I believe the speech is a great reminder for people including me. When reading the speech, I become inspired and I am ready to act.

I understand that many people died for what they believed in and I had to contribute to the society that was created with so many sacrifices. Of course, no one asks me to give my life for the nation but I am sure that I will be ready to do a lot to help the nation flourish. When reading Lincoln’s speech, I understand that every American has to think about his contribution to the development of the society instead of simply consuming goods and services. The speech is a call for action for me.

It is also clear why the speech has such an effect. I know that the words helped people reconcile with their losses and brought hope to their hearts. The President mentions sacrifices and justifies them. Admittedly, it is simply impossible to remain indifferent to such a call for action.

Apart from this, the speech is also a reminder of the central value cherished by Americans. Liberty is one of the most important things for a person. I believe the speech is must-read for all in the US society. Admittedly, there are instances when liberties are limited and democracy is not fully manifested even in the US society. There is still racism and prejudice.

However, I think that the speech can remind people of the importance of this democratic value. I guess the speech reveals the essence of the nation as people came to the new world for liberty and freedom from European conventions and restriction.

It is but natural that liberty is what all generations of Americans have valued. Lincoln’s speech reveals this long for liberty and freedom. Therefore, people (especially those in power) have to read the speech every morning before they start making decisions. They have to remember that the nation needs liberty, otherwise, it will cease to exist.

Finally, the speech for me is also a reminder of the great history of the Americans who managed to create such a strong nation. The speech addresses only one episode of the American history but this episode is very suggestive. The USA is the country where people managed to win the battle for their liberties. First, the liberties were mere manifestations in some documents but gradually people managed to bring them to life.

The speech also addresses the major value and the struggle for it. When reading the speech, I personally, think of the Civil war, and the struggle for slavery abolition, the Civil Rights movement and a variety of stories concerning the struggle of people for their rights. I do not think Lincoln could predict how many more people would die before true liberty could reign in the country. However, in his speech he touched the subject and justified people’s sacrifice.

On balance, it is possible to note the speech is one of the brightest examples of oratory as it achieves its aim. It inspires people to struggle for their rights. For me, the speech is a reminder of people’s sacrifice, a brief account of the American history and a call for action. I am willing to contribute to development of the society and I believe that I will make my contribution. I also think I will face certain obstacle and I may even lose hope. However, reading the famous speech of Lincoln will inspire me to act and pursue my goals.

Lincoln, Abraham. The Gettysburg Address . 2013. Web.

Peatman, Jared. The Long Shadow of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Carbondale, IL: SIU Press, 2013. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2020, April 3). Abraham Lincoln’s Speech "The Gettysburg Address". https://ivypanda.com/essays/abraham-lincolns-speech-the-gettysburg-address/

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IvyPanda . 2020. "Abraham Lincoln’s Speech "The Gettysburg Address"." April 3, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/abraham-lincolns-speech-the-gettysburg-address/.

1. IvyPanda . "Abraham Lincoln’s Speech "The Gettysburg Address"." April 3, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/abraham-lincolns-speech-the-gettysburg-address/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Abraham Lincoln’s Speech "The Gettysburg Address"." April 3, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/abraham-lincolns-speech-the-gettysburg-address/.