Download LECTURE NOTES – Battle of Gettysburg

LECTURE NOTES – Battle of Gettysburg
June 30-July 3, 1863
Gettysburg, PA
BACKGROUND AND PRE BATTLE MOVEMENT
Post Battle of Chancellorsville
– Lee decides it is time for a second advance/invasion into the North.
 Change plans for the Union, who hoped to keep the “campaigns” in the South
 Hopefully reduce pressure on besieged Vicksburg
 Little did Lee know Vicksburg was very close to surrendering
 Allow CSA to live off the “rich” northern farms
 Virginia farms had been decimated
 Threaten the cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC
 Force the peace movement in the north
– June 3rd, 1863 – Lee’s army moves northward from Fredericksburg, VA
COMBATANTS
– CSA – ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
 Robert E. Lee, Commander
 Reorganized his army into three corps
 LG James Longstreet keeps command of the First Corps
 LG Richard Ewell takes command of the Second Corps
 LG A.P. Hill takes the Third Corps
 Cavalry corps under MG J.E.B. Stuart
– UNION – ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
 George Meade, Commander
 Took over for Joseph Hooker after Chancellorsville
 Seven infantry corps
 Cavalry corps – John Buford
 Artillery Corps
EARLY CLASHES
– June 9th – first major action
 Brandy Station, VA
 Clash between Union and CSA cavalry
 Confederates were surprised by the Union cavalry troops
 CSA (Stuart) was able to repulse the Union attack, but it was an
inconclusive battle
 Showed, for the first time, Union cavalry could hold their own against
CSA cavalry
– Mid June – CSA begins moving north into Maryland
 2 minor skirmishes along the way
 Ewell’s 2nd Corps crosses the Potomac June 15th
 Hill & Longstreet cross the Potomac on June 24-25
 The movement of CSA troops into the North was not well received
 People were reimbursed for the seizing of food, horses, and other
supplies with Confederate money
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Some towns were threatened with forced payments or be burned
Some African Americans were taken capture and sent to the South,
under guard, as slaves
o Some former slaves – some free men
Union begins following CSA troops
 Hooker pursues CSA, crossing the Potomac between June 25-27
 Hooker would be replaced on June 28 after a dispute with Lincoln and Halleck
 Replaced with MG George Meade (V corps)
Robert E. Lee makes a very controversial move
 Allows cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart and his three best brigades to ride out around
the right flank of Union Army
 Lee gave Stuart a lot of latitude
 Stuart is gone far too long
 Almost one week
 Missed the approach to Gettysburg and the first two days of the battle
 Left Lee and his army blind – had little idea of Union troop placement
June 29th – Lee learns the union is garrisoned in Cashtown, 8 miles west of Gettysburg
 Lee is in an arc from Chambersburg (28 miles NW of Gettysburg) to Carlisle (3
miles N of Gettysburg) to near Harrisburg
 Sends one of AP Hill’s brigades towards Gettysburg on a search for supplies
(mainly shoes)
 Encounters Buford’s cavalry for the Union
 Does not engage (per orders of Lee) and returns to Cashtown to report
to MG Henry Heth what he has seen
o Believes it is only Pennsylvania Militia
o Heth sends a substantial recon force the nest day to determine
the size and strength of the Union forces waiting in Gettysburg
o July 1, 1863 – 2 brigades of Henry Heth’s division arrive at
Gettysburg, PA.
