Essay Examples on Battle of Gettysburg

1st Essay Sample on Battle of Gettysburg

The American people in 1860 believed they were the luckiest people alive in all the world. This was before the start of what some believe as “thefirst real civil war.”(Catton 108).The battle, demonstrating as it did the effectiveness of the Confederate army, changed the status of the conflict from a rebellion to a civil war.Six hundred thousand young Americans, alive when 1860 ended, would all of the explosion in the next four years.The Confederates had won the war, but their efforts, Jackson complained, left them “more disorganized by victory than [the Union army was] by defeat.

” (Starr 103). One major battle that led to Gettysburg and the Confederate defeat was the battle of Bull Run.The battle took place on July 21, 1961, and was to be the day “bearing the fate of the newborn confederacy.” (Beauregard).The battle of Bull Run was fought in Virginia, near the Manassas, Virginia railway junction, after which the battle is called (or First Bull Run, named after the flowing stream on the battlefield).

According to Michael Golay, author of To Gettsburg and Beyond, Lieutenant Haskell, a Union aide, remarked that: At the early battles we thought that we had heard heavy cannonading; they were but holiday salutes compared to this.Besides the great ceaseless roar of the guns, which was but the background for the others, a million various minor sounds engaged the ear.The projectiles shriek long and sharp.They hiss, they scream, they growl, they sputter, all sounds of life and rage; and each has its different not, The victory at Bull Run left the Confederate command feeling that the next move was pretty much up to the Yankees of the Union.

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The Confederates seemed very unprepared and the Union was anxious to make the next move.

2nd Essay Sample on Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg is without question the most well known battle of the Civil War.Evidence of this is the Civil War reenactments, which take place the same days of the battle year after year.This paper will discuss the movements during the latter half of the Battle of Gettysburg such as the Wheatfield, The Peach Orchard, and Pickett’s Charge. The Wheatfield lays halfway between Little Round Top and the Peach Orchard, it’s an area of approximately 25 acres, which is bordered on the north and south by woodlands, and to the west there is a wooded rocky outcrop known as Stony Hill.The Wheatfield and Stony Hill formed the center of the battle line of Union General David Birney’s division of Sickle’s 3rd Corp.There were 3 brigades involved on the Union side in this battle.Under the command of General Hobart Ward was the left hand brigade holding Houck’s Ridge and the Valley of Death, in the center under command of Colonel Regis de Trobriand was the center brigade holding the Wheatfield and Stony Hill.Lastly on the right side there was General Charles Graham at the edge of the Peach Orchard. As the Confederate’s under General Hood’s division attacked Devil’s Den and Little Round Top another brigade from the 3rd Arkansas came to reinforce the Confederate’s, this led to a lengthy firefight in which de Trobiand’s forces sent the Arkansas contingent back out of the Wheatfield.After sending in Hood’s division Longstreet sent two brigades toward the Peach Orchard but they were held back on the command of General Lee.Hood’s brigades were separated into two groups because of the terrain and circumstances of the battle; South Carolina regiments were in the same predicament.

Another Essay Sample on Battle of Gettysburg

Driving through Gettysburg people see statues and marking at different sites, if you’re do not know much history you would still know that these markings are a symbols of fallen soldiers. These soldiers never really needed to die but the North and South could not work out their differences peacefully which caused a great war in U.S. history, The Civil War. One of the biggest battles fought during the Civil war took place in the small city of Gettysburg. The battle of Gettysburg was the biggest and bloodiest battles of the Civil War.

Gettysburg is also known as the turning point in the war. Taking away the statues and most of the new development in the city we can see what Gettysburg looked liked to the soldiers that fought there. Stepping back through time, Gettysburg was a calm city never expecting a great battle to be fought there. Gettysburg was not even supposed to happen; it happened by mistake. An infantry of officer under General Richard Ewell’s command led a few soldiers into Gettysburg to retrieve shoes for the war beaten Confederate soldiers.

The Confederate advance guard ran headlong into General John Bulford’s Union Cavalry. “While both sides sent couriers pounding off for reinforcements, Bulford tried desperately to hold his ground (Ward, 216).” By now, both sides were converging in Gettysburg. The Confederates were coming from the north and the Union was coming from the south. The Confederates were the closet and assemble faster. Union forces were slowly in gathering.

“The rebels pushed them back through the town until General Winfield Scott Hancock rallied the retreating troops into defensives positions on Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill (Ward, 216).” “General Robert E. Lee, head of the Conferdate army, was unsure of where excatly the Union was.

Another Essay Sample on Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg This story about the four-day series of events and battles that surrounded and comprised The Battle of Gettysburg in his 1974 novel, The Killer Angels.The story represents both the views of the North and the South, and commands the reader’s understanding and empathy toward each of the characters and views regarding the Civil War.Shaara’s portrayal of the war leaves tension, conflict, trials, victory and defeat.The book is divided into four main sections, and within each section, the action is divided into chapters that represent each character’s view of the events. Part 1 takes place on Monday, June 29th, 1863 and covers the events leading up to the battle.James Longstreet’s hired spy, Harrison, reports that not only are Union forces are pursuing the Confederates into Pennsylvania, but that President Lincoln has recently fired General Hooker and replaced him with General Meade.This news is bad to the Lee’s forces, because Jeb Stuart’s cavalry scouts have left them blind to the enemy’s movements.When Longstreet tells the news to General Robert E. Lee, Lee tells them to get to Gettysburg in hope of destroying Union forces.En route to Gettysburg, with his army of soldiers, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain falls victim to sunstroke, and just as he begins to recover, the Union dumps 120 soldiers under his command, and he is forced to find a way to make them fight.He tells a powerful speech, which makes most of the unruly soldiers to fight with him, and nearly doubles the number of troops under his command.The Union cavalry under Buford’s commandfirst sees the Confederate army heading toward Gettysburg.Buford writes to Reynolds to request reinforcements, but is worried that the Confederates will take Gettysburg before they arrive.He sets up a line of defense regardless.

Another Essay Sample on Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg This story about the four-day series of events and battles that surrounded and comprised The Battle of Gettysburg in his 1974 novel, The Killer Angels.The story represents both the views of the North and the South, and commands the reader’s understanding and empathy toward each of the characters and views regarding the Civil War.Shaara’s portrayal of the war leaves tension, conflict, trials, victory and defeat.The book is divided into four main sections, and within each section, the action is divided into chapters that represent each character’s view of the events. Part 1 takes place on Monday, June 29th, 1863 and covers the events leading up to the battle.James Longstreet’s hired spy, Harrison, reports that not only are Union forces are pursuing the Confederates into Pennsylvania, but that President Lincoln has recently fired General Hooker and replaced him with General Meade.This news is bad to the Lee’s forces, because Jeb Stuart’s cavalry scouts have left them blind to the enemy’s movements.When Longstreet tells the news to General Robert E. Lee, Lee tells them to get to Gettysburg in hope of destroying Union forces.En route to Gettysburg, with his army of soldiers, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain falls victim to sunstroke, and just as he begins to recover, the Union dumps 120 soldiers under his command, and he is forced to find a way to make them fight.He tells a powerful speech, which makes most of the unruly soldiers to fight with him, and nearly doubles the number of troops under his command.The Union cavalry under Buford’s commandfirst sees the Confederate army heading toward Gettysburg.Buford writes to Reynolds to request reinforcements, but is worried that the Confederates will take Gettysburg before they arrive.He sets up a line of defense regardless.