Battle Of Gettysburg
July 1-3, 1863
Union victory: Maj. General George G. Meade versus General Robert E. Lee.
Forces Engaged: 158,300 total - US 83,289 and CS 75,054.
Estimated Casualties: 51,000 total US 23,000 and CS 28,000.
Stuart, in command of the cavalry, had been left to observe the enemy, with orders to cross the river and place himself on Ewell's right as soon as possible after the National army should have left Virginia. Some discretion was given to him, however, and in the exercise of it he made a successful march around the National army, but meantime left Lee without cavalry in an enemy's country, and without that information of the enemy's movements which was indispensable to the wise ordering of his own. Moreover, Stuart's absence misled Lee. Confident that his cavalry commander, who was a marvel of alertness and promptitude, would not delay to join him after the passage of the river by the adversary, Lee argued from his absence that the main body of the enemy was still south of the river, and perhaps planning a counter-operation against Richmond, while in fact the entire army under Meade was hastening toward Gettysburg, where Lee encountered its advance on 1 July, unexpectedly and under a complete misapprehension as to its strength, which constituted Lee's advance, met the enemy first, and was directed to ascertain his strength, with orders to avoid a general engagement if he should find anything more than cavalry present. He then undertook to feel of the force in his front, and, as it consisted of infantry and artillery in large bodies, he was soon hotly engaged in spite of his endeavor to confine his operation to a reconnaissance. When Lee arrived on the field, it was evident that a general engagement was not to be avoided, and he ordered up such re-enforcements as were at hand, at the same time sending directions for the remainder of his forces to hasten forward. Two divisions of Hill's corps and two of Ewell's were brought into action, and during the afternoon, after a sharp contest, the enemy was driven to a position south of the town, where he occupied a line of hills and awaited a renewal of the attack.
In the absence of his cavalry, Lee was without any other information as to the strength or the purposes of his enemy than that which he could get from the prisoners taken, from whom he learned that Meade's entire army was approaching. It was important, if possible, to seize the position held by the enemy before further bodies of Meade's troops should arrive, as the line of hills afforded many advantages to the commander who could occupy it, and Lee directed Ewell to gain possession of it if possible, leaving him certain discretion, however, in the exercise of which Ewell delayed the attempt, to await the arrival of his remaining division, and so the opportunity was lost. It was Lee's intention to attack with his whole available force on the morning of the 2d, but it was not until late in the afternoon that Longstreet, whose troops had been some miles in the rear, was ready to bear his important part in the assault, and in the mean time the greater part of Meade's force had arrived and taken position. The assault was made at four o'clock, with Ewell on the left, Hill in the centre, and Longstreet on the right. The plan was for Longstreet to carry the position occupied by the enemy's left, Ewell and Hill making demonstrations on the left and centre, but converting their operations into a real attack should it appear that troops from their front were withdrawn to aid in opposing Longstreet. This was done, and a part of the enemy's works was carried by the Confederate left, but relinquished because of Rhodes's inability to render support to Early as promptly as had been intended. Meantime Longstreet had forced back the enemy's left for some distance, and gained a favorable position for further operations. The day came to an end with no decisive result, but Lee was encouraged to believe that by a carefully concerted assault on the next day he might win a victory that would go far to decide the issue of the war in favor of the Confederates, or at any rate to compensate for the continued disasters suffered by the Confederate arms in the west, and perhaps compel the withdrawal of the National forces from that quarter for the defense of the middle and eastern states. The value of such a victory, if he could achieve it, would be incalculable, and, as Longstreet has declared, the army under Lee's command at that time "was in condition to undertake anything."
![]() "Battle of Gettysburg", L. Prang & Co. 1887 print of the painting "Hancock at Gettysbug" by Thure de Thulstrup, showing Pickett's Charge. Restoration by Adam Cuerden. |
It was therefore decided to make a supreme effort on the next day to carry the enemy's position and put him to rout. Longstreet, strengthened by three brigades under Pickett, and additionally re-enforced from Hill's corps, was to make the main assault upon the enemy's right, while Ewell should attack his left and Hill menace his centre. There was some slight miscarriage in preparation, however, which resulted in Ewell's becoming engaged before Longstreet advanced to the assault. Moreover, for reasons that have since been the subject of somewhat acrimonious controversy, and the discussion of which would be manifestly improper in this place, Longstreet's attack was not made with his entire force, as had been intended; and although by that charge, which has become historically famous as perhaps the most brilliant feat of arms performed by Confederates on any field, Pickett's division succeeded in carrying the hill in their front and entering the enemy's lines, it was left without adequate support and was quickly hurled back, broken, and almost annihilated. This in effect ended the battle of Gettysburg. As at Antietam, so on this field, no decisive victory had been won by either army, but Lee's supreme effort had ended in a repulse, and the advantage rested with the National arms. "It is with an invading army as with an insurrection: an indecisive action is equivalent to a defeat."