FIRST DAY OF BATTLE – JULY 1, 1863
– Buford sets out his divisions on three ridges W, NW, & N of Gettysburg
 N – Barlow’s Knoll
 NW – McPherson Ridge
 W – Seminary Ridge (majority of the fighting on day one)
– VERY strong defensive positions
 Meant to buy time for Union infantry to arrive and set up on even better
defensive positions South of town
 Culps Hill
 Cemetery Hill
 Cemetery Ridge
 If the CSA gained control of those heights, the Union would have a very difficult
time lodging them
– First action was on Seminary Ridge
 Two brigades from CSA Henry Heth’s division (A.P. Hill Corps)advanced forward
first
 Met cavalry resistance from Buford’s men
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Heth’s men deployed and began the fight
Main resistance came from the troops of Col. William Gamble
o Used fence posts for cover
o Breech loading carbines
 By 10:20 am, Heth’s men had pushed Bufords over to McPherson’s Ridge
 Arrival of reinforcements for Union by John Reynolds
 Reynolds would be shot and killed in the battle, replaced in command
by Abner Doubleday
o Fighting along the Chambersburg Pike broke between 12:30 and
2:30 as troops regrouped
– 2:30 – Heth’s entire division engages the Union troops
– Able to push the Union back through the streets of
Gettysburg and the grounds of the Lutheran Seminary
Action north of town continued as Richard Ewell’s corps turned south (heading towards
Cashtown)
 Union XI Corps (O.O. Howard) raced north to meet them
 Fight would be engaged, and the CSA would run the Union over
Union troops would be flanked and forced to retreat back through Gettysburg
throughout the day
 Ordered to retreat by General O.O. Howard
 Set up defenses on Cemetery Hill
 Howard was relieved of command by Winfield Hancock (sent by Meade
on learning of the death of Reynolds), who still consulted with Howard
due to his previous action in the battle
 Howard felt that Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge, and Culps Hill would
provide the best defensive positions
 Hancock agreed, and the Union dug in for the fight
Lee tells Ewell to take Cemetery Hill “If practicable”
 Lee knows Cemetery Hill will be a tough place to dislodge the Union, and could
be the difference in the battle
 Ewell does not believe it is a good idea, so he declines to attack
 Many feel this was a missed opportunity for the CSA & a big mistake
 The fighting ends on day one as night falls
o Significant engagement
– @ 22K Union engaged
– @ 27K CSA engaged
THE SECOND DAY – JULY 2, 1863
– Throughout the evening of July 1 and the morning of July 2, infantry arrives on the field
for both armies
 Union – II, III, V, VI, XII Corps
 CSA – Longstreets 3rd Division (George Pickett) would arrive late July 2nd
– Union defenses
 Ran from Culp’s Hill NW to Cemetery Hill, circled around, and then went south
along Cemetery Ridge for almost 2 miles
 Stopped at Little Round Top
 Known as a “fishhook”
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CSA defenses
 Paralleled union troops along Seminary Ridge
 @ 1 mile away from Union defenses
 Ran up and around Union defenses at Cemetery & Culps Hills
 CSA had “outside” lines – ran almost 5 miles
Lee’s plans for July 2nd
 Longstreet was to quietly move into position to attack the Union left
 Straddle Emmitsburg Road
 Roll up onto the Union line
o Begin attack with the divisions of John Bell Hood & Laffayette
McClaws
o Follow with Richard Anderson
o All three divisions would begin from the outside and move
toward Union center
o Developed to stop the Union from moving troops from the
center to reinforce
 As this happens, “demonstration” fire was to happen on Union right at
Cemetery and Culp’s Hills
 Sent by CSA Edward Johnson and Jubal Early
o Could turn into full scale attack if they felt the opportunity was
there.
 Lee was working off faulty intelligence though
 Problem made worse by the continued absence of J.E.B. Stuart and the
cavalry
Union defenses
 Gen. Daniel Sickles took it upon himself to move forward from his assigned
position
 Believed he found higher, more favorable ground for Union
 New ground on Emmitsburg Road
 Ran from Devils Den to the Peach Orchard to Codori Farm
o Had Sickles right in the immediate path of McClaws troops
o This salient (bump) in the line gave the CSA an opening where
they could attack the Union on two separate flanks
As Longstreets men moved into position, they were seen by Union troops and a signal
station
 Union troops were moved into defensive positions (20th Maine on Little Round
Top)
 Hood & McClaws were to hold off on their attacks until 4 & 5 pm respectively
since surprise was lost
CSA ATTACKS
 Longstreets men hit the south end of the Union defenses hard
 Meade was forced to send 20 K reinforcements to help
 Attack did not go as anticipated
 Hood’s men went too far east
o Lost alignment with Emmitsburg Road and the rest of the CSA
troops
o Passed Union flank and hit Devil’s Den & Little Round Top
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McLaw’s men hit the Peach Orchard and Wheatfield, pushing Union
(Sickles) back
o Eventually stopped by Pennsylvania 1st Brigade
o Destroyed the III Corps in the process
 Sickles is hit by a cannonball in the leg (amputated)
 Anderson is able to reach Cemetery Ridge facing weak defenses, but is
beaten back after they are reinforced
Defense of Little Round Top
 As the fighting is occurring, Gouverner K. Warren of the Union realizes their
weakness
 They must defend Little Round Top.
