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Gettysburg Battle 1863 - Short History of the Event
July 1st, 1863 at 7:30 AM, Confederate soldiers entered the town of Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania. By mid-afternoon, both Confederate and Union troops had amassed for
both sides. After the unavoidable battle began, by the end of the first day 16,000 troops
from both sides had either been wounded, killed or captured.
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The Confederate army inflicted great loss on
the Army of the North, but the Union soldiers
somehow held onto the higher ground.
That first night, both sides received more
reinforcements.
On the second day of the battle and despite
more devastating blows from the
Confederates, the Union Army fended off
their attempts at capturing higher ground,
once again. Again, the second evening saw
more reinforcements arriving to both camps.
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The third day of the bloody battle was blistering with the sound of Confederate cannons
exchanging blasts with the Union army's guns for two hours. Being certain that his
Southern army was on the verge of victory, General Robert E. Lee commanded his troops
to form a mile-wide wall of men to advance upon the Northern army's positions. While they
advanced toward the higher ground, the Union army fired away as the battle reached its
peak point of ferocious fighting. Eventually, the charge failed and the Confederates were
forced to retreat. The Union army had won a huge battle, something that had been
considered to be a turning point in the Civil War.
After three days of fighting, casualties from both sides numbered high with a total of seven
thousand having died and 44,000 being wounded. The scene around Gettysburg was
devastating. Wounded soldiers occupied most homes turned hospitals, while other men
lay on the battlefield moaning. Dead bodies litter the land around the small town and a
massive effort to bury the fallen needed to take place.
It would be four months later that President Abraham Lincoln would visit Gettysburg to
deliver a historic speech given to dedicate the new cemetery. Though the casualties of
the battle of Gettysburg were high, Lincoln's speech reminded us that the future of freedom
hinged upon this contest. 620,000 men gave their lives in the Civil War that lasted five
years. Four million slaves were freed.
Today at Gettysburg, one can visit the hallowed grounds and Gettysburg Visitors Center.
Within the Visitors Center are Civil War relics from the time and a cyclorama containing a
massive, circular oil painting created by French artist Paul Dominique Philippoteaux. The
stunning work of Pickett's Charge was unveiled in 1913 at Gettysburg for the 50 year
anniversary of the battle. It was reported at the time that Civil War veterans who fought at
Gettysburg were brought to tears upon seeing it. You can learn more about the painting at
Gettysburg Cyclorama
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Above:
The Gettysburg Cyclorama painting.
Left:
A statue perched atop Little Round Top overlooking
the battlefield.
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Gettysburg Battle History 1863 Copyright 2009 Angels & Ghosts, LLC
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