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The Gettysburg National Battlefield |
In July 1863, General Robert E. Lee's Army met General George G. Meade's army when a Confederate brigade in Southern Pennsylvania was sent forward for Southern supplies saw a part of Meade's cavalry. General Lee's army od Northern Virginia consisted of 75,000 men while the Union Army of The Potomac contained 97,000 men.
The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1 when Confederate troops attacked Buford's cavalry on McPherson Bridge. The Battle got it's start when General Lee decided to take the war north. His main objective was to destroy the railroad bridge at Harrisburg and then to turn his attention to another major city in the North. When the Confederate army reached the north, they were spread throughout Chambersburg, Carlisle and York. The towns were occupied so that needed supplies could be obtained for the Southern offensive.
The first day the Union troops were outnumbered, but they prevailed
into the afternoon. When additional troops from the south showed up, the
Union troops were forced back through town. There was such confusion, though,
that many of the Northern troops were captured before they could rally
on Cemetery Hill.
| The next day the two armies, after having some planning
time, were positioned almost a mile apart on parallel ridges. Lee proceeded
to order an attack against both Union flanks. Even though General Lee started
the attack, the Union finished it. At the end of the day, the Confederacy
fell apart due mostly to ineffective communication.
The third day, Lee decided to press an attack on the Union center
at Cemetery Hill. Without much success, General Pickett made a desperate
attempt to win back some of the success the Union had won the second day.
They (an infantry of 15,000) marched to the Union line while being assaulted
by cannon and rifle fire. They reached the Union line, after about a mile,
but failed to break the line. The effort, which would come to be known
as Picket's Charge, became a disaster and is thought of as the most important
part of the battle.
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The next day the two armies, after having some planning time, were positioned almost a mile apart on parallel ridges. Lee proceeded to order an attack against both Union flanks. Even though General Lee started the attack, the Union finished it. At the end of the day, the Confederacy fell apart due mostly to ineffective communication.
The third day, Lee decided to press an attack on the Union center at Cemetery Hill. Without much success, General Pickett made a desperate attempt to win back some of the success the Union had won the second day. They (an infantry of 15,000) marched to the Union line while being assaulted by cannon and rifle fire. They reached the Union line, after about a mile, but failed to break the line. The effort, which would come to be known as Picket's Charge, became a disaster and is thought of as the most important part of the battle.
The battle ended after Picket's Charge and the Union was saved. The
Confederate troops began their retreat on July 4, 1863 and left behind
a combined 51,000 casualties. The mass wreckage from the battle left a
scene of terrible devastation. The Confederacy would never truly recover
and the Union would go on to win the Civil War two years later.
Some Gettysburg Links:
From The National Park Service:
The Gettyburg National Battlefield
The Gettysburg
Home Page
Gettysburg Battlefield Maps
Gettysburg Welcome Center
The Battle
of Gettysburg: A Pictoral View
The Order of Battle at Gettysburg :
To The Interactive Atlas of Western Maryland
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To The Region 6 Page |
