Battle of Gettysburg Essay -- History Civil War USA Historic Essays

Battle of Gettysburg This intimately famous and most important Civil War Battle occurred over three calefactive summer days, July 1 to July 3, 1863, around the small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It began as a skirmish but by its end involved 160,000 Americans. originally the battle, major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even upper-case letter were under threat of attack from General Robert E. Lees helper host of national Virginia which had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania. The Union Army of the Potomac under its very new and immature commander, General George G. Meade, marched to intercept Lee. On Tuesday morning, June 30, an infantry brigade of Confederate soldiers seek for shoes headed toward Gettysburg (population 2,400). The Confederate commander looked done his field glasses and uneven a recollective column of Federal cavalry heading toward the town. He withdrew his brigade and informed his superior, Gen. He nry Heth, who in turn told his superior, A.P. Hill, he would go cover the following morning and get those shoes. Wednesday morning, July 1, two divisions of Confederates headed back to Gettysburg. They ran into Federal cavalry west of the town at Willoughby Run and the skirmish began. Events would promptly escalate. Lee rushed 25,000 men to the scene. The Union had less than 20,000. After a good deal fierce fighting and heavy casualties on both sides, the Federals were pushed back through the town of Gettysburg and regrouped s stunnedh of the town along the high scope ripe the cemetery. Lee ordered Confederate General R.S. Ewell to seize the high ground from the battle weary Federals if practicable. Gen. Ewell hesitated to attack thereby giving the Union host a chance to dig in along Cemetery ridgeline and bring in reinforcements with artillery. By the time Lee realized Ewell had not attacked, the opportunity had vanished. Meade arrived at the scene and thought it was an ideal place to do battle with Lees Army. Meade anticipated reinforcements totaling up to 100,000 men to arrive and strengthen his protective position. Confederate General James Longstreet saw the Union position as nearly impregnable and told Lee it should be left alone. He argued that Lees Army should instead move east between the Union Army and capital of the United States and build a defensive position thus forcing the Federals to attack ... ...h. Confederate causalities in dead, wounded and missing were 28,000 out of 75,000. Union casualties were 23,000 out of 88,000. That wickedness and into the next day, Saturday, July 4, Confederate wounded were loaded aboard wagons that began the journey back toward the South. Lee was forced to abandon his dead and begin a long slow withdrawal of his army back to Virginia. Union commander Meade, out of fatigue and caution, did not immediately pursue Lee, infuriating hot seat capital of Nebraska who wrote a bitter letter to Meade (never delivered ) saying he missed a golden opportunity to end the war right there. On November 19, President Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate it as a military cemetery. The primary(prenominal) orator, Edward Everett of Massachusetts, delivered a two hour formal address. The president then had his turn. He spoke in his high, penetrating voice and in a inadequate over two minutes delivered the Gettysburg Address, surprising many in the audience by its shortness and leaving others quite unimpressed. Over time, however, the speech and its haggling - government of the People, by the People, for the People - have come to symbolize the explanation of democracy itself.