The Battle of Gettysburg

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great Civil War, to test whether that nation, or an nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on agreat battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place of those who here their lives that that nation might live. It is all fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate- we cannot concentrate-we can not hallow-this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain- that this nation under god, shall have a new birth of freedom- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War leading to the defeat of the Union defeat of the Confederacy. Although neither side was awarded a victory at this particular battle it remains as the turning point of the war.

Between the years of 1850 to 1860, more than 2.8 million immigrants poured into the coastal cities of the north. New York's population soared from 515,000 to 814,000 during the 1850's. By the end of the decade, the northern states contained 4/5 of all American factories and 2/3 of the railroad mileage. The south on the other hand, experienced an agricultural revolution during the same time, fueled chiefly by slave labor. Cotton grew from 2 million bales in 1849 to 5.7 million bales in 1859. United States cotton production amounted to 7/8 for all the worlds cotton produced and totaled more than all its exports.

On Nov. the sixth 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president he took almost every northern sate except New Jersey, and carrying no southern states. The south wanted Kentucky Senator John C. Breckinridge, but without the electoral votes Lincoln prevailed. the southern secessionist movement grew with passionate forever, fueled especially by southern newspapers. The south believed they had no option but to secede from the United States on February 8th 1861, secessionist delegates met in Montgomery, Alabama to adopt the constitution of the confederate states. Jefferson Davis, a senator from Mississippi was chosen as president and took the oath of office on February 18th. In his inaugural address, he told the north that all southerners wanted to be left alone.

There were many battles that occurred during this war, but I don't think anyone can say that they have never heard of the battle of Gettysburg. More than 2,000 battles on land occurred during the Civil War, Gettysburg takes the cake, Though it did not end the war or give a bigger advantage to the north or south it will always remain the great battle of the civil War. The battle itself was not just one big battle it was about four battles spread out over three days.

The Confederate Army was under the command of General Robert E. Lee. Lee divided his army into three divisions. Commanded by three Lieutenant Generals, James Longstreet, Richard Ewell, and Ambrose Hill. The Union Army was under the command of General George Meade. He also had three Lieutenant Generals, General Sickles, general Hancock, and General Caldwell.

In July of 1863, General Robert E. Lee's army of northern Virginia of around 75,000 men met General George Meade's Union Army of about 97,000 men by chance, when a confederate brigade sent forward for supplies observed a forward column of Meade's calvary. The battle of Gettysburg began on July first with confederate troops attacking the Union Calvary on McPherson Ridge, west of town. Out numbered, the union forces managed to hold, and even drive the Confederate Army back. They prevailed until afternoon, when they were overpowered by additional southern troops, and driven back through town. Thousands of Union troops were captured before they could rally on Cemetery Hill, south of town.

General Lee awoke on July 2nd and surveyed the Union line from Seminary Ridge. He saw the Unions line was anchored at one particular point Cemetery Hill, and did not really extend south along Cemetery Ridge. Seizing upon the opportunity, Lee ordered one of his Generals to move to the left flank ( which is a war term which means to go around or cut them off ) of the union line. Lee's suspicion was right when Captain Johnston returned to tell him that the whole area of southern Cemetery Ridge was unoccupied and could make a good flanking position.

The plan had been developed and it was that General Longstreet would march his two divisions south and attack the southern Union flank on Cemetery Ridge. Then General Hill's soldiers would follow with an attack on the union center. Finally General Ewell's soldiers were to assault Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill from the north once Longstreet and his men began to fight. Longstreet's movement needed to go undetected for a circle route. He had to march up Chambersburg Pike to the northwest and then turn south behind Seminary Ridge. By the time Longstreet had reached his destination it was already starting to get dark. Longstreet placed General Hood on the right facing Big Round Top and General McLaws on the left facing Cemetery Ridge. Longstreet expected the ridge to be relatively vacant, but found that General Sickles( Union) had positioned himself along Emmitsburg Road.

Earlier that same morning, General Meade(Union) ordered General Sickles and his troops to take position on the Union's left flank along Cemetery Ridge. Upon Arrival, Sickles noticed that the ridge was little more than a slight incline and very vulnerable. He realized that a small elevation a half mile west stood a peach orchard, provided a better position. Sickles, unsure of the awkward position, requested for General Meade to tak a look and provide his opinion. Instead, Meade sent General Hunt to survey the position and offer advice to Sickles. Hunt agreed with Sickles that the hill and the ridge stretching to the north would be very beneficial to the enemy.

Hunt went to further suggest Sickles to send out troops to determine if the Confederates occupied the wood across Emmitsburg Pike. Probing the woods,