The American Civil War: Military Campaigns--Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)

Figure 1.--This CDV shows Frank, Frederick, and Alice Humiston. Their father in the 154th New York Volunteer took it with him. Sergeant Humiston was found killed at Gettyburg with this portrait on him. This copy was made after the battle by Wenderoth, Taylor & Brown, 912-914 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. The back of the photo titled the CDV "The children of the battlefield." It states that the CDVs were to be sold in Sunday Schools (called Sabbath School) and the proceeds used to find the National Homstead at Gettyburg for the orphaned children of soldiers and sailors as a nemorial of "our Pepetual Union". (The text on the backs of these CDVs varied.) The CDV was a new format which appeared in America during the early 1860s just as the Civil War was beginning. Almost immediately it became popular to include CDVs of famous people are other celeberties in these albums, in this case orphaned children.

Gettysburg is the largest and most important battle of the Civil War. It is the most intensely studied battle in American history. Lee and Davis in mid-1863 agreed that some action was needed to save the Confederacy. Vicksburg was seen as the key to the Confederacy, but Lee did not dare to weaken his army to send units west. The decission was taken to strike north. It was a fareful decession. Lee had at his command the strongest army he had ever commanded, although still badly outnumbered. He was seeking a battle with the Army of the Potomac that he hoped could deliver a knockout blow. Meade had just been given command of the Fderal army. A few days before Vicksburg fell, Lee's Army of Nothern Virginia Confederates clashed headlong with the Army of the Potomac in the the largest battle of the War--Gettysburg. The resulting battle was the largest ever fought on American soil. It was Lee's second invasion of the North and the South's last real chance to win militarily. The two armies camme together at a sleepy crossroads town in southeatern Pennsylvania. Lee developed a plan to strike at the Fedeal flanks which he persued aggressively on the second day. He was almost successful. Federal troops commanded by an ardent unionist and abolistionist, Colonel Josuah Chamberlin when his Maine brigade exausted thir amunition ordered a rare bayonet charge and finally broke the Alabama unit aving the Federal left. Longstreet's Corps was so mauled on he Confederate right that he could not continue on the third day. Lee was convinced that Meade must have weakened his center to support his flanks. Lee thus against Longstreet's advice ordered a cannonade of the Federal center followed by a charge over open ground by Picket's Division. "Picket's Charge" is often seen as the high tide of the Confederacy. Pickett Division was decimated. Lee was forced to retire back accross the Potomac, but Meade refused to persue him. [Trudeau] Lincoln was angered at this decission and finally turned to U.S. Grant. Lee's losses at Gettyburg were inrreplaceable, but he did succeed in keeping the war out of Virginia for nearly a year.

Vicksburg

One of the reasons Lee conceived of an nvasion of the North was the impending fall of Vivksburg. He did not dare detach units of his army to helf form a relef force. Any weakening of the Army of Northern Virginia would have put Richmond and the army itseld in danger given the already sizeable superioity of the army of the Potomac. Major General Ulysses S. Grant in May 1863 converged his army on Vicksburg, a key Confederate transportation hub and last remaining connection between Texas and the eastern Conderate states. Grant in cooperation with Union naval forses commanded by Rear Admiral David D. Porter, conducted a brilliant campaign and trapped a Confederate commanded by Lieutenant General John Pemberton. Grant invested Vicksburg and an extended seige followed. Nearing starvation, Pemberton was forced to surrender on July 4. The loss of Pemberton's army was a serious blow, more serious was the spliting of the Confederacy, denying the eastern Confederacy the resources of the west. Grant's successes at Vicksburg added to the reputation gained in other western campaigns. It was to Grant that Lincoln would turn after Gettysburg in his selection of General-in-Chief of the Federal armies.

Confederate Strategy

Lee and Confederate President Jefferson Davis in mid-1863 agreed that some action was needed to save the Conderacy. Vicksburg was seen as a key, but Lee opposed detaching any of his army for such operations. His proposal was another offensive to strike into the north. Lee hope to isolate Washington. He was not, however, seeking a massive battle with the Army of the Potomac. Lee envisioned a campign of movement in which his faster, leaner army would engage elements of the Army of the Potomac in a series of small battles before Meade could coalese his forces. What seems to have eluded Confederate stratehgists was the possibility of winning politically--the 1864 election. An alternative strategy would have been to husband Confederate military strength and count on the Northern public to tire of the War. Rather Davis and Lee opted for a military sollution.