Biographies of Participants
- Little Round Top - Little Round Top: Little Round Top
- James Longstreet - James Longstreet: James Longstreet
- Picketts Charge - Picketts Charge: Picketts Charge
- Jeb Stuart - Jeb Stuart: Jeb Stuart
- Adelbert Ames - Adelbert Ames
- John Butterfield - John Butterfield
- Henry Samuel Baird - Henry Samuel Baird
- James Stokes Biddle - James Stokes Biddle
- George Bernand Butler - George Bernand Butler
- George Woodruff - George Woodruff
- Selden Connor - Selden Connor
- Renel Williams - Renel Williams
- Samuel Wilkeson - Samuel Wilkeson
- Alpheus Starkey Williams - Alpheus Starkey Williams
- William Henry Chase - William Henry Chase
- Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox - Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox
- Stephen Hinsdale Weed - Stephen Hinsdale Weed
- Samuel Blatchley Webb - Samuel Blatchley Webb
- Gouverneur Kemble Warren - Gouverneur Kemble Warren
- Levi Ward - Levi Ward
- James Wadsworth - James Wadsworth
- McCurdy Vincent - Thomas McCurdy Vincent
- John Heyl Vincent - John Heyl Vincent
- Matthew Vassar - Matthew Vassar
- Adin Ballou Underwood - Adin Ballou Underwood
- Henry Edwin Tremain - Henry Edwin Tremain
- Abner Doubleday - Abner Doubleday
- Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert - Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert
- John Caldwell Tidball - John Caldwell Tidball
- Oliver Edwards - Oliver Edwards
- George Sykes - George Sykes
- John Egbert Farnum - John Egbert Farnum
- Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart - Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart
- Edmund Clarence Stedman - Edmund Clarence Stedman
- Adolph Wilhelm August Friedrich Steinwehr - Adolph Wilhelm August Friedrich Steinwehr
- George Jerrison Stannard - George Jerrison Stannard
- William Smith - William Smith
- William Smith - William Smith
- Jesse C. Smith - Jesse C. Smith
- Charles Henry Smith - Charles Henry Smith
- Henry Warner Slocum - Henry Warner Slocum
- Carl Schurz - Carl Schurz
- James Findlay Schenck - James Findlay Schenck
- John Sartain - John Sartain
- Richard Russell - Richard Russell
- Thomas Howard Ruger - Thomas Howard Ruger
- Peter Frederick Rothermel - Peter Frederick Rothermel
- Max Rosenthal - Max Rosenthal
- James Clay Rice - James Clay Rice
- William Reynolds - William Reynolds
- Chauncey B. Reese - Chauncey B. Reese
- Augustus James Pleasonton - Augustus James Pleasonton
- James Pleasonton - Augustus James Pleasonton
- John Scroggs Poland - John Scroggs Poland
- Paul Philippoteaux - Paul Philippoteaux
- Edward Aylesworth Perry - Edward Aylesworth Perry
- William Dorsey Pender - William Dorsey Pender
- Gabriel Rene Paul - Gabriel Rene Paul
- John Newton - John Newton
- John Neill - John Neill
- George Meade - George Meade
- Henry Melchior Muhlenberg - Henry Melchior Muhlenberg
- Enoch Mudge - Enoch Mudge
- Wesley Merritt - Wesley Merritt
- Solomon Meredith - Solomon Meredith
- Lafayette McLaws - Lafayette McLaws
- Lachlan McIntosh - Lachlan McIntosh
- Alexander Slidell Mackenzie - Alexander Slidell Mackenzie
- Freeman McGilyvery - Freeman McGilyvery
- John Page - John Page
- Samuel McClellan - Samuel McClellan
- James Longstreet - James Longstreet
- Abraham Lincoln - Abraham Lincoln
- Robert Edward Lee - Robert Edward Lee
- George Edward Pickett - George Edward Pickett
- Hugh Judson Kilpatrick - Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
- Joseph Brevard Kersitaw - Joseph Brevard Kersitaw
- Reuben Kemper - Reuben Kemper
- William Hypolitus Keating - William Hypolitus Keating
- Paul Revere - Paul Revere
- John Kintzing Kane - John Kintzing Kane
- James Sidney Robinson - James Sidney Robinson
- Michael Jacobs - Michael Jacobs
- Rufus Ingalls - Rufus Ingalls
- Alfred Moore Scales - Alfred Moore Scales
- Eppa Hunton - Eppa Hunton
- Joshua Humphreys - Joshua Humphreys
- Henry Jackson Hunt - Henry Jackson Hunt
- Francis Huebschmann - Francis Huebschmann
- John Sedgwick - John Sedgwick
- Albion Paris Howe - Albion Paris Howe
- Oliver Otis Howard - Oliver Otis Howard
- John Bell Hood - John Bell Hood
- Joseph Hooker - Joseph Hooker
- Ambrose Powell Hill - Ambrose Powell Hill
- Daniel Harvey Hill - Daniel Harvey Hill
- William Heth - William Heth
- Samuel Peter Heintzelman - Samuel Peter Heintzelman
- Alexander Hays - Alexander Hays
- William Hays - William Hays
- Winfield Scott Hancock - Winfield Scott Hancock
- Hannibal Hamlin - Hannibal Hamlin
- Charles Griffin - Charles Griffin
- Andrew Gregg - Andrew Gregg
- George Nears Greene - George Nears Greene
- Thomas Jefferson Green - Thomas Jefferson Green
- Charles Kinnaird Graham - Charles Kinnaird Graham
- Edward Goodfellow - Edward Goodfellow
- Harry Gilmor - Harry Gilmor
- John White Geary - John White Geary
- James Mercer Garnett - James Mercer Garnett
- William Henry Ford - William Henry Ford
- Benjamin Stoddert Ewell - Benjamin Stoddert Ewell
- Lyman Beecher - Lyman Beecher
- James Addams Beaver - James Addams Beaver
- Samuel Penniman Bates - Samuel Penniman Bates
- Henry A. Barnum - Henry A. Barnum
- James Barnes - James Barnes
- Francis Channing Barlow - Francis Channing Barlow
- Romeyn Beck Ayres - Romeyn Beck Ayres
- John Henry Hobart Ward - John Henry Hobart Ward
- David Trimble - David Trimble
- Whitelaw Reid - Whitelaw Reid
- Patrick Henry O'Rorke - Patrick Henry O'Rorke
- Victor Neitli61 - Victor Neitli61
- Alfred Brunsen McCalnont - Alfred Brunsen McCalnont
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