The Battle of Gettysburg: A Soldiers First-Hand Account (Civil War)
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However, the Union enthusiasm soon dissipated as the public realized that Lee's army had escaped destruction and the war would continue. Lincoln complained to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles that "Our army held the war in the hollow of their hand and they would not close it!
Webb wrote to his father on July 17, stating that such Washington politicians as " Chase , Seward and others," disgusted with Meade, "write to me that Lee really won that Battle! In fact, the Confederates had lost militarily and also politically. During the final hours of the battle, Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens was approaching the Union lines at Norfolk, Virginia , under a flag of truce. Although his formal instructions from Confederate President Jefferson Davis had limited his powers to negotiate on prisoner exchanges and other procedural matters, historian James M.
McPherson speculates that he had informal goals of presenting peace overtures. Davis had hoped that Stephens would reach Washington from the south while Lee's victorious army was marching toward it from the north. President Lincoln, upon hearing of the Gettysburg results, refused Stephens's request to pass through the lines. Furthermore, when the news reached London, any lingering hopes of European recognition of the Confederacy were finally abandoned.
Henry Adams wrote, "The disasters of the rebels are unredeemed by even any hope of success. It is now conceded that all idea of intervention is at an end. Compounding the effects of the defeat would be the end of the Siege of Vicksburg , which surrendered to Grant's Federal armies in the West on July 4, the day after the Gettysburg battle.
The immediate reaction of the Southern military and public sectors was that Gettysburg was a setback, not a disaster. The sentiment was that Lee had been successful on July 1 and had fought a valiant battle on July 2—3, but could not dislodge the Union Army from the strong defensive position to which it fled. The Confederates successfully stood their ground on July 4 and withdrew only after they realized Meade would not attack them. The withdrawal to the Potomac that could have been a disaster was handled masterfully. Furthermore, the Army of the Potomac had been kept away from Virginia farmlands for the summer and all predicted that Meade would be too timid to threaten them for the rest of the year.
Lee himself had a positive view of the campaign, writing to his wife that the army had returned "rather sooner than I had originally contemplated, but having accomplished what I proposed on leaving the Rappahannock, viz. John Seddon, brother of the Confederate secretary of war, "Sir, we did whip them at Gettysburg, and it will be seen for the next six months that that army will be as quiet as a sucking dove. Gettysburg became a postbellum focus of the "Lost Cause" , a movement by writers such as Edward A.
Pollard and Jubal Early to explain the reasons for the Confederate defeat in the war. A fundamental premise of their argument was that the South was doomed because of the overwhelming advantage in manpower and industrial might possessed by the North. However, they claim it also suffered because Robert E.
Lee, who up until this time had been almost invincible, was betrayed by the failures of some of his key subordinates at Gettysburg: Ewell, for failing to seize Cemetery Hill on July 1; Stuart, for depriving the army of cavalry intelligence for a key part of the campaign; and especially Longstreet, for failing to attack on July 2 as early and as forcefully as Lee had originally intended. In this view, Gettysburg was seen as a great lost opportunity, in which a decisive victory by Lee could have meant the end of the war in the Confederacy's favor.
After the war, General Pickett was asked why Confederates lost at Gettysburg. He replied "I always thought the Yankees had something to do with it. The ravages of war were still evident in Gettysburg more than four months later when, on November 19, the Soldiers' National Cemetery was dedicated. During this ceremony, President Abraham Lincoln honored the fallen and redefined the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.
There were 72 Medals of Honor awarded for the Gettysburg Campaign. With the first badge being awarded in December ; the currently final awarding was in when it was, of course posthumously, given to Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing. The nature of the result of the Battle of Gettysburg has been the subject of controversy for years [ when?
Although not seen as overwhelmingly significant at the time, particularly since the war continued for almost two years, in retrospect it has often been cited as the "turning point" , usually in combination with the fall of Vicksburg the following day. Grant in and —and by the speculative viewpoint of the Lost Cause writers that a Confederate victory at Gettysburg might have resulted in the end of the war. Bruce Catton , Glory Road [].
