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The Battle of Gettysburg—1863

1 During the Civil War the South had won a number of major battles. The North was shocked at how fully the Rebels had defeated many Union generals. Many of these battles had been fought in Virginia. Now the South was desperate to take the fighting out of the state. Robert E. Lee, General of the Confederate army, knew how the past few years of war had hurt the state. Property had been greatly damaged and resources were running low. Lee felt an invasion of the North might force the Union to seek peace and end the war. The South also hoped that a major win in the North might bring aid from Europe.

2 The Rebel army invaded southern Pennsylvania in June of 1863. June 29, a Rebel division ran into a Union patrol near Gettysburg. Bursts of gunfire erupted and both sides retreated. News quickly filtered back to the generals of both sides. Robert E. Lee and Union General George Meade now knew where to find the enemy. They also knew that the town of Gettysburg sat at a key road junction. These roads allowed troops and supplies to be shipped throughout the area. The army that controlled these roads controlled the region. Both Lee and Meade wanted those routes. Meade ordered his army north to Gettysburg. Lee gathered his troops and marched them south to the town’s edge.

3 On July 1, 1863, 90,000 Union and 75,000 Rebel soldiers arrived. They took positions around the town. Right away fighting exploded just north of town. The booms and cracks of cannons and rifles thundered through the buildings. The dead and wounded quickly littered the sprawling farmland. Over many hours the Rebels slowly drove the Union troops south through a shocked downtown. The South now held the city. Both armies pounded each other just beyond the city’s southern limits. Now, the Union lines were on the verge of utter defeat. Just when all seemed lost, Union troops were rallied on Cemetery Hill. The other Union troops withdrew to the east and took Culp’s Hill. The Union now held the high ground. This high ground went for nearly three miles along Cemetery Ridge. At the southern point was Little and Big Round Top, two high and rocky hills. This allowed them to see most of the sprawling battlefield. It also increased the range of their cannons. During the night, both armies strengthened their lines with fresh soldiers.

4 On July 2, General Lee gambled that the Union line would crumble at both ends of the ridge. A Rebel corps attacked Culp’s Hill, nearly driving the Union soldiers away. But the Rebels retreated once the Union sent reinforcements. A mistake nearly destroyed the North’s plans at the other end of the ridge. Just as Confederate General Longstreet was about to attack, Union General Sickles moved his men down from Little Round Top. This unit marched ahead of the Union lines and onto the low ground. Longstreet ferociously attacked. The Union soldiers were slaughtered in the Peach Orchard and near Devil’s Den. Sickles’s men panicked and fell back. General Lee saw that no one now held Little Round Top. If his men could capture it, they could place cannons on top. The Rebels then could destroy the Union positions. General Meade knew the danger as well. Both armies raced to capture the hill. The Union got there first.

5 On the third day of battle both armies tried to finish the giant chess game of men and guns. General Lee believed that if he attacked the center of the Union lines, it would crumble. General Meade gambled that the Rebels would try his center. Meade strengthened his middle with men and guns. Then, the Rebels fired their cannons at the Union center line for over two hours. Cannon balls streaked back and forth across the summer sky. Explosions erupted in the air, grass, and mass of soldiers. As the cannon fire raged on, Rebel General Pickett assembled his men. General Lee had ordered him to march his corps across the mile of open ground. They would be in the center of all Union artillery and musket fire for the long attack.

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Battle of Gettysburg

over dead men and horses, 15,000 Rebel soldiers were pounded by Union cannons. Men fell by the hundreds with every yard forward. Pickett then gave the command to charge. His men bolted forward screaming the Rebel Yell. Within a few hundred yards of the Union line, Meade’s soldiers fired from behind a short wall. Musket fire poured into Pickett’s men, adding to the chaos of the cannons. Hundreds of Rebel soldiers fell. The entire assault came to a smashing halt. Those who survived barely made it back to their gray line. The famous Pickett’s Charge was a complete failure for the South.

7 Robert E. Lee now knew that the battle had been lost. On July 4, the Rebels began their long march back home. Over 6,000 soldiers died during the battle. The Rebels had 20,000 wounded while the Union had 23,000. Gettysburg was a major defeat for the South. The battle was the turning point of the Civil War. Many Union victories followed and the South struggled more than ever. The Rebels were never again able to threaten the North. The battle was the largest ever fought in North America.

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2. Why was Gettysburg such an important objective for both armies?

