Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg Summary

In the summer of 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee took his Army of Northern Virginia northward to again invade the northern territory in the hopes of winning a major victory against a Union army in their own land. Strategically, Lee believed that such a victory might bring the north to negotiate peace with the Confederacy that would secure their independence from the United States.

General Lee's army consisted of around 75,000 men, which he moved quickly through Maryland and into southern Pennsylvania. He was opposed by the Union Army of the Potomac, which consisted of around 95,000 men. The Union army pursued the Confederate army into Pennsylvania, where Lee chose to assemble his forces for battle around a crossroads just north of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Battle of Gettysburg Map & Facts

Below are some important facts, maps, and information about the Battle of Gettysburg.

Fig. 2 - Map of the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863.

Attacks against the Union Left Flank

• The Confederate attacks began around 11:00 AM on July 2, with Longstreet's units engaging the Union at Little Round Top, and an area called the "Devil's Den"
• The fighting intensified, with both sides reinforcing and launching attacks against the other to retake Devil's Den
• The Confederates were less successful at Little Round Top, where their repeated assaults were repelled, and they were eventually pushed back and bloodied by a Union counterattack
• The Confederates were successful in taking the Peach Orchard
• The Union line stabilized and renewed Confederate attacks against Little Round Top were continuously repulsed

Fig. 3 - Map of the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863.

Attacks against the Union Center and Right

At sunset, General Ewell launched his attack against the Union's right flank, focusing first on Cemetery Hill. Meade immediately recognized the importance of holding the hill and rushed reinforcements in to repel the Confederate attacks and recapture the hill before the Confederate troops could further press their advantage. His quick action was a success, and the Union pushed the attackers off of Cemetery Hill.

Fig. 4 - Map of the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863.

Battle of Gettysburg Casualties

The Battle of Gettysburg, across three days of fighting, proved to be the deadliest of the entire American Civil War, and for any battle in US military history. By the end of July 2, the combined casualties totaled over 37,000, and by the end of July 3, an estimated 46,000-51,000 soldiers from both sides had been killed, wounded, captured, or missing as a result of the battle.

Battle of Gettysburg Significance

The Battle of Gettysburg ended as the largest battle of the American Civil War in terms of total casualties suffered. Though Lee's Confederate army was not destroyed, the Union achieved a strategic victory by pushing Robert E. Lee and his troops back into Virginia. After Gettysburg, the Confederate military would never again attempt an invasion of the northern territory.

With a large number of dead, Gettysburg would see the site of the first national cemetery to be built on a battlefield, and over 3,000 were buried there. At a ceremony after the battle, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous 2-minute speech known as the Gettysburg Address, in which he stressed the importance of continuing the war through to its conclusion in honor of the dead.

Though President Lincoln was disappointed that the victory at Gettysburg had not eliminated Lee's army and so would not bring an immediate end to the war, Gettysburg was still a morale boost to the Union. Combined with the victory at the Siege of Vicksburg on July 4 in the Western Theater, it would be later considered to be a turning point in the American Civil War.

For the South, the reaction was mixed. Though Gettysburg did not bring the victory that the Confederacy had hoped for, it was believed that the damage inflicted on the Union army there would prevent the Union from attacking Virginia for a long time.