Battle of Gettysburg: The Confederate Invasion and Effects of the Battle

Battle of Gettysburg: The Confederate Invasion and Effects of the Battle
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Battle of Gettysburg: The Confederate Invasion and Effects of the Battle
The American Civil War (April 1861-May 1865) saw a series of bloody battles that lasted four years (Fitzgerald, 2014). Historians assert that the American Civil War was very fundamental in the fight and quest for freedom in the nation (Fitzgerald, 2014). The battle of Gettysburg was one of the battles that were witnessed during the American Civil War. The battle of Gettysburg lasted for 3 days; from 1st July to 3rd July 1863 (OHern, Anderson & McHargue, 2006). The battle took place at Gettysburg, with the Union and Confederate forces clashing for supremacy. Both the south and the north wanted to display their political and military might, since there were sharp divisions between the two territories. Out of the battles that took place during the American Civil War, it is the battle of Gettysburg that reported the highest number of casualties. In fact, historians describe the battle as having led to a decisive period in the civil war. In other words, the battle was a great turning point in the history of the American Civil War because it marked the first defeat of the Confederacy by the Union and, consequently, a belief by the Union that it could win the war. Given that the core reason behind the civil war was the tensions between the northern and southern states in the United States, General Robert Lee led the Confederate forces against General George Meade’s Union forces, in a bid to gain political and military mileage. After three days of battle, historians assert that there has never been such a costly fighting in the history of the United States. Approximately 50,000 casualties were reported from both armies (Rice, 2002). This is an indication of the battle’s massive scale.
In the end, it is the Union’s forces, under the leadership of General Meade, which got the victory. This was not quite expected, considering that General Lee was considered to be an invincible leader who had led the Confederate to significant victories in the course of the civil war. The Confederate army charged against the Union’s army at Gettysburg, but they were held back by the Union’s soldiers. In the first two days, the Confederate was charging forcefully against the Union, but on the third day, the tactical and strategic plans of the Union’s army, under General Lee, proved pivotal in giving it victory. The aftermath of the war included the following: a Union’s victory, military losses, retreat by the Confederate, political loss by the South, and the journey to nation building. A critical analysis of the battle of Gettysburg shows that the aftermath of the battle was more devastating to the Confederacy compared to the Union.
The Confederate Invasion
In the summer of 1863, General Lee achieved a tremendous victory at the battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia (Rice, 2002). He defeated Major General Joseph Hooker, and this gave him the desire to extend his battles further into the Northern territory. Any opportunity to get into the Northern territory and display the might of the Confedera...