The Army of Northern Virginia

Lee had at his command the strongest army he had ever commanded, although still badly outnumbered. He was seeking a battle with he Army of the Potomac that he hoped could deliver a knockout blow.

The Army of the Potomac

Federal Commander George G. Meade (1815-72) had just been given command of the Army of the Potomac only a few days before fighting began at Gettysburg. Meade has been criticised for a lack of aggression, but he was a competent commander as he had proved at Antitem (1862) and later in the Wilderness (1864). His army was spread out over a wide area of Maryland and Pennsylvania as it moved to follow Lee north. Having little time to establish his command over a widely dispersed army put Mede in a very dangerous position. Lee hoped to exploit this and defeat Meade's larger army in detail.

Move North

A few days after Vicksburg fell, Lee's Army of Nothern Virginia Confederates clashed headlong with the Army of the Potomac in the the largest battle of the War--Gettysburg. The resulting battle was the largest ever fought on American soil. It was Lee's second invasion of the North and the South's last real chance to win militarily.

Gettysburg

The two armies camme together at a sleepy crossroads town in southeatern Pennsylvania. This was not the battle Lee wanted. He wanted to use his faster force to catch and engage elements of the Army of the Potomac and defeat them in detail. One wonders why Lee then gave battkle at Gettyburg. He has never explained this. It is likely that the successes of the first day led him to believe that the Federals could be defeated at Gettysburg. The entire battle was a series of Confederate attacks. Despite overwealming advanatages in men and weaponery, Meade took no offensive actons. Lee developed a plan to strike at the Fedeal flanks which he persued aggressively on the second day. He was almost successful. Many believe that if Jackson had been with him, he would have suceeded.

Day 1: The Federal Right (July 1)

Gettyburg was not chosen by either army to fight a battle. The two armies simply collided at Gettysburg on July 1. The reason the battle developed at Gettysburg was largely because Federal calvary commander JOhn Buford ar Willoughby Run stood and fought overwealmingly superior Confederate forces coverging on Gettyburg. Their repeating carbines proved effective in slowung the Confederates. This was important because it significantly affected the development of the battle. Also after 2years of being bested by Confederate calvalry, the Federal calvary was finally developing into an effective force. Buford was responsible more than anyone else for the fact that a battle was fought at Gettyburg. Strangely the Army of Northern Virginia arrived from the north and west and the Army of the Potomac from the south and east. The fact that Lee had no idea where the Federal army was located at the forces arrayed against him may well have been the singlke mist critical factor in Lee's loss at Gettysburg. This was in large part because JEB Stuart had separated the cavalry forces from Lee's forces. [Heath] The First day was a series of Confederate successes, except that they failed to take Culps Hill. Confederate forces pushed the Federals back through Gettsburgh, but did not take Culps' Hill largely because of the Federal calvary stand before Gettysburg. These were Jackson's men. Almost certainly Jackson if he had been there would have persued the Federals and made a more determined effort to take Culp's Hill. The Condederates came close to taking the position. There was intense fighting, but the Federals with a relatively small force held. This gave Meade time to bring up tmajor ekements of the Army oif the Potomac. Meade turned Culps Hill into the impregniable anchor for the Federal right flank.

Day 2: The Federal Left (July 2)

Lee;s best chance of victory was on the first day before Meade had concentrated his forces. The battle was essentiallysettled on the seconday, although neither Lee or Meade knew it. Having failed to dislodge the Federal right flant on day 1, Lee decided to strike at the Federal left flank on day 2. The result was some of the most furious fighting of the entire War. The accounts are legendary, the Wheat Field, the Peach Orchard Devil's Den. Then the fighting focused on lightly defended Little Round Top--the key to the Federal Left. Federal troops commanded by an ardent unionist and abolistionist, Colonel Josuah Chamberlin when his Maine brigade exausted thir amunition ordered a rare bayonet charge and finally broke the Alabama unit aving the Federal left. Longstreet's Corps was so mauled in the fighting that he could not continue on the third day.

