Posted on 07/01/2007 5:23:20 AM PDT by mainepatsfan
1863 : The Battle of Gettysburg begins
The largest military conflict in North American history begins this day when Union and Confederate forces collide at Gettysburg. The epic battle lasted three days and resulted in a retreat to Virginia by Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Two months prior to Gettysburg, Lee had dealt a stunning defeat to the Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville. He then made plans for a Northern invasion in order to relieve pressure on war-weary Virginia and to seize the initiative from the Yankees. His army, numbering about 80,000, began moving on June 3. The Army of the Potomac, commanded by Joseph Hooker and numbering just under 100,000, began moving shortly thereafter, staying between Lee and Washington, D.C. But on June 28, frustrated by the Lincoln administration's restrictions on his autonomy as commander, Hooker resigned and was replaced by George G. Meade.
Meade took command of the Army of the Potomac as Lee's army moved into Pennsylvania. On the morning of July 1, advance units of the forces came into contact with one another just outside of Gettysburg. The sound of battle attracted other units, and by noon the conflict was raging. During the first hours of battle, Union General John Reynolds was killed, and the Yankees found that they were outnumbered. The battle lines ran around the northwestern rim of Gettysburg. The Confederates applied pressure all along the Union front, and they slowly drove the Yankees through the town.
By evening, the Federal troops rallied on high ground on the southeastern edge of Gettysburg. As more troops arrived, Meade's army formed a three-mile long, fishhook-shaped line running from Culp's Hill on the right flank, along Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge, to the base of Little Round Top.
(Excerpt) Read more at history.com ...
I always found it interesting that these two momentous events occurred simultaneously.
The Union had quite a good reason to celebrate the 4th of July that year.
Grant at Vicksburg was different. After trying direct assaults his tactics changed to isolation of the roads leading into Vicksburg and then starving it out.
Last week I visited Gettysburg, Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, and The Wilderness. Weather was beautiful. Still shocked at how little attended the battlefields other than Gettysburg were.
A national park ranger at Chancellorsville told me he thought everyone was at Disneyworld. It’s no wonder kids don’t know history anymore. Had all the sites to myself.
50,000 lost in three days. Nearly one of every three men in the armies. Kind of puts some perspective on war.
Hey how is the construction on the new visitor’s center at Gettysburg going?
Didn’t seem to be any construction at the Gettysburg Visitors’ Center. Went to the electric map room on Monday morning, there were seven people there.
Went to Spotsylvania on Wednesday; it was closed most of the day for repaving! Yes, the state of Virginia was repaving the parking lot on the Wednesday before the 4th of July! People were driving in from all over the country and being turned away.
Our government in action.
My GG Grandfather too --8th Iowa.
The city of Vicksburg refused to recognize Independence Day until the 1960’s.
Less than a year!!
They’re building a new one south of the current visitor’s center. I guess it must be a bit further down the road. As you could see from the electric map room the park is way overdue to modernize it’s facilities.
My brother and I were working in western Maryland a few years ago and we decided to visit Gettysburg on the 4th of July. I think there may have been as many people there on that day as there were in 1863.
I would argue that in terms of its length, number of participants, and casualties, Tenochtitlan, in 1521, was the largest battle in North American history--that is, if you consider Mexico to be part of North America.
The last time I was there one of the park rangers told me their biggest issues in the coming years is going to be parking during the summer months.
Good point.
Those are great sites... you should have included Antietam as well. It really is amazing how lightly visited these places are — just packed with history.
The Civil War battlefield that is closest to my home is Picacho Peak, near Tucson, Ariz. I’ve also been to Mesilla, NM, the capital of Confederate Arizona, and the Glorieta Pass battlefield near Santa Fe, NM.
It is. Gettysburg will probably always be the most visited simply because of the fame of the battle and it’s closer to the midwest and northeast.
Now that’s in the Pecos park right?
One huge bit of luck for the North was the absence of Gen. Stonewall Jackson. Jackson had died of pneumonia, I believe, while recovering from loss of an arm due to friendly fire at Chancelorsville. On the first day of the battle at Gettysburg, Southern troops under Gen. Euwell — who had replaced Jackson — failed to take Culp’s Hill. Jackson probably would have succeeded.
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