Civil war question - what was the significance of Gettysburg? Was this the turning point?

Answer 1

My wife told me one time we had been to Gettysburg more times then Lee, the odd thing I do not give it the same significance, as do many of my peers in the historical community. Until the end of the war the South did understand they had lost and if you example the facts with the loss of non replaceable man power besides political gains by the North the battle had little significance. I for one think the battle of Franklin was the turning point of the war when Hood squandered our Army it allowed the Yankees to concentrate on the Army of Northern Virginia. If legacy is indeed what we are writing on then Pickett Charge and the whole of the battle is irrelevant, The cause of the War has been argued for over 140 years States Rights, Slavery, or as I feel the English hating the Celtics and it will be argued for another 140 years. The battle of Gettysburg was not over shoes as so many people wrongly surmise but an invasion. Lee had invaded Antietam (Sharpsburg) in September of 1862 hoping that a significant win then would get the South recognized by foreign powers and more importantly draw their support. Here at Gettysburg Lee once again tried to get that win. Lee did not make his orders clear on the first day and Ewell lost the day (did he lose the battle)? Many think that if Lee had moved away or got between Washington and the “Yankee” army he could have won. Many more think that if Granny Lee had fought a defensive war that before long the Yankees would have sued for peace. Lee became desperate and over confident in himself and in his men and made mistakes like “Pickett’s Charge”. Like Franklin later on it was a waste of men and materials, One interesting thing is only after the war were Southerners aware that they had lost Following his victory at Chancellorville in May, 1863, General Lee received approval from his government to invade the north. Lee hoped an invasion would fuel the northern peace movement and, at least, disrupt the Union war effort. After the death of Stonewall Jackson, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, 75,000-strong, had been reorganized into three army corps under Longstreet, Ewell, and A.P. Hill, with a cavalry division under J.E.B. Stuart. On June 3, advance troops of the Confederate army left their camps near Fredericksburg and marched west toward the Shenandoah Valley. The 95,000-strong Federal Army of the Potomac, under General Hooker, was initially uncertain of Lee's intentions. On June 9, Hooker ordered cavalry general Alfred Pleasonton to conduct a reconnaissance with 11,000 men across the Rappahannock River toward Brandy Station. Pleasonton ran into Stuart's cavalry, and the largest cavalry battle of the war ensued. The result was a standoff, but the Federals were now alerted to the Confederate army's movements. By June 13, elements of Ewell's corps appeared before Winchester. On the same day, Hooker with-drew the Army of the Potomac from the Rappahannock and ordered it north. On June 14-15, Ewell attacked the 9,000-strong Federal garrison at Winchester and defeated it, inflicting heavy losses and capturing much valuable war material. After Winchester, Lee's army moved unchecked into the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. On June 25, Lee agreed to Stuart's plan to take three brigades of cavalry across the Potomac cast of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and cut across the rear of the Federal army. Stuart's march encountered frequent delays and detours and an increasingly aggressive Federal cavalry, and was unable to rejoin Lee until July 2.
By June 28, Longstreet and Hill's corps were at Chambersburg. Divisions of Ewell's corps had crossed the mountains to York and Carlisle, and were preparing to move against Harrisburg. However, Lee learned on this day that the Federal army was at Frederick, and that Hooker had been replaced by General Meade. Lee decided to bring his entire army east of the mountains and offer battle. At the same time, Meade moved his army north. By June 30, both armies were converging upon Gettysburg and the battle, which would be the turning point of the war, was set to commence.
JULY 1 1863
After the discovery on June 30 that Gettysburg was occupied by Brigadier General John Buford's division of Federal cavalry, the Confederates on July 1 sent the divisions of Major General Henry Heth and Major General William Pender of Hill's Corps, down the Chambersburg Road to drive Buford away and occupy Gettysburg. The battle began at 5.30 a.m., when shots were exchanged over Marsh Creek. In the face of Buford's resistance, Heth pushed on cautiously until he reached a point about two miles west of Gettysburg. Here he deployed two brigades in line, and pressed ahead; it was nearly 10 a.m. Federal General John F. Reynolds, commanding I Corps, arrived on the field at this point, and determined to engage Herb. He ordered I Corps and Major General Oliver 0. Howard's XI Corps to march to Gettysburg. Soon after 10.30 a.m., I Corps arrived and engaged Heth along McPherson's Ridge. By 11.30 a.m., Heth had been defeated and forced to withdraw to Herr Ridge. Early in the action, Reynolds was killed, and field command devolved upon Howard. A lull now settled over the field as both sides brought up reinforcements. The Federal I Corps deployed to defend the western approaches to Gettysburg, while XI Corps formed up north of the town. Buford's cavalry covered the flanks. Howard left one division in reserve on Cemetery Hill. His strategy was simple: delay the Confederates long enough to enable the rest of the Federal army to concentrate. Lee arrived on the field after noon. He had initially hoped to avoid a general engagement since the strength of the enemy was unknown, and the terrain in the Gettysburg area unfamiliar. However, soon after noon, Rodes's division of Ewell's Corps arrived on Oak Hill and attacked the right of I Corps. At 2 p.m. Heth's division joined the attack on I Corps. At 3 p.m., the battle spread north of the town when Jubal Early's division of Ewell's Corps attacked down the Harrisburg Road and crushed the flank of XI Corps. At about the same time, west of Gettysburg, Pender's division relieved Heth and assaulted I Corps' position along Seminary Ridge. By 4 p.m., both Federal corps were in retreat through Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill. Federal losses numbered slightly over 9,000, including some 3,000 captured, compared with Confederate losses of about 6,500. The day's action had resulted in a Confederate victory, but Federal forces held onto the high ground south of Gettysburg, where their position was soon strengthened by reinforcements.