o Loss would cause the crumble of the Union flank and the Union
army
 Dispatches the brigade of Col. Strong Vincent to defend it
 Four regiments, plus artillery are able to hold repeated attacks by the
CSA
o Bayonet charge by Col. Joshua Chamberlain & the 20th Maine
becomes one of the most famous moments of the war
 MAYBE THE TURNING POINT OF THE WAR…DEFINITELY
THE SAVING POINT OF THE WAR
CSA ATTACKS UNION RIGHT FLANK
 About 7pm, Ewell finally sends in Johnson’s division on Culp’s Hill
 Many of the Union defenders had been sent off to help in the defenses
on the south end
 The remaining Union forces constructed strong defensive walls from
fallen trees
 Abel to repulse the CSA attacks, although they did lose a piece of Culps
Hill
 Just after dark, Jubal Early attacks the Union on Cemetery Hill
 Early’s men made good initial movement, but failed to completely beat
the Union
 Federal troops able to repulse the attack, forcing Early to withdraw
THE THIRD DAY – JULY 3, 1863
– Lee wanted to use the same attack plan on day 3, but had to change plans due to the
Union attacking before dawn
 Union started an early artillery bombardment to take back lost Culp’s Hill
 Union takes Culp’s Hill back by 11am
– Lee is forced to send Longstreet in with Pickett’s Division, plus six brigades from Hill’s
Corps
 Would attack the right center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge
 Would lead off with a massive artillery barrage to weaken the Union line
– 1pm – CSA launches 150-170 cannon fire
 Union does not fire back at first
 Save cannon ammo for the inevitable infantry attack following
 Union begins artillery response (@ 80 guns on higher ground) about 15 minutes
in
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CASUALTIES
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CSA RETREAT
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 CSA did not truly affect the Union position with their artillery fire
3pm - @ 12,500 CSA troops step from the woods and begin a ¾ - 1 mile trek across open
land to Cemetery Ridge
 “Pickett’s Charge”
 Faced fierce flanking artillery fire from both Cemetery Hill and Little Round Top
 Faced musket and canister fire from Hancock directly in front of them
 Able to make one small break through at “The Angle”
 Collection of trees
 Farthest the CSA would get on that day
 Referred to as the “high water mark” of the Confederacy
o Closest they came to breaking the Union troops and winning the
battle
 Almost 50% of the CSA men involved in this attack would die
CSA cavalry would make an attack near the rear of the Union troops this day
 J.E.B. Stuart would meet up with Gen. Custer and the 1st Michigan Cavalry
 Union would stop them cold, ending any chance of the CSA making a late move
Union – 23, 055
CSA – 23, 231 to 28,000
 1/3 of Lee’s officers were killed or wounded
Town of Gettysburg had been severely damaged
One civilian death – Jennie (Ginnie) Wade
 Hit by stray bullet in her house
Confederates reformed along Seminary Ridge, hoping Union would attack
 Union attack never came
 Lee also proposed a prisoner exchange
 Declined by Meade
Lee leaves late in the evening on July 4th
 Cashtown to Hagerstown to Williamsport, MD
 Meade follows, but not at full speed
 Rain swollen Potomac traps the CSA on the north bank of the river
 By the time the Union catches up, the CSA had forded the river and
crossed into Virginia
EFFECT ON EACH SIDE
– Union enjoyed the victory until the politicians realized the CSA and Lee were not fully
pursued, despite pleas by Lincoln and Halleck
– CSA lost politically and militarily
 Had planned on proposing peace terms to Lincoln on their victory
 Also, the loss completely stopped Europe from getting involved
– Main people blamed for CSA loss
 Ewell for not taking Cemetery Hill on July 1st
 Stuart for being gone most of the battle
 Longstreet for not acting quick enough on July 2nd
GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
– Delivered on November 19, 1863 at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery
 Redefine the purpose of the war
“
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived
in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived
and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to
dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that
nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate...we can not consecrate...we can not hallow this ground.
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power
to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never
forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work
which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated
to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion
to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve
that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of
freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from
the earth.