Battle of Gettysburg Battle Analysis It is our duty, as soon to be Second Lieutenants in the Army, to learn from history. Learning from mistakes in the past is necessary to understand the responsibilities we will soon have. The Battle of Gettysburg shows prime examples of the nine principles of war: Objective, Offensive, Mass, Economy of Force, Maneuver, Unity of Command, Security, Surprise and Simplicity. In the military today, we are overwhelmingly blessed with every asset that we have including technology and monetary resources the list could go on forever but the most invaluable asset is history. Although all nine principles of war are pertinent to success on the battlefield, only five will be discussed in this analysis.
Objective
“What a cruel thing is war; to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbours, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world! I pray that, on this day when only peace and good-will are preached to mankind, better thoughts may fill the hearts of our enemies and turn them to peace. … My heart bleeds at the death of every one of our gallant men.”(General Robert E. Lee. 1862) General Robert E. Lee, as renowned as he is for his tactfulness in wartime, resents war in its entire capacity. That didn’t put a strain on his attempt to lead the Confederates’ invasion of the Northern States. His objective was to
Today, the Battle of Gettysburg is considered one of the most important battles of the American Civil War. However, with 23,049 casualties on the Union side and 28,063 on the Confederate side, it can also be considered one of the bloodiest (Civil War Trust). Such heavy losses naturally rattled the entire nation and Americans on both sides began to question the war and what it stood for. As Americans gathered together at the consecration ceremony of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, the much acclaimed orator and politician Edward Everett delivered what was meant to be the Gettysburg Address. Yet, today, it is not Edward Everett’s Gettysburg Address that the world remembers, but Abraham Lincoln’s, who was invited to the ceremony almost as an afterthought. Lincoln’s 272 words helped remake America by giving hope to its citizens at a time when they were at their lowest.
On July 1, 1863, the biggest battle of the Civil War started. This most famous and most important Civil War Battle occurred over three hot summer days, July 1 to July 3, 1863, around the small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Before the battle, Union general Ulysses S. Grant started a siege of Vicksburg which would shut down the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington were under threat of attack from General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia which had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania. The Union and Confederate army both had around 75,000 soldiers. With both armies on a collision course, the days leading up to the war were
The Battle of Gettysburg was the most decisive battle for the North, and it lasted for a total of three days. It began on July 1 and ended on July 3, 1863. The Confederacy was going on the offensive and was beginning to venture into Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. They encountered Union troops as they advanced towards Harrisburg where they planned to cut off Union supply lines and to steal provisions that they needed. The Battle of Gettysburg became the bloodiest multi-day battle ever fought in United States history. At the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union claimed victory, and they would use this psychological advantage throughout the rest of the Civil War.
The types of challenges that the Generals have faced during The Battle of Gettysburg are, location, following orders, and the weaponry. In a life or death situation, the position of where your men are stationed is crucial due to the fact if the opposite army crawls up behind or has the higher ground then there is a greater chance of getting murdered. General’s must accept the system that a more experienced General has stated and to not promote their individual procedures. Finally, the rifles, pistols, muskets, cannons and other artillery the Generals had to work with may have been difficult to shield or perform with. In conclusion, the Generals faced many complications when battling in the Battle of
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought by the largest number of soldiers, totaling 172,000 young men (“American Civil War”). During the Civil War, our nation was divided by the North (Union Army) and the South (Confederate Army) for opposing viewpoints on slavery and states’ rights. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought over three long, arduous days. The soldiers struggled under their respected generals in a 25 mile battle zone (“American Civil War”). This battle was a triumphant victory and a heart-wrenching loss for the troops of the Yankee North and Rebel South. The complexity of the Battle of Gettysburg brought together two fronts whose decisions and commitment would determine its outcome.
The Battle of Gettysburg was the most important battle of the civil war. The Battle of Gettysburg would become the climatic conclusion for the Confederated that fought in the Civil War. What transpired in the three days of this battle has significantly influenced today’s society. Because of this battle, the Union gained their lead on the Confederate forces and won the civil war, which protected the county from falling apart and completing their ultimate goal. This goal was to preserve the Union. As Abe Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”. What if the following events either did not happen or were twisted into different outcomes? Would our country be as it is today?
