I have chosen to write about the battle of Gettysburg, because I found the
American Civil War very interesting and I want to know more about that
particularly battle mentioned above. I have seen one of many movies that been
made over the battle of Gettysburg, it is the best and most realistic movie ever
made over the battle. With this report I want to learn more about the battle
than I already know, because there is a lot more in this subject for example why
the it was at Gettysburg the bloodiest battle were fought and why the
Confederate army lost the battle and not the Union army. Statement of problem I
want to describe how the battle began and why it was at Gettysburg, plus analyse
why it became the bloodiest battle under the American Civil War. Finally I want
to estimate why the Civil War lasted about two more years after the three days
bloody battle ended and could the war have had another outcome if the
Confederate won over the Union. How did the battle began and why at Gettysburg
Robert E. Lee, became more and more courageous after every decisive victory, it
really became serious when he won two big battles at Fredericksburg and
Chancellorsville, then his mind started to consider turning against North and he
did and he first battle on the movement he won at Shenadore Valley. His plan was
to march on the West side of the Blue Ridge mountains with the purpose to hide
his movements from the Union army. His army, whom counted 62.000 soldiers, would
go into the state known as West Virginia and therefrom further North at Maryland
and Pennsylvania. When he had penetrated these areas he would go for one of the
largest town as Philadelphia or preferably Washington D.C., because if they
could win the battle they would introduce President Lincoln for a letter from
President Davis, a letter about making peace between the Unions and Confederates
states. As written it was not the plan to go anyway near Gettysburg if General
A.P. Hills division was not in such a need of shoes and therefor they were
forced to march to Gettysburg for the needed supplies. General Henry Heth asked
Lee for permission to march back to Gettysburg and clear Gettysburg from the
Unions cavalry, but they did not know that the Union cavalry counted 2.500 men
and under command of general John Buford. What Lee did not know was that the
some Union units had spied his movements since his last battle at Shenadore
Valley and thousands and thousands Union troops were about to move in on him.
Now the biggest and greatest battle was about to start and as many people think
this was the turning point in the Civil War. Why did it became the bloodiest
battle under the Civil War First day (July 1st 1863) Lee’s right hand, General
J.E.B. Stuart the leader of the Confederate cavalry was in Cumberland Valley in
attempt of finding some horses, that means that Lee was “blind” because of
missing information about the Union army for example how many men they got and
their positions. Stuart would first arrive late at the battles second day,
therefor many believes that he became Lee’s scapegoat. General Heth’s men
reached the outskirts of Gettysburg early morning and attacked General
Buford’s waiting cavalry, which soon got reinforcement from General John F.
Retnold’s division, who was killed that day by a sniper, he was the highest
officer that died under the battle. Heth succeeded to delay the Confederate army
so much that the rest of the Union army could arrive, but the day was on the
Confederate army sides, it was a very good start of the battle for Lee. He had
captured about 5.000 Union soldiers, two generals and three artillery units. The
Union arrived and sealed all the range of hills and the Confederate genereal’s
was not save with that, they would rather have them on open land, but Lee
insisted, that here was the enemy and here the battle should be fought Second
day (July 2nd 1863) General E. Lee became ill, he had diarrhoea and there was
trouble with his heart which he have had for several months and that was also
what killed him seven years later. One of his best generals, James Longstreet
was worried about the situation, he thought that it would have been better if
they pull away and from Gettysburg and go ahead Washington D.C. and there they
could pick the spot where the battle should be fought. He was also mad over
Lee’s attack plan and according to some he inhaled the attack on purpose. Six
hours after the attack was been ordered by Lee, Longstreet moved his troops in
position and found out that the enemy had become reinforcements also here some
people believe that due to the slow charge of six hours could be a reason why
the Confederate army lost the battle. The second day the Union won, but it was
close to a defeat because the Confederate army used some very smart tactics
created by Lee which he had learn under the war against Mexico some years
earlier. The history tells about a very famous battle that was fought at Little
Round Top. Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain, 33 years old and professor at the
university Bowdoin College was ordered to hold the Union outer left flank at any
cost, till the last man if needed. Understaffed the 20th Maine held it’s
position until they ran out of ammunition, then ordered Chamberlain a bayonet
assault against the Confederate army and forced them away from Little Round Top.
This meant that the Confederate army didn’t get access further up the hills,
if they had they could have attacked the Union from rear. In 1893 Chamberlain
got The Congressional Medal of Honour, the highest distinction in America. Both
armies had caused great damage to each other and there was a lot of wounded and
missing soldiers, there is no exactly status for day two only for all three
days. Third day (July 3rd 1863) The Final day, General Lee had a plan, since the
Union had put a lot of it’s soldiers on the flanks there wouldn’t be so many
in the middle so therefor he ordered nine brigades about 15.000 units, protected
by artillery to storm 1Ѕ mil over open field, in perfect order. This would
mean that there would be fired at them for the Unions artillery and by all sides
from the soldiers, since the Union was lying at all the hills formed as a
fishhook. General Longstreet is against it cause he know that over half of them
would die before they would reach the Union and as he sees his proud men goes he
says this quotation: “My heart is heavy. I could see the desperate and
hopeless attack and I could see how this hopeless massacre would end. The day at
Gettysburg, is the worst day in my life” James Longstreet, General, C.S.A. The
Union canons were fired almost at the same time again after again, it is said
that the noise could been heard in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania almost 140 mils away.
As the Confederate brigades got closer more and more was killed when the canons
were fired, although they were pretty close in succeeding, they got some of the
Unions canons in a small period, but too many were killed in the way over the
field. Lee had to face it, his plan failed and he had no other option than order
a retreat. Over 50.000 men were killed in the battle of Gettysburg you can see
at enclosure 1 the exact numbers of casualties. The Confederate army did never
completely recover from this defeat and that is why they lost the Civil War. The
Union did not chase the Confederate army after Lee’s retreat they felt that
wining the battle was enough. Why did the war last two more years.