The Battle Of Gettysburg Summary

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This is a story about the battle of Gettysburg as viewed from both sides. The book only makes account of the time period from June 29 through July 3,1863. Although the book was on the actual battle at Gettysburg, it goes into the pros and cons of the attack by both sides. It also reveals the thoughts and feelings of the officers and ground troops about why they were there. The most prominent person, was General Robert E Lee, commander of northern Virginia. General Lee was a career military leader. He was a top West Point graduate, who served 32 years in the Union Army. During this time he served with Ullysis S Grant in the Mexican-American War. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, invited General Lee to become commander of the entire…show more content…
Shortly after the Army of Northern Virginia won a major victory over the Army of the Patomic at the battle of Charlottsville from April 30 – May 6th, he decided to make his move northward. General Robert E Lee’s immediate goal was to acquire urgently needed supplies from the rich farming district of Pennsylvania. General Lees long term goal was to bring the Union Army out into the open in one large battle. With the seventy five thousand strong army, he wanted to show the northern people that he could invade the north with a large army and surround the nations capital. By defeating the northern army on their own grounds, he hoped to bring the population of the north into a panic and settle for peace. He hoped this would convince them to allow the south their own country. General James Longstreet was General Lees second in command of the Northern Virginian Army. Historian Jeffery Welt wrote that General Longstreet was the finest corp commander in the army of Virginia. He also stated that Longstreet was the best corp commander in the civil war conflict on either…show more content…
He was from a slave holding family and believed his duty was to the United States. He held strong beliefs and flatly refused to join the Confederate Army. General Bufford, a calvary officer, arrive at Gettysburg on June 30, 1863, knowing the Northern Virginia Army was moving northward. He immediately started looking for good defensible ground. He realized the high ground south of the town of Gettysburg, with its high bluffs and rocky ledge, was good ground. He knew his battle was a delaying action, waiting for the entire Army of General John Reynolds 1 corp to arrive He dismounted his calvary troops and positioned two divisions on the ridges north and northwest of the town. He was attacked early the next morning and was able to hold them off for two and a half hours allowing the 1 corp with its infantry to reinforce the ridges. This was one of the biggest breaks for the Union forces by keeping the high ridges out of the hands of the Confederate Army, which gave the Union forces the

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