A. they both wanted to defend the citizens

B. both armies wanted the high ground

C. the town had supplies the both needed

D. it was a major road junction

3. Who was commander of the Union army during the battle?

A. General Longstreet B. General Meade C. General Sickles D. General Lee

4. Why was it important to capture the high ground during the battle?

A. it would allow an army to see reinforcements arrive

B. an army could see the whole battlefield and shoot guns further

C. it was great position to attack from

D. an army needed less men to fight a battle

5. True or False. The Confederates captured the high ground.

A. True B. False

A. to get help from Europe B. to have the North seek peace and get aid from Europe

C. to defeat the North in one final battle

D. to stall the North’s invasion of the South

1. What did General Lee hope to accomplish with an invasion of the North?

Directions: Read each question and circle the best answer.

6 As the Rebel cannon fire stopped, General Pickett moved his wall of men across the mile of shattered grass. Marching

Battle of Gettysburg

G6.2 ©2013 IntegratedLessons.com 3

9. Which of the following events happened first?

A. Sickles’s men fight in the Peach Orchard

B. Culp’s Hill is captured by the Union

C. Pickett’s Charge fails D. the South captures Gettysburg

10. Which research question would best be answered by this article?

A. Did European countries help the South?

B. How did the South lose the Battle of Gettysburg?

C. Why did General Sickles attack the Peach orchard?

D. How much damage did Gettysburg suffer from battle?

11. Which word best completes the analogy?

General Lee is to low ground as is to high ground

A. General Pickett B. General Sickles D. General Meade

12. Who might find this information most helpful?

A. Someone researching the destruction of the Union

B. Someone who wants to learn about General Meade

C. General Longstreet

D. Someone who wants to learn about Gen. Longstreet

13. A bullet from the battle found in a field around Gettysburg would be an example of a—

A. secondary source B. primary source

C. Someone who wants to learn about the turning point of the Civil War

6. What event made Robert E. Lee realize that the battle was lost?

A. the failure to capture Little Round Top

B. the failure of Pickett’s Charge

C. Longstreet’s attack on General Sickles’s men

D. the South’s failure to capture the high ground

7. Why was the Battle of Gettysburg so important?

A. it was the turning point of the Civil War

B. thousands of men were killed or wounded

C. the South was no longer able to threaten the North

D. the North proved that it could defeat Gen. Lee

8. Using context clues, what does the word sprawling mean in paragraph 3?

A. enormous B. tiny C. simple D. minute

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The Battle of Gettysburg - 1863 *

1 During the Civil War the South had won a number of major battles. The North was shocked at how fully the Rebels had defeated many Union generals. Many of these battles had been fought in Virginia. Now the South was desperate to take the fighting out of the state. Robert E. Lee, General of the Confederate army, knew how the past few years of war had hurt the state. Property had been greatly damaged and resources were running low. Lee felt an invasion of the North might force the Union to seek peace and end the war. The South also hoped that a major win in the North might bring aid from Europe.

2 The Rebel army invaded southern Pennsylvania in June of 1863. On June 29, a Rebel division ran into a Union patrol near Gettysburg. Bursts of gunfire erupted and both sides retreated. News quickly filtered back to the generals of both sides. Robert E. Lee and Union General George Meade now knew where to find the enemy. They also knew that the town of Gettysburg sat at a key road junction. These roads allowed troops and supplies to be shipped throughout the area. The army that controlled these roads controlled the region. Both Lee and Meade wanted those routes. Meade ordered his army north to Gettysburg. Lee gathered his troops and marched them south to the town’s edge.

3 On July 1, 1863, 90,000 Union and 75,000 Rebel soldiers arrived. They took positions around the town. Right away fighting exploded just north of town. The booms and cracks of cannons and rifles thundered through the buildings. The dead and wounded quickly littered the sprawling farmland. Over many hours the Rebels slowly drove the Union troops south through a shocked downtown. The South now held the city. Both armies pounded each other just beyond the city’s southern limits. Now, the Union lines were on the verge of utter defeat. Just when all seemed lost, Union troops were rallied on Cemetery Hill. The other Union troops withdrew to the east and took Culp’s Hill. The Union now held the high ground. This high ground went for nearly three miles along Cemetery Ridge. At the southern point was Little and Big Round Top, two high and rocky hills. This allowed them to see most of the sprawling battlefield. It also increased the range of their cannons. During the night, both armies strengthened their lines with fresh soldiers.

