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North
Important People - Winfield Scott Hancock, Daniel Sickles
Size of Army - 94,000
Casualties - 23,000
Advantages - larger army, more resources, on their own land (north)
(Source 4) -
South
Important People - Robert E. Lee, Major General Henry Heth, Major General George Meade, General James Longstreet, General A.P. Hill, General Richard Ewell, General George Pickett
Size of Army - 71,000
Casualties - 28,000
Disadvantages - smaller army,
(Source 4) -
When/Where
When - July 1-3, 1863
- towards the end of the middle of the civil war
Where - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
(Source 2) -
Day One
On July 1, 1863, Henry Heth moved a Confederate reconnaissance force into Gettysburg to obtain supplies. When they came across a Union cavalry and division, they attacked, but the Union forces stayed strong. In mid afternoon, the Confederates attacked again, and the battle was in full swing. When the Confederates attacked a third time, the Union army retreated to Cemetery Hill.
(Source 2) -
Day One Cont.
Winfield Scott Hancock arrived with a Union corps and extended the Union line to Little Round Top (Source 4). After the first day, the Union had over 9,000 casualties, and the south had 6,800 dead or wounded.
(Source 2) -
Day Two Cont.
Lee was not counting on the amount of strength the Union Army had, though. Longstreet broke through the Union lines to the south, but he was stopped Little Round Top. The attack on Cemetery Hill was also repelled by the Union. The Confederates gained some ground, but the Union Army still held strong positions at the end of the second day. Casualties of both armies added up to over 16,000 dead, wounded, or missing
(Source 1) -
Day Two
In the morning, General George Meade's armies were along Cemetery Ridge, and a mile away, Robert E. Lee's army was along Seminary Ridge. General James Longstreet was ordered to attack the Union flank to the west commanded by Daniel Sickles (Source 4), and General A.P. Hill's men would attack after him on the center. At the same time, General Richard Ewell was supposed to take Cemetery Hill by attacking the north.
(Source 1) -
Day Three
In the afternoon of July 3, Lee barraged the Union lines with artillery fire for almost two hours. The Union returned fire, held their position, and continued to fire after the Confederates ran out of ammunition. After the artillery battle, George Pickett led 15,000 troops in a single charge, across open fields, towards the Union army on Cemetery Ridge. "Pickett's Charge" was not able to break Union lines, and barely half of Pickett's men survived.
(Source 3) -
Day Three Cont.
Pickett's Charge resulted in over 6,000 casualties, but by the end of day three, 10,000 Confederate troops were dead, wounded, or captured.
(Source 3) -
Aftermath
The Confederate Army retreated back to Virginia on July 4. Overall, they suffered about 28,000 casualties, and the Union Army lost 23,000 men. The losses prevented Lee from launching another attack, and crushed his hopes of European intervention.The Battle of Gettysburg was the deadliest battle in the Civil War and turned the tide in the Union's favor. UNION VICTORY
(Source 2) -
Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address four months after the battle, on November 19 at the dedication of the National Cemetery, on Cemetery Hill, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The site of the battlefield is remembered today with the Gettysburg National Military Park.
(Source 1)