Civil War: The Battle of Gettysburg - Term Paper Example

The infamous Battle of Gettysburg took place the first three days in July 1863. It occurred during the period of the civil war but is considered to be the bloodiest battle on American soil. At the end of the three day battle close to fifty thousand Americans lost their lives. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. From a political point of view, nevertheless, it was the Confederates who were the losers. “The confederacy did not dissolve from within but was bludgeoned to death from without.”i For many persons the battle was seen as the turning point of the civil war. According to Catton, it “stand for the final significance of the war and the war’s dreadful cost.”ii What began as a political division ended in a tragedy that no one had predicted at the time. Although there had been a number of conflicts during this period none was as intense and confusing as what occurred at Gettysburg. For some persons it was an accident that could be avoided or a meeting of the two armies that wasn’t supposed to happen. A number of events led up to the Battle of Gettysburg. It started when the Northern or Union states opposed the South or Confederates states on political issues that neither could make compromises. Differences in ideas on topics such as slavery led to a secession of some states from the Union. “In the end the new political forces that had grown in the North would no longer compromise with the defenders of slavery”iii . The North wanted to end the slave trade but the Southern states were in strong opposition. Many economic and social reasons led to the different stance taken by the division of states. For some slavery was seen as an economical reason for it to continue while others believe that it was uneconomical and major European countries like Britain had already ended the slave trade in the Caribbean. The Northern states felt, for the most part, that it was politically incorrect to continue the trade. The civil war began in 1861 when Abraham Lincoln was elected President. Many persons believed that he had anti-slavery views and favored the Union. For many persons slavery was the fundamental issue that prompted the civil war. It played a major part in Lincoln’s life. The Republican Party that put Lincoln as President and leader was borne out the divisions and conflicts with regards to slavery. “The slavery issue burst through this effective but limited piece of political machinery. It blew to pieces the party system and the normal pattern of bargain and compromise. It destroyed the Whig party, split the Democratic Party wide open, and created a new party, the Republicans, sectional rather than national”iv . Lincoln presidency was the start of many activities. Shortly after he was elected, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi followed South Carolina to secede from the Union. They then formed themselves into Confederates and carried out overt activities to show their dissatisfaction. Their first action towards this end happened with the bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Although the action did not result in any tragedies it forced the newly elected President to protect the country against further attacks. According to Griess, “Although Lincoln and the northern people had not sought a war, the Fort Sumter incident showed that the south intended to back up secession with military force. On the other hand, Lincoln’s decision to risk a showdown over Sumter indicated his belief that as President of the United States he had to protect the United States property and that as the leader of the Republican Party he had to stand firm against the proponents of slavery.”v After it was recognized that the Confederates were becoming a domineering force steps were taken to help to relinquish their force and power. They elected their own President in the person of Jefferson Davis. Other conflicts and skirmishes took place but none was as extensive and dangerous as the one in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Two persons who played a major part in the battle over the three days were General Robert E. Lee, a Confederate who led the Army of Northern Virginia, and Major General Gordon Meade of the Union and was head of the Army of the Potomac. Based on different perspectives writers and historians either credit or discredit one or the other as they played their role in the Gettysburg Campaign. Gallagher argued that the Gettysburg campaign was Lee’s idea but the catastrophe proved leadership on the part of the commander.vi Stackpole et. al believed that although Lee had successes against the Union such as that of the Battle of Chancellorville he also wanted to enter the North “to throw fear into the citizens and cause them to clamor for peace.”vii As military adviser to President Davis, Lee’s registered a number of successes before entering Gettysburg. He was responsible for McClellan’s retreat during the Seven Days Battle and he gained victory over Pope at the Battle of Second Manassas. George G. Meade was given the responsibility to lead the army three days before the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign. He relieved Major General Joseph Hooker after he was defeated by lee in Chancellorsville. That was a good move as he was respected for his courage and tenacity even by his opponents. “When he heard the news, Lee reportedly remarked, ‘General Meade will commit no blunder in my front, and if I make one he will make haste to take advantage of it.’”viii Lee began travelling to central Pennsylvania in June but soon learnt that Meade along with 95,000 men from the Union Army of the Potomac were in hot pursuit. They continued to maneuver and to take strategic steps trying to outwit each other. Both men anticipated that they would clash sometime in July. While the battle began on that fateful day in July both men had reinforcement troops entering from directions that were nearer to them respectively. The troop led by Meade was outnumbered and on that day they were soundly beaten.ix Energized by his victory he planned to use similar strategies and moves the following day. There was controversy in Lee’s camp on the second day that maybe one could view as a sign that he wouldn’t reap success on that day. Lee assigned Longstreet the task of moving a part of the army to a strategic point from where they would have a better advantage of launching a vicious attack on the Union. Longstreet did not arrive at that position, however, until later that day and Meade’s army had ample time to strengthen their position. Although the Federals were attacked by General Ewell and subsequently by Longstreet they still had a strong position at the end of the day. His actions later came to be the theme for many debates and discussions among historians and researchers. He also was criticized by members in his own group. “Longstreet was used as a scapegoat for the defeat at Gettysburg by several officers most notably Jubal Early and William N. Pendleton” .x Both Early and Pendleton had distinguished positions in Lee’s army and had some level of success during the three day sojourn. The Confederates were not the only one who were dogged with controversy or were searching for scapegoats. The Federals also had issues with how the battle came to an end. In this scenario the controversy surrounded General Meade and General Daniel Edgar Sickles. On the second day of the battle Sickles received orders from Meade to take his men to a particular position near to Cemetery Ridge. He disobeyed the order, instead putting his men in a vulnerable position. Both men have been blamed and vilified for the consequences. Even after the war it became a debatable topic among the different groups. An article was published in 1869 by a former 3d Corps officer entitled, ‘The Third Corps at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, General Sickles Vindicated’ .xi The author argued that Sickles was justified in his actions because Longstreet was forced into an attack that he wasn’t planning for. In testimonies before the Committee on the Conduct of the War both men gave conflicting reports with regards to the events of the day. In his testimony Sickles said: “Not having received any orders in reference to my position, and observing, from the enemy’s movement on our left, what I thought to be a conclusive indication of a design on their part to attack there, and that seeming to me to be the most assailable point, I went in persons to headquarters and reported the facts and circumstances which led me to believe an attack would be made there and asked for orders”.xii In his defense, Meade maintained that he gave orders that were not carried out by Sickles and he had intended to remain in Gettysburg rather than withdrawing as some of his critics were reporting. Among the reports being circulated was that he had no campaign plan for Gettysburg and he was planning to retreat. xiii There were a number of soldiers who gave testimony on behalf of both Sickles and Meade. Nevertheless, although they tried to corroborate the statements of the respective defendant the arguments were still consistent with statements that were confusing and seemed to be fabricated at times. By the end of the third day both armies were weakened by the loss of many of their men. Lee suffered about thirty percent casualties. Although there were smaller conflicts after Gettysburg, there was none that offered a bigger climax to the civil war than what took place on those three days in July. For many persons it marked the end of the great political divide between the North and the South. The unexpected turn in the civil war and the subsequent events formed a greater part of Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address four months after the battle, at the formal opening of the Soldier’s National Cemetery where President Lincoln acknowledges “that the man gave their lives that that nation might live’.xiv His speech lasted for only three minutes but he made reference to the American Independence and the power and strength of the American people especially those who lost their lives fighting for a cause. The Gettysburg Battle, although perceived as the greatest tragedy to date that has occurred within the boundaries of the United States, served as the beginning of the end for the division and conflicts between the Confederates and the Federals. In the end democracy prevailed but this battle will long be recorded in America’s history. Notes Read More