The Battle of Gettysburg Essay

The
Battle of Gettysburg Essay:

The Battle of Gettysburg took place from 1st to 3rd July 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. The heaviest of the war in terms of the casualties, this battle ended with the defeat of the southerners who left the ground for northerners. It is often seen as the major turning point of the war.

It marked the failure of the offensive of the army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Lee, against the Army of the Potomac commanded by General Meade, and ended the invasion of Northern states by Southern troops.

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After his landslide victory at Chancellorsville in May 1863, Lee decided to push his advantage. His army was invigorated by this victory and Lee hoped to push the leaders of the Union to accept the peace by threatening Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. General Hooker launched his army in pursuit, but his failure at Chancellorsville made President Lincoln to replace him by Meade three days before the battle.

The two armies engaged in the battle on July 1st at Gettysburg. The northwest edge of the city was defended by General Buford, at the head of a division of cavalry, reinforced by two infantry corps. They were assaulted by numerically superior force from the north and northwest and must step back and take a position on the hills south of the city.

The second day, the largest troops of the two armies joined battle. The lines of defense of the Union were organized in the form of bait. At the end of the afternoon of July 2, Lee launched a major assault on the left flank of the Army of the Potomac and fierce fighting took place, including Little Round Top.

On the right flank, the northerners resisted at Culp ‘s Hill and Cemetery Hill. Despite heavy losses, the Union soldiers managed to repel the Confederates.

July 3, the third day of battle, fighting cavalry were held in the east and south, but the main event was the spectacular assault known as Pickett ‘s Charge, of 12,500 Confederate soldiers against the center of the defense line of northerners. The failure of this assault forced Lee to withdraw from the battlefield and return to Virginia.

Free sample essay topics on the Battle of Gettysburg will help you to understand that the scars of battle were still fresh when, four months later, on 19 November 1863, the Gettysburg National Cemetery was opened. During the ceremony, President Lincoln paid tribute to fallen soldiers and delivered a historic speech known as Gettysburg Address. This marked a shift in the thinking of Lincoln and the war objectives: it was no longer only to defend the Union and restrict slavery, but also found a new Union that would fulfill the dream of founding fathers of the country to be populated by free men.