It is currently a widely held view that Gettysburg was a decisive victory for the Union, but the term is considered imprecise. It is inarguable that Lee's offensive on July 3 was turned back decisively and his campaign in Pennsylvania was terminated prematurely although the Confederates at the time argued that this was a temporary setback and that the goals of the campaign were largely met. However, when the more common definition of "decisive victory" is intended—an indisputable military victory of a battle that determines or significantly influences the ultimate result of a conflict—historians are divided.
For example, David J. Eicher called Gettysburg a "strategic loss for the Confederacy" and James M. McPherson wrote that "Lee and his men would go on to earn further laurels. But they never again possessed the power and reputation they carried into Pennsylvania those palmy summer days of Woodworth wrote that "Gettysburg proved only the near impossibility of decisive action in the Eastern theater. The army needed a thorough reorganization with new commanders and fresh troops, but these changes were not made until Grant appeared on the scene in March Glatthaar wrote that "Lost opportunities and near successes plagued the Army of Northern Virginia during its Northern invasion," yet after Gettysburg, "without the distractions of duty as an invading force, without the breakdown of discipline, the Army of Northern Virginia [remained] an extremely formidable force.
Nevertheless, at best the Army of the Potomac had simply preserved the strategic stalemate in the Eastern Theater Peter Carmichael refers to the military context for the armies, the "horrendous losses at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, which effectively destroyed Lee's offensive capacity," implying that these cumulative losses were not the result of a single battle. Thomas Goss, writing in the U. Army's Military Review journal on the definition of "decisive" and the application of that description to Gettysburg, concludes: Gettysburg was a landmark battle, the largest of the war and it would not be surpassed.
The Union had restored to it the belief in certain victory, and the loss dispirited the Confederacy. If "not exactly a decisive battle", Gettysburg was the end of Confederate use of Northern Virginia as a military buffer zone, the setting for Grant's Overland Campaign.
An Eyewitness Account of Pickett’s Charge From a Union Soldier, July 8, 1863
Prior to Gettysburg, Robert E. Lee had established a reputation as an almost invincible general, achieving stunning victories against superior numbers—although usually at the cost of high casualties to his army—during the Seven Days , the Northern Virginia Campaign including the Second Battle of Bull Run , Fredericksburg , and Chancellorsville.
Only the Maryland Campaign , with its tactically inconclusive Battle of Antietam , had been less than successful. Therefore, historians have attempted to explain how Lee's winning streak was interrupted so dramatically at Gettysburg. Although the issue is tainted by attempts to portray history and Lee's reputation in a manner supporting different partisan goals, the major factors in Lee's loss arguably can be attributed to: Meade, and the Army of the Potomac.
Throughout the campaign, Lee was influenced by the belief that his men were invincible; most of Lee's experiences with the Army of Northern Virginia had convinced him of this, including the great victory at Chancellorsville in early May and the rout of the Union troops at Gettysburg on July 1. Since morale plays an important role in military victory when other factors are equal, Lee did not want to dampen his army's desire to fight and resisted suggestions, principally by Longstreet, to withdraw from the recently captured Gettysburg to select a ground more favorable to his army.
War correspondent Peter W. Alexander wrote that Lee "acted, probably, under the impression that his troops were able to carry any position however formidable. If such was the case, he committed an error, such however as the ablest commanders will sometimes fall into. The most controversial assessments of the battle involve the performance of Lee's subordinates.
The dominant theme of the Lost Cause writers and many other historians is that Lee's senior generals failed him in crucial ways, directly causing the loss of the battle; the alternative viewpoint is that Lee did not manage his subordinates adequately, and did not thereby compensate for their shortcomings. Hill —had only recently been promoted and were not fully accustomed to Lee's style of command, in which he provided only general objectives and guidance to their former commander, Stonewall Jackson ; Jackson translated these into detailed, specific orders to his division commanders.
