On 1-3 July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in North America between the Union under George Meade and the Confederates under Robert E. Lee during the American Civil War.
Why did it happen & Who was involved?
The election of Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States in 1860, who was committed to stopping the spread of slavery, caused 11 Southern states to break off from the Union to form the Confederacy. The Confederates were concerned that the outlaw of slavery within the United States would severely damage their agricultural economy, which was dependent on slavery. On 12 April 1861, Fort Sumter in South Carolina was bombarded by Confederate forces, beginning the American Civil War. In May 1863, after their victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Confederates under Robert E. Lee planned a fresh invasion of the Union involving some 75,000 troops and 138 artillery. In June, the Confederate army advanced into Pennsylvania unimpeded, except for a minor cavalry skirmish at Brandy Station. In response, Abraham Lincoln sacked General Joseph Hooker and appointed General George Meade to take command of the Army of Potomac, consisting of 85,000 men and 100 artillery, and seek out and destroy the Confederate invasion force. When Lee learned of the approach of the Union army, he instructed his scattered forces to converge at Gettysburg.
What happened?
On 1 July, as 27,000 Confederate forces under A.P. Hill marched towards Gettysburg, they came under fire from 2,000 Union cavalry, who were soon supported by 20,000 Union infantry. As the Confederates pushed the Union forces back through Gettysburg, Union commander John Reynolds was killed, and the Union forces took up a defensive position along Cemetery Hill. On 2 July, Union and Confederate reinforcements arrived, and Robert E. Lee ordered a direct assault on the Union army, which succeeded in pushing them back through a peach orchard and Wheatfield towards Cemetery Hill. On 3 July, at Culp’s Hill close to Gettysburg, the Union artillery bombarded the Confederate line before Confederate troops charged the Union lines, with fighting continuing throughout the morning. Meanwhile, both sides’ artillery began a duel that lasted until 3pm when 14,000 Confederate troops under George Pickett advanced against the Union centre, only to be met by withering rifle and artillery fire. By the time the Confederates reached the Union line, only 200 men remained, and the Confederates were repulsed. Despite some skirmishing on 4/5 July, the battle was effectively over, and Lee led his weary army south through Virginia. Casualties were heavy for both sides with the Union suffering 23,000 killed or wounded and the Confederates sustaining 28,000 killed or wounded.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Gettysburg was a decisive victory for the Union and a turning point in American history. Just as the Siege of Yorktown is remembered as the birth of the American nation, the Battle of Gettysburg is remembered as its coming of age. It marked the last time the Confederates would invade the north and subsequently put the Confederates permanently on the defensive, making Lincoln’s victory in the American Civil War inevitable. In the words of Geoffrey Regan, “After Gettysburg the defeat of the south and of slavery was certain. Lincoln had fought the war to preserve the Union, and Lee’s defeat meant that the United States would remain one nation” (Regan, 2002, p.164).
Bibliography:
Chandler, David G. The Art of Warfare on Land. Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 2000.
Grant, R.G. 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History. London, Cassell Illustrated, 2011.
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Regan, Geoffrey. Battles That Changed History: Fifty Decisive Battles Spanning Over 2,500 Years of Warfare. London, Andre Deutsch, 2002.