Gettysburg The Confederate Tragedy Essay - 3327 Words

Gettysburg: The Confederate Tragedy In the summer of 1863, the United States was sharply divided in a brutal civil war. The Union army of the northern states was pitted against the Confederate army of the separatist southern states in what would prove to be the bloodiest war that the nation has ever been involved in. That summer was especially harsh on both sides. The casualty lists were extremely lengthy as the two sides faced off in some of the deadliest engagements of the war. The summer of 1863 was a particularly desperate time in the war for the South. The southern stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, was under siege by a powerful Union force. The economic state of the South was all but destroyed by the ravages of war and†¦show more content†¦By the time he had replaced Hooker with General George G. Meade, the gap between the two armies had already become dangerously small. By then, only one small town stood between them and it seemed as if every road in the area led to it. On July 1, 1863, a division of Confederate infantry marched to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in hopes of seizing a supply of desperately needed shoes for the ill-shod, sore-footed infantry of the Army of Northern Virginia. Much to their surprise, however, a division of Union cavalry, who had reached the town only a few hours earlier, had dismounted and was awaiting their arrival on the northwest side of town. Fierce fighting broke out as the Confederates slowly pushed their oppo nent back through the town itself and into the highlands to the south. That night, thousands of troops from both sides were rushed to the vicinity of Gettysburg and by morning there were over 100,000 soldiers in position there. The Battle of Gettysburg had begun, and it would soon prove to be one of the most pivotal battles of the entire war. Ever since the conclusion of the American Civil War, there has been constant debate over the causes for the Confederacys collapse. Peter Parish says that a combination of the Union victory at Gettysburg and the capture of the city of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, has created the image of those days in early July as being the crucial turning point of the war. However, he also says that the fall of Vicksburg had been impending forShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of The War Essay1510 Words   |  7 PagesIn April 1861, the first shots were fired, and what followed became an unthinkable tragedy of gigantic proportions. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers were killed and millions more wounded; large areas of the South were engulfed by aggressive battles almost resulting in a Union defeat under determined Confederate forces. Focusing on the major turning point battle of the war, the Battle at Gettysburg, the confederate Army was led by General Robert E. 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