Shaara, through his commentary on General Lee, explains that Lee did not want to fight the war but had to. Lee felt it was his duty to fight for his fellow countrymen, but not for a cause, land, or slavery. “So it was no cause and no country he fought for, no ideal and no justice. He fought for his people, for the children, and the kin, and not even the land, because the land was worth the war, but the people were,” General Lee says (Shaara 263). General Lee fights for himself and has no choice but to fight, knowing in the end that he might be wrong with his cause and pay the price someday. General Lee is not a proponent of war, but he will serve his country with honor and duty if necessary.
Lee. George Meade, was born december 31, 1815 in Cadiz, Spain. Robert E. lee was born January 19, 1807 in Stratford Hall, VA. The Battle of Gettysburg was a way to try and stop Confederate general, Robert E. Lee from the second invasion of the north. It also occurred as a result of General Robert E. Lee's push north into Pennsylvania in an attempt to move the mass of the fighting in the east away from Virginia and into Union territory.
The war had been continuing for more than two years at this point. Even though Lee won a series of brilliant victories since he assumed the command, the situation was dire. The Union seemed to be easily recovering from defeats with an abundant population pool of 22 million, and the rebels struggled to maintain a competitive size with a population of only 9 million, including 3.5 million slaves who were not employed for the battle. Furthermore, supplies were getting dangerously low, and it had gotten to the point where Lee was having a difficulty feeding his troops. Lee understood successful defense against the Federals would only prolong the war. This was unsustainable for the south, because of limited resources and lack of means to produce them.
And a line of defense had not served the Confederates well, especially in the vast reaches of the Confederacy’s west, but offensive warfare, badly planned and badly executed, proved no better. Indeed, under intensive Union pressure, the South failed even to hold its original territory in the west and struggled to do so in the east. Attempting to push the war northward was a waste of the valuable human and material resources of the Confederacy. In the end, Confederates were simply outfought and retreated south. The failures demonstrated the Confederacy’s inability to project power in a constant manner. This was also the only time the Confederacy launched such a series of intertwined offensive operations.
What was supposed to last 90 days, now dragged on for more than two years. It was apparent, now more than ever, that little was being accomplished but the taking of hundreds of thousands of lives. The war between the Union and Confederacy had been in a sort of deadlock where each side could claim victories as easy as defeats. By this time the south had the upper hand "militarily wise," just coming off a magnificent tactical victory at Chancellorsville in May. General Lee headed the Confederacy's, Army of Northern Virginia, General Meade headed the Union's Army of the Potomac. Both sides saw the need to win that one, crucial victory to turn the tide completely in their favor. They would get their chances at a small town in Pennsylvania. The
“ We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” said Martin Luther King Jr. The American Revolution lasted for 2 years straight. It all started when the colonists didn’t like the rules and regulations that Britain was throwing at them. Many battles were fought between the Loyalist and the Patriot, but one particular battle in the American Revolution was the Battle at Valley Forge. Valley Forge was a dreadful experience for young and old soldiers.
Did you know that the battle of Fredericksburg was fought from December 11-18 1862 in Fredericksburg, Virginia? Four important generals for the Union (north) were Franklin, Hooker, Sumner and Burnside leader over all. Another strategy for the south was Burnside and his brilliant plans. The bridges are strength for the Confederates (south), (Marvel & Pfanz 1993).
The specifics of this battle was that this battle the final battle for the north and was the beginning of the civil war.This battle took ten months and Gen.Robert E. Lee getting retreated during a campaign to plan out even though it was fought in just a couple hours.Also just a few weeks before the battle the confederacy lost half of their army at the battle before it.This battle also was the final chance Lee had to escape Grants reach.They both had massagers for them that deliver messages to them.
It starts out with the Southern states preparing for the Battle of Gettysburg, by sending spies to retrieve information on the Union’s position. The Union is moving at a very fast pace with over 20,000 men. Also, the Union is already close to the South’s base. General Lee did not believe the spy at first, but when he saw them map, he prepared his men to move to Gettysburg. While on the move, using the hills for cover, Lee’s regiment has been given 120 mutineers, and, was given orders to have them fight for the South. Meanwhile, the General of the Union, General Buford commander of the cavalry, enters Gettysburg with 2,500 men on horses. He and his men, ride through town looking for any Southern soldiers. He knows an attack is inevitable,