JULY 2 1863
The success of his army in the fighting on July 1 encouraged Lee to renew the battle on July 2. An early morning reconnaissance of the Federal left revealed that their line did not extend as far south as Little Round Top. Lee directed Longstreet to take two divisions of I Corps and march south until they reached the flank of the Federal forces. They would attack from this point, supported by a division of A.P. Hill's corps - a total force of nearly 20,000 men. While Longstreet carried out the main offensive, Ewell was ordered to conduct a demonstration against the Federal right. However, he was given discretion to mount a full-scale attack should the opportunity present itself. The Federal army was well prepared for Lee's offensive. Six of its seven corps had arrived on the battlefield, and VI Corps was making a thirty-six-mile forced march to reach it. Meade had deployed his army in a fish-hook-shaped formation, with the right on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill, the center along Cemetery Ridge, and the left on Little Round Top. Major General Daniel Sickles’s III Corps held the left of the Federal line. Sickles was dissatisfied with his assigned position and in the early afternoon, without orders, he advanced his line nearly half a mile west in order to take advantage of the high open ground around a nearby peach orchard.
Soon after Sickles took up this new position, Longstreet attacked. Third Corps was hard pressed and Meade sent V Corps and part of 11 Corps to reinforce Sickles in the Peach Orchard. Nevertheless, after furious fighting, Longstreet's forces broke through, causing Sickles's entire line to collapse. The Confederates pursued to the base of Little Round Top, but Federal reinforcements, including elements of VI Corps, checked their advance. Farther north, elements of a division of the Confederate III Corps advanced to the slopes of Cemetery Ridge before they too were forced to retire. On the Federal right, Ewell did not attack until evening, after Longstreet's onslaught had subsided. The effort to storm Cemetery Hill was ultimately unsuccessful. Ewell's attacks were also repulsed at Culp's Hill, although a foothold was gained near the base of the hill. The second day's fighting had cost each army some 9,000 casualties. Lee's forces had again gained ground, but had failed to dislodge the Federal army from its strong position.
JULY 3 1863
Lee's confidence was unshaken by the events of July 2. That night, he ordered Longstreet, who had been reinforced by Major General George Pickett's division, to renew his assault on the Federal left. Simultaneously, Ewell, who had also been reinforced, was to storm Culp's Hill. Stuart's cavalry, which had rejoined the army late that day, was ordered to march well east of Gettysburg, and attempt to penetrate to the Federal rear where they might disrupt communications and distract Meade. Meanwhile, Meade had determined to hold his position and await Lee's attack. However, at Culp's Hill he authorized XII Corps to drive Ewell's forces out of the captured Federal trenches at daylight. The Federal effort opened with a concentrated artillery bombardment, which precipitated a tremendous musketry battle.
With Ewell already engaged, Lee rode to Longstreet's headquarters to observe his preparations for the attack on the Federal left. Longstreet misunderstood his orders and was planning instead a movement to turn the Federal left. With the hope of a coordinated attack now lost, Lee was forced to modify his plans. He determined to shift his main attack to the Federal center on Cemetery Ridge. Longstreet was placed in command of the effort. The plan was first to subject the Federal position to bombardment by nearly 140 cannon, then to send Pickett, Pettigrew and half of Trimble's divisions (formerly Heth's and Pender's) - nearly 12,000 men - forward to smash the Federal center.
While Longstreet made his preparations during the morning, Ewell's forces were defeated in their counterattacks on Culp's Hill, and withdrew around 11:00 a.m. At l:00 p.m., Longstreet opened the great bombardment of the Federal line. The Federal army replied with approximately 80 cannon and a giant duel ensued which lasted for nearly two hours. After the bombardment subsided, the infantry went forward. This has subsequently been known throughout history as "Pickett's Charge." Federal artillery, followed by musketry, cut their formations to pieces and inflicted devastating losses. A small Confederate force effected one small penetration of the Federal line, but was overwhelmed. The attack ended in disaster, with nearly 5,600 Confederate casualties. Meanwhile, Federal cavalry under Brigadier General David Gregg east of Gettysburg, Stuart’s cavalry engaged three miles. The cavalry clash was indecisive, but Stuart was neutralized and posed no threat to the Federal rear. Casualties generally included anyone who deserted, was captured, missing, wounded or killed. In essence, if a soldier was not present during muster, he could likely be counted as a casualty.
Casualties
Killed Wounded Missing Total % of Total
Union 3,155 14,530 5,365 23,040 27%
Confederate 2,600-4,500 12,800 5,250 20,650-25,000* 30%-34%