In addition to Hill's illness, Lee's performance was affected by heart troubles, which would eventually lead to his death in ; he had been diagnosed with pericarditis by his staff physicians in March , though modern doctors believe he had in fact suffered a heart attack. As a final factor, Lee faced a new and formidable opponent in George G. Meade , and the Army of the Potomac fought well on its home territory.
Although new to his army command, Meade deployed his forces relatively effectively; relied on strong subordinates such as Winfield S. Hancock to make decisions where and when they were needed; took great advantage of defensive positions; nimbly shifted defensive resources on interior lines to parry strong threats; and, unlike some of his predecessors, stood his ground throughout the battle in the face of fierce Confederate attacks. Lee was quoted before the battle as saying Meade "would commit no blunders on my front and if I make one Stephen Sears wrote, "The fact of the matter is that George G.
Meade, unexpectedly and against all odds, thoroughly outgeneraled Robert E. Coddington wrote that the soldiers of the Army of the Potomac received a "sense of triumph which grew into an imperishable faith in [themselves]. The men knew what they could do under an extremely competent general; one of lesser ability and courage could well have lost the battle. Meade had his own detractors as well. Similar to the situation with Lee, Meade suffered partisan attacks about his performance at Gettysburg, but he had the misfortune of experiencing them in person.
Supporters of his predecessor, Maj. Joseph Hooker , lambasted Meade before the U.
Civil war veterans at Gettysburg anniversary in 1913 – in pictures
Congress 's Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War , where Radical Republicans suspected that Meade was a Copperhead and tried in vain to relieve him from command. Sickles and Daniel Butterfield accused Meade of planning to retreat from Gettysburg during the battle. Most politicians, including Lincoln, criticized Meade for what they considered to be his half-hearted pursuit of Lee after the battle.
A number of Meade's most competent subordinates— Winfield S. Hancock , John Gibbon , Gouverneur K. Warren , and Henry J. Hunt , all heroes of the battle—defended Meade in print, but Meade was embittered by the overall experience. National Park Service as two of the nation's most revered historical landmarks.
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Although Gettysburg is one of the best known of all Civil War battlefields, it too faces threats to its preservation and interpretation. Many historically significant locations on the battlefield lie outside the boundaries of Gettysburg National Military Park and are vulnerable to residential or commercial development. On July 20, , a Comfort Inn and Suites opened on Cemetery Hill , adjacent to Evergreen Cemetery , just one of many modern edifices infringing on the historic field. The Baltimore Pike corridor attracts development that concerns preservationists.
Some preservation successes have emerged in recent years. Two proposals to open a casino at Gettysburg were defeated in and most recently in , when public pressure forced the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to reject the proposed gambling hub at the intersection of Routes 15 and 30, near East Cavalry Field.
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Department of the Interior in Less than half of the over 11, acres on the old Gettysburg Battlefield have been preserved for posterity thus far. The Civil War Trust a division of the American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved 1, acres 4. Lee used as his headquarters during the battle. The Trust razed a motel, restaurant and other buildings within the parcel to restore Lee's Headquarters and the site to their wartime appearance, adding interpretive signs. It opened the site to the public in October, During the Civil War Centennial , the U. Post Office issued five postage stamps commemorating the th anniversaries of famous battles, as they occurred over a four-year period, beginning with the Battle of Fort Sumter Centennial issue of The Battle of Shiloh commemorative stamp was issued in , the Battle of Gettysburg in , the Battle of the Wilderness in , and the Appomattox Centennial commemorative stamp in A commemorative half dollar for the battle was produced in As was typical for the period, mintage for the coin was very low, just 26, The reverse side of the coin depicts the monument on Cemetery Ridge to the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry.
Film records survive of two Gettysburg reunions, held on the battlefield. At the 50th anniversary , veterans re-enacted Pickett's Charge in a spirit of reconciliation, a meeting that carried great emotional force for both sides. At the 75th anniversary , veterans attended, and there was a ceremonial mass hand-shake across a stone wall. This was recorded on sound film, and some Confederates can be heard giving the Rebel Yell. Lee , and James Longstreet during the battle. The first day focused on Buford's cavalry defense, the second day on Chamberlain's defense at Little Round Top , and the third day on Pickett's Charge.
