Gettysburg 150 years ago this week

The Battle was fought July 1 - 3, 1863 . Along with the surrender of Vicksburg a day later, the turning point of the Civil War. Between 46,000 to 51,000 men killed in 3 days of action.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by BABYBULL24


I have seen pictures of the battlefields littered with bodies. It is both gruesome and terrifying.
I had read somewhere that a huge majority of the deaths were caused from head wounds. Not from bullets, but rather Butt strokes with rifles.

Definitely a sad period in the history of our country.

That war pitted family members against each other depending on which side of the fence they lived.

Gettysburg 50th Reunion:

Good to see a post about this. Nearly as many men died in this few days than all US soldiers in the Vietnam war (14 years). Thanks for the video to that poster too. Haven't seen pictures of this in a very long time.

Given it's historical significance one should think most Americans would not only know these dates but some of the details of where, why and how it was fought.
Having crushed the Union army at Chancellorsville in May the Confederacy was hoping to force England and France in to recognizing the Confederacy as a legitimate Nation by taking the war North in to Pennsylvania. Lee's aim was to either destroy the Army of the Potomac or to capture DC or both.
Fact is he nearly did just that.
Many factors combined to give the Union victory at Gettysburg not least of which was that the Northern troops were fighting on home ground. Also the Army of the Potomac was under the capable leadership of George Meade who was no military genius but solid enough to handle what was effectively a defensive engagement. Most historians will chock up the results to the fact that it was the South attacking for 3 days and taking fearful losses in capturing ground that might have been taken by maneuver instead.
It was also the end of an era in military tactics where you massed a line of troops in Napoleonic style and marched straight in to the enemy. The rifled musket, minie bullet and accurate artillery made this approach a near suicidal venture as Pickett's charge (really Lee's charge) on the 3rd displayed so vividly.
Lee's army was a shadow of it's former self after Gettysburg yet managed to fight on for nearly 2 more years against overwhelming odds.
It's rather amazing how Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address only days after the battle while poetically summarizing it's importance both to the war effort and to the history of the United States. It is a beautifully kept battlefield and one can only appreciate the size and scope of the battle by visiting the grounds. Nearly 50,000 men became casualties over the course of 3 days and changed the course of our Nation. We owe it to their memory to recall the valor and sacrifice for both sides.

I read that Lee suffered a heart attack in 1863 and affected his judgement at Gettysburg.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

reply to post by BABYBULL24


I just got back from the 150th Gettysburg anniversary reenactment today. My son is a confederate reenactor and was thrilled to be able to participate in the reenactments there this week. As a reenactor myself, I have been to many reenactments, but this one was different. Watching it take place, it really put the Civil War into perspective. I'll admit that I cried and no other reenactment has ever had that effect on me. Even though it was 150 years ago, it still hurts me to think of just how many people lost their lives.

We wanted to go out there during the festivities ..... (we are 2 1/2 hours away) .... but I wasn't feeling up to it. So we watched the talks on CSPAN from the Wax Museum. Interesting stuff.

This is the report from the British magazine Spectator, 25th July 1863

Our news from America dates up to the evening of the 13th July, ten days later than our account of last week, when it was still doubtful how far the battle of Gettysburg on the 3rd July was a success. Curiously enough,—so oddly in point of date that it has thrown a doubt over part of the news,—on the 4th July, the anniversary of American Independence, Vicksburg surrendered unconditionally to General Grant, and Meade's army entered Gettysburg, driving out their beaten and retreating assailants. The full accounts of the battle of the 3rd do great credit to the Federal commander, who had not yet been a week in his post. In that time Meade had gained every one's confidence, marched from Frederick in Maryland to Gettysburg, faced the enemy with an inferior force, and chosen his position so well that for three successive days he drove back the charges of Lee's troops, which on the last day became furious. General Sedgwick's arrival with the sixth corps late on Friday (3rd July) after a march, it is said, of nearly thirty-six miles, his militia troops fasting and tired, was most opportune, and immediately turned to advantage. The attack on the left wing was at that time at its climax, and the new troops, tired as they were, rushed at once to its support, which probably saved the day. It was two days later that General Couch pushed forward his troops from Harrisburg to reinforce Meade, and between that date and the 13th it was said that both the opposing armies had received strong reinforcements,—General Lee from the force of Beau- regard at Charleston. Lee's position at Hagerstown and on the Antietam River, covering the Williamsport fords over the Potomac, was a very strong one, and Meade could scarcely attack him in it without a very superior force, but he might harass him seriously whenever he began his retreat. All the reports of numbers on either side are wholly untrustworthy.