God Bless You and Our Southern People.

Answer 2

With Robert E. Lee trying to invade the North and get to Philadelphia or New York to possibly force a peace with the North, his soldiers needed footwear and they were aware of a bootmaker in Gettysburg . When the invasion failed and the loss of several men it brought a new low for the South because the South was therefore forced into a defensive war for survival. With the loss of Vicksburg and the South being cut in half along with the loss at Gettysburg the South lost any chance for recognition from England as an independent nation. It could have been much trouble for the North if the South was recognized as an independent nation if England decided to fight for the South. So I believe with the combination of the three it was the turning point.

Answer 3

There is widespread disagreement over the turning point of the American Civil War. While the Battle of Gettysburg (often cited in combination with Battle of Vicksburg) is the most widely cited, there are several arguable turning points in the American Civil War. Some possibilities are presented here in date sequence. Only the positive arguments for each are given.

At the time of the event, the fog of war often makes it impossible to recognize all of the implications of any one victory. Hindsight well after the fact reveals the endpoint and all the events that precede it. In most cases, contemporary observers may lack confidence in predicting a turning point. In the Civil War, many of the turning points cited by historians would not have been recognized as such at the time. The idea of a turning point is an event after which most observers would agree that the eventual outcome was inevitable.

Answer 4

Significance of the Battle of Gettysburg:
Robert E. Lee attempted and failed to invade the North in a move designed to take pressure off of Virginia and possibly earn a victory that could end the war. The failure of Pickett’s Charge meant that the South had lost. The loss for the South was demoralizing and General Lee never again attempted to invade the North on this grand scale.

Turning point:
On July 4, 1863, the Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg, Mississippi, surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. The previous day, Maj. Gen. George Meade decisively defeated Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. These twin events are the most often cited as the turning points of the war.

So Gettysburg and Vicksburg was the turning point.

Answer 5

The conflict of Gettysburg, in historic retrospective, a turning aspect contained in the Civil conflict using the undeniable fact that became the perfect chance for familiar Lee and the military of Virginia to habit offensive operations hostile to the Union in Union territory. something of the civil conflict, the South became on the protecting. more suitable importantly, jointly of the conflict of Gettysburg, (July 3, 1863) the Union, lower than familiar U.S. grant, captured Vicksburg after a lengthy seige. This gave the Union administration of the Mississippi river and shrink the Confederacy in 2--the initial Union plan from the starting up.

Answer 6

Gettysburg is generally referred to as the high water mark of the Confederacy. It is the furthest the Confederate Army made it into the North. It was a turning point in that General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia never recovered enough to make another drive into the Union.

Also, following Gettysburg Lee never won another decisive engagement. This was due to the tenacity of Grant who took over effective command of the Union Army of the Potomac following Gettysburg. Despite losses that would have driven off other Union Commanders, Grant pressed on. He drew on the almost unlimited resources of the North to bring in more men and weapons. Lee and the South were short on both men and war fighting materials.

Eventually, Lee was forced into defensive entrenchments while Grant settled in for a siege of Richmond and Petersburg.

Answer 7

At the risk of getting another thumbs down I decided to answer this question. This attempt by the Confederacy - like the earlier invasion of Maryland to inspire that State to join the Confederacy, to get away from war ravaged Virginia, and to gain European recognition (which failed when Lee was repulsed at Antietam) - also failed when the Confederates were doing very much the same in Pennsylvania. Lee's forces went looking for shoes, and found defeat at the hands of the Army of the Potomac instead.

Answer 8

Pennsylvania was captured from the Dixiecrats and returned to its rightful place along the Monongahela River. The turning point was the Battle of Pork Chop Hill.

But....in seriousness, Ithink the turning point was the skirmish at the Sunken Lane.

Answer 9

One significant thing is that more soldiers were killed there than in both world wars. Also, many wealthy people came to watch it from a nearby hillside... like a sporting event. When the bullets started flying, they packed up their picnic baskets.