FREE ESSAY ON GETTYSBURG

GETTYSBURG

There is a lot of controversy as to why the U.S. Civil War started. Historians believe it
was merely a difference in the two cultures. The U.S. Civil War was mainly started
because of a difference in these two cultures. The South had an agricultural economy, and
the North had a manufacturing economy. Because of such different ideals, both areas were
fighting for different reasons. The North was fighting to abolish slavery, while the
South was fighting to sustain slavery. The Battle of Gettysburg was a very important
battle during the Civil War. The Confederate General, Robert E. Lee had proven to be
invincible after his victories at Chancellorsville and Fredricksberg, and was finally
defeated at Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg turned the tide of the war permanently
against the South. On July 1, 1863 shots were fired outside Gettysburg that marked the
beginning of what would become one of the largest and most significant battle in the
world. 
After a Confederate victory at Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee divided his army
into three different corps. Corp I was under the command of General James Longstreet,
Corp II under General R.S. Ewell, and Corp III under General A.P. Hill. Before he decided
to move North, Lee sent one of his Generals, Jeb Stuart into Union territory to get
information on the Union army. Knowing it was a risky task; Stuart proceeded as Lee's
eyes and ears. Jeb Stuart was sent to invade was sent to take the front and right flank
of Ewell's army, but as he was completing his orders, he did not notice that General
Mead's army was marching straight at him with about 82,000. 
Without any hesitation, Lee decided to push north in order to invade Pennsylvania from
Maryland, threatening the Union capital, Washington DC. General A.P. Hill's corp were in
bad conditions, most soldiers did not have any shoes, and so decided to invaded
Gettysburg with the purpose of getting shoes. On Tuesday morning, June 30 Hill's corps
had started their way to Gettysburg when they noticed a long line of Union cavalry
heading toward the town. He withdrew his corp, and informed General Heth. The following
day, General Heth was given permission to attack Gettysburg, and taking the city. Shots
were exchanged between Heth's and Union General Buford. Late that afternoon, General Lee
arrived at the sight of the shootings still without any news from Stuart. After the shots
exchanged by Buford and Heth outside of Gettysburg, the rebels began to push the Union
back into town until General Winfield Scott Hancock positioned his troops on Culp's Hill
and Cemetary Hill. Thinking that this was an opening to another Confederate victory, Lee,
who had arrived late that afternoon, sent his second corp under General Ewell to attack
the Union army. Ewell decided to hold his ground, which is characterized as the mistake
that cost the fight, battle, and maybe even their independence. Ewell also decided to
stop pushing the Union army back, which would have given him the advantage of having the
high ground. Hours later, General Lee said, "If I had Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg, I
would have won that fight; and a complete victory would have given us Washington and
Baltimore, if not Philadelphia, and would have established the independence of the
Confederacy" (Davis 299). After Ewell's unexpected decision, commanding General
Longstreet decided that it was the right time to move around the Union's left. This
movement would put them right between Washington and Mead. 
On July 2, 1863, General George Gordon Mead arrived at Gettysburg with most of the Union
army. Mead positioned his army in the shape of a "U", occupying Little Round Top, Big
Round Top, Cemetery Hill, and Culp's Hill. Still without hearing from Stuart, General Lee
decided to prepare an assault. His main intention was to obtain the high ground, making
it easier to take over Gettysburg. He planned to send Longstreet to attack the Union's
left side, taking both Round Tops, while Ewell was sent to take over Culp's Hill on the
right. The preparation took him most of the day. Early that afternoon, Stuart came back
to the Confederates and informed Lee about the Union. Stuart was now going to help them
attack the left flank. The Union's left flank was under the command of General Sickles.
Sickles had disobeyed the orders he was given, which were to stay and protect Cemetery
Ridge, and decided to shift his men to Peach Orchard. Peach Orchard was a flat plain that
would be much harder to fight on, also leaving the Round Tops undefended. Confederate
sharpshooters covered by boulders at Devil's Den soon fired upon them. Mead called back
General Sickles to his post, Cemetery Ridge, but it had already been too late. The
Confederates had already started to run up Big Round Top, where Union General Oates saw a
chance to ambush the Confederate soldiers. If he could get enough guns on Little Round
Top, he could destroy all the Confederate soldiers. 
Without any news from Sickles, Mead sent General Warren to Little Round Top to see what
was going on. The Confederate's were defeating Sickles at Peach Orchard. The Union pushed
the Confederate's back and then retreated. Union reinforcements were sent, but left a gap
Cemetery Ridge, giving the Confederate's a chance to get through the Union line.
Unfortunately a small brigade led by Scott Hancock stopped them. 262 Union soldiers
charged upon 1,600 rebels, the Union soldiers lost more than 82 percent in less than 5
minutes. "82 percent of them fell in less than five minutes, the highest percentage of
casualties taken by any Union regiment in the war" ( 226). Meanwhile, Lee had already
been planning an attack on the weakest area of the Union line. The extreme end was under
the command of General Chamberlain. This was a critical area, because if it were to give
in, it would give the Confederates the high ground. His orders were to hold Little Round
Top at any costs. Before he could give any orders, Union General Oates and his army were
already pushing back on the Confederates that were climbing the hill. Chamberlain thought
he had been beaten, but then saw the rebels retreating. This attack/retreat by the rebels
happened four times, until Chamberlain's men ran out of ammunition. He changed his
strategy, and ordered a bayonet charge which defeated the rebels. General Oates mentions
that, "We ran like a herd of wild cattle" ( 221). This heroic act by General Chamberlain
saved the far end of the Union line, and gave him a Congressional Medal of Honor. 
The third day of battle had begun badly for the Confederates. Ewell's men were brought
back from Culp's Hill, and Stuart was attacked by Union cavalry, repulsing his attack
from the rear. It was all up to General Longstreet's attack on the Union center at
Cemetery Ridge. Unfortunately, General Longstreet hesitated on attacking. Lee decided to
give the order to General George E. Pickett. Pickett and his men went into the woods, and
lined up, waiting for the command. As the desperately waited for the command, guns and
cannons were fired at the line, making it weaker. The command was then given, and
Pickett's Charge had begun with 15,000 soldiers marching towards the Union Line. It was a
successful charge; Pickett's men had penetrated Union line. Then again, just as in day
two, Scott Hancock gave the orders to his men, to charge at the Confederates, which
stopped Pickett. Pickett lost 75 percent of his men, and the charge was over. Thousands
of rebels threw down their weapons, and gave in as prisoners. 
During the evening of July 3, 1863, the Confederate troops began their march back to
Virginia. During the three-day battle, the Union had lost 23,000 men, and the
Confederates lost 28,000 men. These men were killed, wounded, or missing. This was the
bloodiest battle of the war. The battle of Gettysburg was a very significant battle. It
changed the tide of the war severely. Lee had never been defeated, and was coming from a
victory at Chancellorsville and Fredricksberg. This only proved that General Robert E.
Lee was human, and was not invincible. Lee gathered his men, and apologized to them, for
what he had done. "It was all my fault. Get together and let us do the best we can toward
saving that which is left of us" ( 235). After the attack on Gettysburg, the south feared
to ever invade or attack on union soil again.