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The Civil War - So Far
-Prior to the Battle of Gettysburg most of the fighting was in the South.
-The North was not winning the overall war at this point.
-The South wanted to shift the focus of battle to Northern territory and make Northern lawmakers rethink the war -
Southern Troops Arrive
Southern troops close to Gettysburg were sent to look for supplies, especially shoes -
Period: to
Battle of Gettysburg
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The beginning of Day 1
Southern troops saw what they thought was a small group of Union forces. The rushed to engage, pushing Union forces back, but the number of troops was underestimated -
Battle - Day 1
-The North was outnumbered by the South
-Heavy losses force the North to retreat and regroup at Cemetary Hill
-The South had a chance to overwhelm the North but didn't
-Reinforcements for both sides arrive at night -
Battle - Day 2
-By early morning most of the troops involved in this battle have arrived
-Northern troops (arranged in a "fish hook" shape) are mostly surrounded by the South
-Southern troops attack from multiple sides at once
-Little Round Top was a key Northern position to hold
-North suffers heavy losses, but holds its position (How?) -
Battle - Day 3 (Early)
-Upto this point the North is not doing well in this battle
-Northern armies fight smaller battles to regain lost positions
-Southern armies bombard North with bullets and cannonballs, the North doesn't fire back in order to save ammo.
-Southern leaders assume Northern armies are in bad shape since they weren't retaliating -
Battle - Day 3 (Pickett's Charge - pt 1)
-The turning point of thge Battle of Gettysburg
-Thinking North is in bad shape, South begins an attack in hopes of ending this battle -
Battle - Day 3 (Pickett's Charge - pt2)
Pickett's Charge - Wikipedia
-12,500 Southern troops march across 3/4 of a mile over bumpy land to engage the North
-The North opens fire, and in less than an hour the charge is over unsuccessfully and half of the Southern troops are dead -
End of the Battle
Battle of Gettysburg Summary
-With the failure of Pickett's Charge, the battle is effectively over.
-The North's victory at Gettyburg turned the tide of the Civil War in the North's favor, and eventually led to their victory -
Interesting Facts and Figures
-About 1/3 of the men who fought at Gettysbrug were either killed or wounded
-More horses died (5,000) in the battle than people lived in the town of Gettysburg (2,000)
-Only one civilian was killed during the battle-as far as we know
-579 tons of ammunition was used in the battle -
Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address
-President Lincoln delivers his famous Gettysburg Address during a dedication ceremony
-This picture is one of two photos of him at Gettysburg on this date