The south winning the Battle of Gettysburg is a popular premise for a point of divergence in American Civil War alternate histories. Here are some examples which either depict or make significant reference to an alternate Battle of Gettysburg sometimes simply inserting fantasy or sci-fi elements in an account of the battle:. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Battle of Gettysburg disambiguation. Gettysburg , Adams County , Pennsylvania. Gettysburg Campaign and Gettysburg Battlefield.
Daniel Sickles , USA. George Sykes , USA. John Sedgwick , USA. Alfred Pleasonton , USA. Union order of battle. Lee , Commanding CSA. James Longstreet , CSA. Confederate order of battle. Battle of Gettysburg, First Day. List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Gettysburg Campaign. It might be less of a victory than Mr. Lincoln had hoped for, but it was nevertheless a victory—and, because of that, it was no longer possible for the Confederacy to win the war.
The North might still lose it, to be sure, if the soldiers or the people should lose heart, but outright defeat was no longer in the cards. This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. July Learn how and when to remove this template message.
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American Civil War portal. See the discussion regarding historians' judgment on whether Gettysburg should be considered a decisive victory. See the section on casualties for a discussion of alternative Confederate casualty estimates, which have been cited as high as 28, Quigley, Civil War Spoken Here: Historicals, , p.
Gallagher and McPherson cite the combination of Gettysburg and Vicksburg as the turning point. Eicher uses the arguably related expression, " High-water mark of the Confederacy ".
Retrieved 3 July A Military History of the Civil War. New York City, New York: Retrieved March 5, Lee 's troops seized scores of free black people in Maryland and Pennsylvania and sent them south into slavery. This was in keeping with Confederate national policy, which virtually re-enslaved free people of color into work gangs on earthworks throughout the south. Putnam — via Google Books. However, many mainstream historians accept Heth's account: Brann compiled first-person accounts of the battle.
Following are condensed versions of Brann's commentary on the battle's third day and of soldiers' accounts. As the third day dawned, the Union positions were stronger than ever. By now, the entire Army of the Potomac faced Lee. Confederate attacks at both ends of the Union line had failed in previous days. Lee would send his men against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge.
Fifteen thousand men spread out three lines deep and nearly a mile wide would dash across the hell between Seminary and Cemetery ridges and up, up to the federal lines: James Longstreet had strongly opposed the assault. Alexander, chief of the Confederate artillery. He spoke sharply, 'Go and stop Pickett where he is and replenish your ammunition. A wounded soldier from Michigan wrote the following account while recuperating in the hospital: She was wounded at Gettysburg but our doctors soon found her out.
They say she is very good looking but the poor girl has lost a leg. It is a great pity she did not stay at home with her mother but she gets good care and kind treatment. It was a different world then. If your husband, father, brother or whoever was supporting you went off to war, there were no food stamps, no welfare, and women were not educated to support themselves.
So they joined the Army to be paid and fed.
An Eyewitness Account of Pickett’s Charge From a Union Soldier, July 8, 1863
Some joined for love because they decided to go with their husband or boyfriend. And we know some of them went just for the adventure of it. Tepe was born in France and emigrated to America as a teenager. She was living with a tailor at the time the war broke out and when he enlisted in the volunteers, so did she.
Estes said, was Lorinda Anna Blair. Her dress on entering the battle was a riding dress with two small pistols in her belt. She was wounded slightly in her left hand and they said her dress and bonnet had many bullet holes in them. She received the Kearney Cross for bravery under fire. How many of you knew or even suspected that a woman received a medal for bravery in battle at Gettysburg?
In the early s, Ms. Estes herself began a search for the grave of Ms. She eventually located it in Arlington Cemetery, but discovered that the curator had no knowledge of the details of the female warrior's life. Blair was not buried in that national military cemetery because of her own exploits, but because she later married a veteran and was, as his wife, legally entitled to a grave plot. The Confederate Army had been authorized to seize any person of color they encountered on their march north and send them south as "captured contraband" to be returned to slavery -- Photo: