The Battle of Gettysburg and Events that Leading Up to It Essay Example

States had clashed over slavery since the declaration of the country’s independence in the year 1776

The Northern states had started to end slavery with the Northern delegates insisting that the constitution forbid slavery thought the country. Slavery was growing in the South and the Southern delegates threatened that they would never endorse a constitution that outlawed slavery. The Northern delegates backed down to maintain peace. However, the issue of slavery continued over the years, and that became more heated between the early 1800s and 1860.

The Northerners were determined to abolish slavery while the Southern leaders insisted on State rights to decide whether to end slavery or not. After Abraham Lincoln had been elected as the president of the United States, the Southerners were afraid that he would end slavery. The Southerners began to secede from the United States and formed their country, the Confederate States of America. President Lincoln was determined to force Confederacy back into the nation who had seceded for a horrible reason to continue slavery. A day after President Abraham took the oath of office; he received word from the Federal commander, Major Robert Anderson requesting reinforcing the troops. In an attempt to avoid direct conflict with the South, Lincoln authorized only the supplies to be delivered. After the end of negotiations for a peaceful surrender, General P.G.T ordered the opening of fire on Fort Sumter. That marked the beginning of the civil war between the North and South.

The Northerners and Southerners had been fighting for two years by the spring of 1863, and the end of the war was unforeseeable. The Confederates had scored several decisive victories against the Union over

the two years of war while the North failed to realize any marked triumph. However, despite the Confederates victories and the fact that it had adequately defended Virginia throughout most of the war, it failed to obtain international recognition. The South was suffering despite the Confederates victories. According to DeAngelis Virginia suffered the most that shared its northern borders with the Union. The two years of war had destroyed Virginia’s farmland and economy.

The city of Vicksburg was under siege that was surrounded by the Union troops. The Confederates were afraid that if the Vicksburg city fell to the Union troop, the Confederacy would be cut into two and the Western States would not send the required supplies to the eastern states. Lee made a proposal to invade the North and drive the war far away from Virginia into the Union territory.

Lee was eager to take the war to the North after the Confederate victory at Chancellorsville that he believed would help prevent the Federal from launching another offensive against Richmond and lead to Union submission. The Union army suffered many defeats under the poor leadership of Potomac’s commander Joseph Hooker. The Union force to Gettysburg was led by General George G. Meade who was given the command by President Abraham Lincoln to succeed Hooker. The two forces collided at Gettysburg where they engaged in a severe battle over three days. 10: Catton, Bruce. 2014. The Battle of Gettysburg.

On July 1, Lee’s army was situated west of Gettysburg. While the Confederates forces matched to Gettysburg, some Union cavalry who had arrived earlier and regrouped at Cemetery Hill were scouting the town in search of the Confederates

soldiers. Lee planned to gather the Confederates forces in the Gettysburg affluent crossroads town after he learned that the Union Army was marching to Gettysburg. The two forces ran into each other and a fight broke out on the hill called Ridge (Ford, 13). The Confederate forces were able to draw the Union army through the streets of Gettysburg and south of the town but were unable to secure the heights of the South.

The Union army was forced to take positions on Cemetery Ridge where they managed to hold their positions until reinforcements arrived. In an attempt to press his advantage prior to the arrival of more Union soldiers, Lee ordered General R.S. Ewell to attack the Cemetery Hill, but Ewell hesitated to give the Union forces time to bring in reinforcement and set up artillery.

On July 2, the Union forces had managed to hold positions from Culp’s Hill to Cemetery Ridge. Meade had marched a troop of more than 90,000 men to Gettysburg in the middle of the night. Lee had assessed his enemy’s position and ordered Longstreet to attack the Union left and the Ewell’s corps to attack the right close to Culp’s Hill. He attempted to flank and envelop the Union army, but faulty intelligence led his force to crush directly into the Union troop that had redeployed to a more suitable position. The arriving reinforcements and the Longstreet delays and later attacks than of Ewell’s helped the Union to strength their positions although casualties on both sides were high. The war was fierce with the Confederates attacking the Union on both sides. The Union was able to hold little Round Top

but failed to hold the Orchard, Wheatfield, and Devil’s Den. Both the forces suffered significant losses with about 9,000 casualties on both sides.

On July 3, one of the most significant forces maneuvers of the war occurred. Lee was resolute to attack the Union center at Cemetery Ridge despite the Longstreet’s protest. The forces under General George Pickett attempted to take the Cemetery Ridge but were subjected to withering fire from well-prepared Union troops. The Union attacked the advancing Confederates from behind the walls while troops from New York, Ohio and Vermont strike both of the forces flanks. The Union troops succeeded in driving the rebels from the Cemetery Ridges. Confederates army was attacked from both sides, and narrowly half of the force survived the war with Pickett’s division losing two-thirds of its soldiers. The confederate’s forces collapsed suffering devastating casualties. At that time, it was apparent that the Confederates could not dislodge the Union army and Lee withdrew his decimated soldiers on July 4 hence ending his attempt to move the war into the Union territory.

Lee’s hope for a successful invasion failed. The Gettysburg battle was a devastating defeat for the Confederates forces by the Union army. The Confederacy had made their final great offensive and could simply fight a defensive battle henceforth thereby pinning their expectations on the chance that its force would make the Northerners and their government to approve the South’s independence. Also, the South’s hopes for gaining Confederacy international recognition erased. There were many casualties in the fight from both sides but mostly from the Confederates forces. Gettysburg is considered a significant battle that irreversibly turned the civil war’s tide in

the United States favor.

References

• Catton, Bruce. 2014. The Battle of Gettysburg. https://www.overdrive.com/search?q=EC719C42-9DAB- 437A-A6AE-E996E9A6A464.
• DeAngelis, Gina. 2003. The Battle of Gettysburg: turning point of the Civil War. Mankato, Minn: Bridgestone Books.
• Ford, Carin T. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the Battle of Gettysburg through primary sources. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2013.
• Fradin, Dennis B. The Battle of Gettysburg. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2008.