An Unexpected Turn
Battle of Gettysburg 5/01-03/1863
Bloodiest Battle
Being the turn point of the war and in favor of the Union Army the battle of Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battle of the civil war resulting in 51,000 men being killed, wounded, capture or missing in only three days.
Union Generals
Major General George Sykes
Stronger in defense than attack, Sykes assumed command of V Corps on June 28 when Meade ascended to lead the army. Arriving on July 2, V Corps entered the battle in support of III Corps' crumbling line.
Command Major General George G. Meade
A Pennsylvanian and West Point graduate, Meade serve on the staff of Major General Zachary Taylor.Meade was appointed to Brigadier General with the beginning of the civil war and quickly made his way to the corps command.
Major General Winfield Scott Hancock
When Meade heard about the fight at Gettysburg hi sent Hancock ahead on July 1 to determine if the army should fight at Gettysburg.Being placed in the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, II Corps played a major role in the fighting in the Wheatfield on July 2 by being ready to close any gaps on the union's defense line.
Confederate Generals
Lieutanent General Richard Ewell
Losing part of his left leg at Second Manassas, Ewell rejoined the army after Chancellorsville and received command of a restructured Second Corps. In the vanguard of the Confederate advance into Pennsylvania, his troops attacked Union forces at Gettysburg from the north on July 1.
Command General Robert E. Lee
Serving as an engineer on the staff of Major General Winfield Scott during the Mexican-American War, he distinguished himself during the campaign against Mexico City. Choosing to follow his home state of Virginia Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia in May 1862 after Seven Pines, winning a series of dramatic battles over unions forces.
Lieutanent General James Longstreet
Longstreet was a weak student while at west point, but graduated in 1842. Taking part in the 1847 Mexico City campaign, in which he was wounded during the battle of Chapultepec. Longstreet was ordered to direct Pickett's Charge on July 3. Lacking confidence in the plan, he was unable to verbalize the order to send the men forward and only nodded in ascent. Longstreet was later blamed by Southern apologists for the Confederate defeat.
How the Battle
After his victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Lee led his army to the second invasion of the North. With his army in high spirit Lee intended to collect supplies in the abundant Pennsylvania farmland and take the fighting away from war-ravaged Virginia.He wanted to threaten Northern cities, weaken the North's appetite for war and, especially, win a major battle on Northern soil and strengthen the peace movement in the North. When Meade hear about Lee's intentions he moved his army in between Lee's forces and Washington DC. When Lee learned that Meade was in Pennsylvania, Lee concentrated his army around Gettysburg.
July 1, 1863: First Day of the Battle
On July 1,1863 element of the two army's collided. Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. John Buford slowed down Lee's forces until Union's infantry arrived, which were the 1st and 11th corps. Having numbers on their side with 30,000 soldiers, Confederate General Ewell defeated the two corps making them fall back to Gettysburg.
July 2, 1863: Second Day of the Battle
On the second day of the battle the union with the size of around 90,000 men assumed an upside down hook-like defense line south of Gettysburg, Meade kept his 5th corps behind the line and General Sedgwick with the 6th corps on the way were ready to immediately fill in gaps in the line that would allow Lee's forces to hit Union's Flanks. On that afternoon Lee launched a heavy assault on the Union left flank, and fierce fighting raged at Devil's Den, Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard and Cemetery Ridge.With Lee's assault the confederate army gained land, but the Union held their position strong by the end of the day.
July 3,1863: Third Day of the Battle
On July 3, the Battle continued in Culp's Hill, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, but the main dramatic event was Picket's Charge (led by General Longstreet) in the center of Union's line with 12,000 infantry men on Commentary Ridge, which ended up being repulse by Union's rifle and artillery fire, a great looses for the Confederate army. Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia.
Gettysburg Address
Four months after the battle, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for Gettysburg's Soldiers National Cemetery to honor the fallen Union soldiers and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.
Sources
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/americancivilwar/p/American-Civil-War-Major-General-Winfield-Scott-Hancock.htm
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg/maps/gettysburg-animated-map/
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg.html?tab=facts
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/ConfederateLeaders/tp/Battle-Of-Gettysburg.htm
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/UnionLeaders/tp/Battle-Of-Gettysburg.htm
Images from www.google.com
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg/maps/gettysburg-animated-map/
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg.html?tab=facts
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/ConfederateLeaders/tp/Battle-Of-Gettysburg.htm
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/UnionLeaders/tp/Battle-Of-Gettysburg.htm
Images from www.google.com