Gettysburg The Turning Point Essay Research Paper

Gettysburg: The Turning Point Essay, Research Paper

During 1863, the third year of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg occurred between two extremely divided factions. This dissension occurred between the Confederate States (the eleven southern states which had seceded from the Union in 1861), and the rest of the Union, mostly northern states. In the first two years of the Civil War, neither side had gained any real advantage. Yes, major battles occurred, but no side really had truly experienced progression. In 1863, the course of the Civil War was dramatically changed.Prior to the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederates had gained the upper hand by defeating the Union in Chancellorsville, where General Thomas Hooker and the Union army barely escaped the Confederate army. Considered in terms of football, Hooker had lost the ball and Lee had recovered it; now the Union was on the defensive , (Catton 11). Even though the Union was bitterly defeated in Chancellorsville, Lee s most prized general, General Stonewall Jackson was killed during heavy fighting. If General Jackson had been alive for the Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War result could have been different.In the first part of June, 1863, General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army were moving northward through Maryland and penetrating northern territory. This was the first element of Lee s strategic plan, which involved a decisive battle in the northern territory. The second element was winning independence from the Union. Thirty-three conflicts occurred leading up to Gettysburg, some major and some minor, but none had the effect that Gettysburg had on the course of the Civil War. This decisive battle occurred during the first three days of July 1863, which changed the course of the Civil War and determined the fate of United States. This battle is known as the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was a small, market town of 2,400 at this time, in southern Pennsylvania, located at a spot where a number of small roads converged. Although neither commander of the armies was prepared for nor wanted to fight in this region, they did, and it was a pivotal point in the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War because it put the South on the defensive and ultimately ended in the defeat of the Confederate States. At the end of June, Lee was on the offensive due to the fact he had just recently defeated General Joseph Hooker and the Federal army at Chancellorsville, driving the Union troops farther north. General Lee and the Confederates were now as far north as ever. This point of the Civil War is deemed the Confederate high tide . General Ewell and his Confederate troops had already crossed over the Pennsylvania border and were moving north towards Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. General Lee ordered General J.E.B. Stuart and the Confederate cavalry to be physically present on the east side of the Union Army and to watch the movement of the troops so Lee would be aware every action of the Federal Army. Stuart was Lee s reliable Confederate cavalry commander who was credited with significant success in earlier conflicts. They also gathered more supplies and destroyed Union resources along the way. At this time, Hooker and the Federal Army were traveling north across the Potomac river to the town of Frederick, Maryland. While the Union army was at Frederick on June 27, a courier from Washington informed Hooker that he was being replaced by General George G. Meade. Meade quickly separated his troops into three groups and moved across the Maryland border into Pennsylvania. As the Union troops entered Pennsylvania, their morale and will to fight was quickly restored. It was soon after that the first engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg took place. On the evening of June 28, General Lee discovered that the situation was tenuous. A scout had found out that the Union army was closer in proximity than expected. Lee s army could be devastated in a matter of minutes. In danger of losing a battle, Lee decided that Ewell must withdraw from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and assemble near the town of Gettysburg. But General Lee had a significant problem, he had no idea where Stuart and the cavalry was; therefore, the Federal Army s strategy was unknown. With that exception, Lee was ready to fight the decisive battle. Even though Stuart was a great distance from Lee s planned route, on June 29 Stuart was engaged in a clash with Federal cavalry under Major NB Knight. This confrontation occurred just several miles from Hanover, Pennsylvania. On June 30, Stuart once again clashed with Federal cavalry, again in Hanover, Pennsylvania. In Gettysburg, the three day battle began as cavalry forces under Union general John Buford clashed with General A.P. Hill s confederate cavalry early July 1. Little did they know that this minor skirmish would lead to the greatest battle ever fought on American soil. General Buford knew he was significantly outnumbered, so he called for General John F. Reynolds support with the I Corps. These were the first encounters at Gettysburg. Since General J.E.B. Stuart and the Confederate cavalry were the eyes of the Confederate army and since Stuart had not yet reported to Lee s headquarters, Lee had to act on complete instinct. The clashes on July 1 were the determination by each army to discover each other s weakness. The fighting would greatly intensify in the following days. As July 1 came to a close,