Gettysburg
The Turning Point
Nathan Anderson
Background Info
-Battle took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
-Took place from July 1, 1863 through July 3, 1863-This battle is significant because it is the turning point in the war, when it is over the South has nobody left to fight with, they have been crippled.
-The Union suffered 23,049 casualties, the South suffered 28,063 casualties
-The leading Union General was George Meade
-The leading Confederate General was Robert E. Lee
Union and Confederate lines
The Union created a blockade on a hill, this hill had to be crossed for the Confederates to get into Washington. The Union could fire down on the Rebels.
Pickett's Charge
Pickett led his men on an assault on Cemetery Ridge on the last day of fighting. It was a massacre, he lost over half his men. 498 lay dead after 30 minutes of fighting.
Devils Den
This is a famous picture of Devil's Den, this place is said to be haunted due to this man in the picture who was moved from where he originally died to this place.
Total Casualties
51,112 men were killed, missing, or wounded in three days of fighting at Gettysburg. Gettysburg was the most costly battle up to date.
General Robert E. Lee
General Lee was a great general. A graduate of West Point even. But at the Battle of Gettysburg he got over confident. He lost a lot of men and this eventually led to the end of the war.
General George Meade
Meade was a more cautious general, but had fought well. He performed well at the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg, with is best win at Gettysburg. He was later replaced by Grant.
What if the South Won?
If the South would've won the Battle of Gettysburg, then they would have had access to the Capital, which was Washington,DC. The was would've gone on for much longer.
What happened to the dead?
The dead that littered the field at Gettysburg was too much to get all at once. Untouched bodies were left in the sun to rot and swell. The stench was so bad that the residents of Gettysburg had to bury the soldiers, some went into unmarked grades.
Gettysburg National Cemetery
A National Cemetery was constructed on the battle field to honor the Union soldiers that fell at Gettysburg.
The Pictures
I chose these pictures because they show some of the death and destruction that happened at Gettysburg. Some people do not know who led and who fought and died in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.