Gettysburg the Civil War Was a Battle

Gettysburg

The Civil War was a battle that tore the United States into two dividing loyalties and families across the states. That it is a scar that still rankles the North and South cannot be doubted and yet, one event during the war is remembered over all others -- the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle took place for three days and yet, even today we see almost 1.3 million people visit the same ground in hope of reliving the event that took place on July 1 and 3, 1863. 75,000 Confederate soldiers under the leadership of General Robert E. Lee and almost 84,000 Union soldiers who came under the command of General George G. Meade fought the Battle of Gettysburg. With about 51,000 casualties and more than 10,000 soldiers dead Gettysburg was considered to be one of the most tragic battles of the American history and one that changed the course of the Civil War. [SCHENSUL,1993]

Analysis

This battle is remembered more than any other and has captured our imaginations through media depictions from books to movies and more. Michael Shaara's novel The Killer Angels was written on the three-day battle of Gettysburg (July 1- 3, 1863) and is considered a classic of historical fiction. Through research Shaara presented the words of the men who had fought the battle, their letters, and other documents and die not consciously change any fact or knowingly violate the action [Shaara 1974, xiii]. The result is a moving portrayal of men caught up in the vortex of a great event, in which decisions of life and death, victory or defeat are made on the basis of complex internal responses to pressing external circumstances.

The Civil War was being fought by the states divided into the North and South. The strife was caused due to the fact that the Northern States were imposing a law that would allow the black slaves to be freed. Such an act would have adversely affected the economy of the Southern States and so they believed that it was within their right to secede from the Union. Abraham Lincoln, the President at the time did not believe that America could survive if the states were allowed to secede and so the war began. According to Chamberlain the war was, "American's fight for mankind, for freedom; for the people, not the land," [Shaara 29].

Once the Civil War started it seemed the South would be invincible. Under the command of General Robert Lee, it gained one victory after another and it seemed the war would be in the favor of the South. Had Lee been successful at Gettysburg the South would have won the war at the U.S. history, as we know it would have changed forever. The Southern Army realized that this one last success would entail a complete success in terms of the war and for them the battle held more than a small stake.

The North had until the time of the battle been losing the various skirmishes that took place. While General Lee ruled supreme on any battlefield the Northern commanders leadership had proven to be insufficient and Lincoln was becoming frustrated with this failure on the field. In a last ditch desperate attempt President Lincoln put Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade in control of the army. Meade was given charge only a few days before the battle took place and not many people had confidence in his leadership. [Author Not Available, 2002]

Yet, on July 1, 1863 almost 150,000 Federal and Confederate troops met on Gettysburg, Pa., and began the small fights that would allow the armies' advance units to continue. Soldiers of both the armies realized this battle would write the outcome of the war and thus, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought with vigor and courage. [Cobb, 2001] Once the battle began the Confederate soldiers seemed to rule the field they held their ground and yet, soon they realized they were losing their advantage. The Federals were on higher ground and thus, were in a better position to attack and various attempts to dislodge them from their position failed. For two days the battle raged an on July 3, 1863 and when it culminated it was a loss for the Confederates.

As the South fought to gain the higher ground General Lee ordered approximately 12,000 soldiers to march across an open field so that the center of the Federal army could be taken. This seemingly desperate assault was called the 'Pickett's Charge' and was doomed to failure. The soldiers had more than a mile to cross and by the time the battle ended more than half the Confederate army was killed, wounded or captured. The battle had ended and the Civil War was accepted to be the victory for the North and yet, there was no joy for in the words of Joshua Chamberlain, "In the presence of real tragedy you feel neither pain nor joy nor hatred, only a sense of enormous space and time suspended, the great doors open to black eternity, the rising across the terrible field of that last enormous, unanswerable question." [Shaara, Foreword 6.]