Day 3: The Federal Center (July 3)

Lee without effective scouting by Stuart was not fully aware of the strength of he Federal force he faced. He was convinced that Meade must have weakened his center to support his flanks. He was also concerned abot protecting his supply wagons. Lee against Longstreet's advice, decided to strike at the Federal Center. He ordered a cannonade of the Federal center. He then ordered Pickett's Division to charge the Federal center over open ground. The rest of Longstreet's Corps was to support Pickett if he broke through. "Picket's Charge" is often seen as the high tide of the Confederacy. Pickett's Division was decimated by Federal artillery nd turned back after reaching the Federal lines. Lee is generally seen as the greatest field commander in the Civil War. He ceratinly was audacious. [Alexander] Given his inferority in men and material, he was often forced to gamble. He gabled in the 7 Days Campaign (1862) before Richmond and at Chancellorsville (1863) and won. His gamble with Pickett at Gettysburg failed and so with it the last chance of a Confederate military victory.

Retreat

Lee was forced to retire back accross the Potomac, but Meade refused to persue him. [Trudeau] Historians have debated Mede's decission not to prsue a retreating Lee. Some believe that Mede could have ended the War at Gettyburg if he had attacked in force. This was Lincoln's view. Other historians argue that the exausted Army of the Potomac was not capable of a major offensive stroke on July 4. [Sears] Another historian focuses more on Mede's state of mind. Mede had been appointed commande only days before Gettysburg. He almost immediately was engaged in the largest battle of the War and his army stugglibg for its very existence in some of the most intense fighting of the War. Mede was cautious, but was concerned that if he repeated Lee's mistake (Pickett's Charge), the consequences could be disastrous. [McPherson]

Assessment

Lee's losses at Gettyburg were inrreplaceable, but he did succeed in keeping the war out of Virginia for nearly a year. Most historians,howeer, look at the twin battles (the siege of Vicksburg and the Battle of Gettysburg) as the turning point of the War. President Abrham Lincoln had hoped for more. He had wanted Mede to engage and destroy Lee's retreating army. This could have in effect ended the War in 1863. Mede who saw his performance as a commander as admirable, objected to Lincoln's criticism and offered to resign. [Sears] In the end, Lincoln finally turned to U.S. Grant who was given command of Federal forces. And the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's principal military force was significantly weakened. This made possible military victories in 1864 that would make possible Linoln's reelection.

Gettysburg Address

A few months after the feroious battle at Gettsburgh, Lincoln traveled to that small Peenstlvania town to participate in the ceremonies there to dedicate a military cemetary. His speech, little regarded at the time, eloquentedly stated the Federal cause. It is ceratinly the nost famous presidential speech ever delivered. Many consider it to be the greatest speech ever delivered in the English language. It was not at the time generally considered to be an important speech at the time. One of the few was Edward Everett, the renoouned orator who gave the major orration dedicating the cemetary. "... Mr. Lincoln perhaps said more to the purpose in his brief speech than I in my long one". [MacVeagh] What Lincoln did was to eloquently make the case for democratic government. This of course it taken for granted today. But at the time American was the only republic of any consequence. Britain was becoming more democratic, but was still ruled by a poweful monarch. The rest of the world, however, was goverened by kings, emperors, and tsars, many of whom ruled with absolute or near absolute authority. The world was watching while the sole republic tore itself apart in civil war. Lincoln's address was a rising endorsement of democracy ending with the soaring acclamation that "... governments of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Implicit in this statement was the preservation of the Union.

Sources

Alexander, Edward Porter. "Lee at Appomattox," The Century Magazine April 1902.

Heath, Henry. "Why Lee lost at Gettyburg," Weekly Times (Philadelphia), September 22, 1877. (Heath was a brigadier general who commanded a division in A.P. Hill's corps.

McPherson, James M. Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg (Crown Journeys, 2003).

Sears, Stephe. Gettysburg (Houghton Mifflin, 2003).

Trudeau, Noah Andre. Gettyburg: A Testing of Courage.

Created: November 10, 2002
Last updated: 4:42 PM 2/17/2008