The Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg

•  Union blockade and south’s lack of resources began to weaken Confederates Army

–  b/c of prolong fighting in Virginia supplies began to diminish –  Lee hoped for supplies in Pennsylvania –  Confederate win in north, force Union to give up

Battle of Gettysburg •  Confederate troops went to the town of Gettysburg •  Confederates encountered a unit of Union Cavalry •  This little skirmish led to the greatest battle ever fought in North America

Day 1: July 1, 1863 •  General George Meade was now in control of the Union forces

–  was in control for less than a week •  Hearing gunfire, units from both armies rushed to the scene

–  South originally outnumbered the North –  South pushed North back onto hills to the south of town

General George Meade

Day 1: July 1, 1863 •  Each sides army took positions on hills on the outskirts of town, stretching 4 miles

–  Union line: Cemetery Ridge –  Confederates line: Seminary Ridge

•  Between ridges was a large field several hundred yards wide •  Lee ordered General James Longstreet to attack the Union forces in the morning

–  Confederates 2nd in command after Stonewall's death

General James Longstreet •  Longstreet- graduate of West Point

- preferred peaceful work - wanted to be in charge of Confederates payroll department - Lee made him field commander

=

Day 2: Little Round Top

•  Longstreet was not ready to fight until 4 P.M. •  Delays allowed for Union to bring reinforcements to Gettysburg •  Devil’s Den: where heavy fighting took place on day 2

: peach orchard, wheat field, and a mass of boulders

Day 2: Little Round Top •  Confederate soldiers noticed one of the hills located in Union position was almost undefended •  Hill was known as Little Round Top •  From hill Confederate artillery could have hit Union lines

Little Round Top

Day 2: Little Round Top •  Union commanders sent about 350 soldiers from Maine to protect it •  Led by Colonel Joshua Chamberlin •  Union soldiers arrived just in time •  Held off repeated attacks by Confederate forces, until they ran out of ammunition •  Chamberlin ordered bayonet charge • Maine’s soldiers saved the Union from defeat at Battle of Gettysburg

Day 3: July 3, 1863 •  Day began with brief Confederate attack on Union •  In early afternoon south’s cannons began to fire •  Lee decided to risk everything on an infantry charge against the center of the Union position •  Union artillery guns began to halt fire, Confederates thought they had destroyed the North’s artillery guns •  General Longstreet then ordered the attack

Day 3: Pickett’s Charge •  Union commander’s actually ordered cease fire to save ammunition •  Northern soldiers at Cemetery Ridge saw 15,000 Confederate troops marching at them •  Named after General George Pickett, even though he was one of only 2 southern commanders on the battle field •  Confederate troops marched across open ground between the two ridges

- Union began firing artillery onto Confederate’s - When the Confederates came closer they

began shooting at them with their rifles

Pickett’s Charge

Day 3: Pickett’s Charge •  In about 30 minutes, Pickett’s charge was over •  Union- 23,000 deaths/85,000 men •  Confederates- 28,000 deaths/75,000 men •  July 4th Confederates began their retreat back to Virginia