4 On July 2, General Lee gambled that the Union line would crumble at both ends of the ridge. A Rebel corps attacked Culp’s Hill, nearly driving the Union soldiers away. But the Rebels retreated once the Union sent reinforcements. A mistake nearly destroyed the North’s plans at the other end of the ridge. Just as Confederate General Longstreet was about to attack, Union General Sickles moved his men down from Little Round Top. This unit marched ahead of the Union lines and onto the low ground. Longstreet ferociously attacked. The Union soldiers were slaughtered in the Peach Orchard and near Devil’s Den. Sickles’s men panicked and fell back. General Lee saw that no one now held Little Round Top. If his men could capture it, they could place cannons on top. The Rebels then could destroy the Union positions. General Meade knew the danger as well. Both armies raced to capture the hill. The Union got there first.

5 On the third day of battle both armies tried to finish the giant chess game of men and guns. General Lee believed that if he attacked the center of the Union lines, it would crumble. General Meade gambled that the Rebels would try his center. Meade strengthened his middle with men and guns. Then, the Rebels fired their cannons at the Union center line for over two hours. Cannon balls streaked back and forth across the summer sky. Explosions erupted in the air, grass, and mass of soldiers. As the cannon fire raged on, Rebel General Pickett assembled his men. General Lee had ordered him to march his corps across the mile of open ground. They would be in the center of all Union artillery and musket fire for the long attack.

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Battle of Gettysburg

6 As the Rebel cannon fire stopped, General Pickett moved his wall of men across the mile of shattered grass. Marching over dead men and horses, 15,000 Rebel soldiers were pounded by Union cannons. Men fell by the hundreds with every yard forward. Pickett then gave the command to charge. His men bolted forward screaming the Rebel Yell. Within a few hundred yards of the Union line, Meade’s soldiers fired from behind a short wall. Musket fire poured into Pickett’s men, adding to the chaos of the cannons. Hundreds of Rebel soldiers fell. The entire assault came to a smashing halt. Those who survived barely made it back to their gray line. The famous Pickett’s Charge was a complete failure for the South.

7 Robert E. Lee now knew that the battle had been lost. On July 4, the Rebels began their long march back home. Over 6,000 soldiers died during the battle. The Rebels had 20,000 wounded while the Union had 23,000. Gettysburg was a major defeat for the South. The battle was the turning point of the Civil War. Many Union victories followed and the South struggled more than ever. The Rebels were never again able to threaten the North. The battle was the largest ever fought in North America.

A. to get help from Europe B. to have the North seek peace and get aid from Europe *

C. to defeat the North in one final battle

D. to stall the North’s invasion of the South

2. Why was Gettysburg such an important objective for both armies?

A. they both wanted to defend the citizens

B. both armies wanted the high ground

C. the town had supplies the both needed

D. it was a major road junction *

3. Who was commander of the Union army during the battle?

A. General Longstreet B. General Meade * C. General Sickles D. General Lee

4. Why was it important to capture the high ground during the battle?

A. it would allow an army to see reinforcements arrive

B. an army could see the whole battlefield and shoot guns further *

C. it was great position to attack from

D. an army needed less men to fight a battle

5. True or False. The Confederates captured the high ground.

A. True B. False *

G6.2* ©2013 Integrated Lessons.com 2

1. What did General Lee hope to accomplish with an invasion of the North?

Directions: Read each question and circle the best answer.

Battle of Gettysburg

6. What event made Robert E. Lee realize that the battle was lost?

A. the failure to capture Little Round Top

B. the failure of Pickett’s Charge *

C. Longstreet’s attack on General Sickles’s men

D. the South’s failure to capture the high ground

7. Why was the Battle of Gettysburg so important?

A. it was the turning point of the Civil War *

B. thousands of men were killed or wounded

C. the South was no longer able to threaten the North

D. the North proved that it could defeat Gen. Lee

8. Using context clues, what does the word sprawling mean in paragraph 3?

A. enormous * B. tiny C. simple D. minute

9. Which of the following events happened first?

A. Sickles’s men fight in the Peach Orchard

B. Culp’s Hill is captured by the Union

C. Pickett’s Charge fails D. the South captures Gettysburg *

10. Which research question would best be answered by this article?

A. Did European countries help the South?

B. How did the South lose the Battle of Gettysburg? *

C. Why did General Sickles attack the Peach orchard?

D. How much damage did Gettysburg suffer from battle?

G6.2* ©2013 Integrated Lessons.com 3

11. Which word best completes the analogy?

General Lee is to low ground as is to high ground

A. General Pickett B. General Sickles D. General Meade *

12. Who might find this information most helpful?

A. Someone researching the destruction of the Union

B. Someone who wants to learn about General Meade

C. General Longstreet

D. Someone who wants to learn about Gen. Longstreet

13. A bullet from the battle found in a field around Gettysburg would be an example of a—

A. secondary source B. primary source *

C. Someone who wants to learn about the turning point of the Civil War *