The Civil War: A United Nation Divided into two Warring Sides
1860 was a critical year in our Nation’s history. At this time, slavery was strongly upheld among southerners while the newly formed Republican Party members sought to end slavery and its expansion to the West. This idea became prominent among the Northerners of the United States. When republican Abraham Lincoln was elected president in the same year without a single electoral vote from the south, the southerners had the last straw. Feeling that they had lost all influence and were being excluded from the political system, the southerners moved to the only alternative that they believed was left to them: secession from the United States of America. This political decision led to the American Civil War, America’s bloodiest conflict in history that was fought over the moral issue of slavery. The northern states of the nation came together to form the Union and the southern states formed the Confederates. The first bullets of the war would fly just before the sunrise on April 12, 1861 at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina and mark the official beginning of America’s most lethal conflict: the American Civil War.General Lee’s Morale Takes His Army North
The American Civil War was in its third years with major battles fought and victories for both sides. Thus far, no side seemed to be decisively favored to win the war. However, in months leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg, a general of the Confederate army by the name of Robert E. Lee had achieved and won several important battles against Union armies in Virginia, two major ones being the Second Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Chancellorsville. The confident general decided to push farther, favoring an offensive strategy and pushing north into Pennsylvania. Lee had a number of reasons for pushing north, all provided with the assumption that he would achieve victory. He wanted to provide relief to farmers in the region as well as gain support among Europeans. He also hoped to turn public opinion in the north away from the Republicans and to distract the Union from their objectives in the East. General Lee’s movements were detected by the Union when his troops were moving across the Blue Ridge Mountains. Under orders from the Commander-in-Chief of the Union, President Abraham Lincoln, and from General Joseph Hooker; General Hooker’s Army of Potomac followed and prepared to defend themselves from the advancing Confederates on a parallel track several miles East. Unexpectedly, rather than defending the Union controlled cities of Baltimore and Washington D.C. as President Lincoln had assumed, the two armies converged on the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Before battle could break out, another unexpected event occurred; General Hooker resigned as commander of the Army of Potomac and was replaced by Major General George Meade. Gettysburg’s Three Day Bath In Blood
The Battle of Gettysburg, the battle that was the turning point for the Union, started on July 1st and lasted for four days; each day with significant events that impacted the overall outcome of the battle, and eventually the war.
July 1, the dawn of death: A confederate reconnaissance went looking for supplies on the morning of July 1st and ran into Union soldiers. The Confederates led a full attack while the Union reinforcements defended. Though the Union managed to fend off an initial assault from the Confederates; a second and third assault sent the Union armies in retreat to Cemetery Hill. The first day ended with 9,000 casualties for the Union and over 6,800 dead or wounded for the Confederates
July 2, the Union holds on: On the morning of July 2, both sides took up their positions for battle. The Union would be on the defense from Confederate soldiers that would be attacking from their North and West. General Lee, not knowing that the Union army had regrouped from the previous days assault, sent his own three generals to attack the Union lines. The prepared Union army, even after having their lines broken, managed to repel the assault on Cemetery Hill and held their ground; giving the Confederates minimal gain on the 2nd day. The total casualties for both sides on July 2 totaled 16,000.
July 3, Lee’s sudden downfall: July 3rd started with heavy artillery bombardment from both sides. The cannon fire lasted for two hours before the soldiers took out their guns and fired blindly into the smoke. The Confederates fired until they were out of ammunition while the Union cleverly stopped fire. The gun-less Confederates, realizing the danger they were in, led a desperate attack called Pickett’s Charge. Led by General George Pickett, 15,000 Confederate soldiers ran to Cemetery Hill and attempted to engage in close combat with the Union. The attempt was doomed as the Union, having wisely saved their ammunition, obliterated Pickett’s men; killing and capturing 6,000 men. Attacks from Confederate generals Edward Johnson, Richard Ewell, and James Stuart also failed; the losses to the Confederate army were too great and ultimately resulted in a devastating defeat for General Lee. Casualties numbered around 23,000 for the Union and around 28,000 for the confederates; the total number reaching numbers around 51,000. The following day, General Lee would retreat his army across the Potomac River and all the way back to Virginia.
John Inglis was a Scottish-born Canadian citizen (born, 1841; emigrated to Canada at age 14). In 1862, he traveled to New York State to enlist in the 9th Cavalry Regiment. Inglis became a sergeant in the regiment and fought in the war. Inglis kept a diary and recorded an entry for every day of the battle: The Short-Term Impact Of The Battle Of Gettysburg
Following the loss, Lee and his army retreated back to Virginia. Lee’s confidence diminished after the loss as he even tried to resign as general of the army. The Battle of Gettysburg weakened the Confederate army severely and they would never have the strength to invade the North again. The victory also dashed any hope of European support for the Confederate army. His hopes of making a bold statement by taking control of Union territory and surrounding the Capital were stopped by this battle. Overall, the severe impact on the Confederate Army and their General would halt the progress of the Confederates while the Union army would push farther.The Historical Significance of The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg had a great long-term impact as well. The events that occurred and the short-term impacts from the battle would set the tone to the war and give the Union the upper-hand for the remainder of the war. Simply stated, it was the turning point that would start the Union’s march to a Civil War victory two years later. The Union victory would uphold the Emancipation Proclamation, a document signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 that stated that all slaves would be free. This would be the first, yet enormous step in ending racial discrimination and the belief of superiority by appearance. The victory would shape the United States into the diverse and all-accepting nation it is today. All this from a single three day battle 150 years ago: The Battle of Gettysburg.