how did the confederates fail to win at gettysburg,should have won that and the war?

Answer 1

The Gettysburg Battle was an accident of two armies bumping into each other. Lee was invading the north without his eyes (Jeb Stuart's Cavalry) and heard from a spy that the Union army was getting close. His orders were to come together near Cashtown or the crossroads of Gettysburg. At the time, the Army of N. Virginia was spreadout from Harrisburg to south of Chambersburg. He had explicit orders not to engage the enemy until the whole army was in the field.

In the fog of war, however, Heth's Rebel Division moved toward Gettysburg looking for shoes. They ran into a cavalry pickett line under Gen. Buford. Heth brought up his whole division and buford held on until the Union Ist Corp came up.

Both sides brought up their armies piecemeal. On July 1, 1863, the Confederates beat back the Union and took control of Gettysburg and Semetary Ridge. Inexplicably, Gen. Ewell did not follow-up the victory with a charge up Culps Hill and Cemetery Hill. The high ground was therefore left in Union hands and the battle may as well have been decided on the 1st day.

Gen Lee was blamed for not giving specific orders to take the high ground ("if at all practicable" he said). Ewell was no Stonewall Jackson, and it showed.

The second day was almost won by the Rebs, with an assault on the Union left up Little Round top and Devil's Den. Two saviors of the day were Governor Warren who rushed troops to the undefended flank at the last moment and Col Chamberlains famous "fix bayonet" charge that stopped Gen. Hoods Texans from taking the flank. For his day at Little Round Top, (Chamberlain won the Cong. Med. of Honor)

The third day was a total blunder on Lee's part for ordering the sure death of proud Viriginians and North Carolinians, as 12,000 rebs attacked over open ground against entrenched infantry and massed artillery (AKA: Pickett's Charge).

The battle was the South's high water mark in the war, from then on they lost the strategic initiative in the war and were henceforth on the retreat. A confederate victory could've meant victory in the war if northern anti-war sentiments were threatening to takeover northern policy and foreign nations would possible have been encouraged to recognize the south.

As it was, it was a forlorn hope;.

Answer 2

The plan from the CSA was actually quite good. The problem was that they didnt realize what was going on in the UK at the time. The UK was the largest buyer of Southern cotton, so the South thought that if that supply were disrupted then the UK would get involved in supplying weapons to make up for manufacturing problems, and they would also help deal with a Northern blockade.

It turned out that the UK was buying cotton more for the price than for need. They had quite a bit in storage and determined it was better to stay out of the whole mess. (This would most likely have indirectly led to the end of Southern slavery within another 20-30 years at the latest).

The South still did a good job holding their own for quite awhile. Far superior generals made up for the manpower and firepower differences in the early years.

Eventually though, if you throw an unlimited supply of men (which the North had due to immigration and drafting-frequently immediate drafting of immigrants on arrival), anything will fall. Add in the horribly unethical war crimes from Sherman and it was impossible for the South to hold.

Help was needed. It was the same as the American Revolution, we would not have won that if not for the French aid. Unfortunately for the South though, the help never came like it did in the Revolution. Instead the South was forced to use overworked, underfed, poorly equipped soldiers-that is not a recipe for success when youre enemy can just keep wasting troops until you fall from sheer fatigue.

Answer 3

The South lost due the the North having a bigger army with a better weapon supply.

The South wouldn't have never won the war unless the North over extended themselves and allowed the South to overtake them. But the South would have never been able to invade the North like the North did to the South.

Answer 4

I'm from "The South" and no they should not have won the war. I mean come on. My question to you is what good do you think would have come of it? Most of the solders who fought for the confederacy were worn ragged by the time they got to Gettysburg. They did not have the means to win the battle or the war. Due to strategically placed blockades on the part of the US, lack of artillery factories, and poor funding.

Answer 5

Lee lost the Battle of Gettysburg because it is military idiocy to attack a numerically superior enemy. By the standards of the time, an attacking army wastes men at the rate of 3 to 1 over the defending army. Given that Lee's army of 75,000 was numerically inferior to Meade's army of 95,000 Lee would have been better off to have taken up a position and waited for Meade to attack him. Moreover, Lee made the same mistake in darn near all of his battles ... ordering a charge against a numerically superior enemy rather than waiting for the enemy to attack.

Answer 6

the production capacity of the south would have been their downfall eventually