The Battle of Gettysburg: Was it a turning point in

the Civil War?

Richie Doerer
Core 2, 2/2/!"
#f all the battles of the Civil War, there is one battle that is recogni$e% by
historians as the &ost %isturbing battle of the Civil War, the battle of Gettysburg' (n a
three %ay fight, an astonishing ),!!! sol%iers *ere +ille% in total by both si%es' The
,uestion is, *as Gettysburg a turning point in the Civil War? Base% on criteria fro& the
Battle of -aratoga, %i% it influence foreign ai%, support or prevent the &a.or strategy to
*in the *ar, increase &orale an% efforts of one si%e over another, an% change the
a%versary/s actions fro& that point for*ar%?
Generals 0ee/s goal in the battle of Gettysburg *as to %ra* the 1nion out in the
open an% out &aneuver the& *ith better lea%ership s+ills' (n his arrogance he thought
that since he *as a better general a %ifference of a fe* thousan% &en *oul%n/t affect the
outco&e' But Confe%erate sol%iers learne% that there *as a shoe factory nearby an% since
&any of the &en %i%n/t have shoes, the Confe%erate ar&y hea%e% for the factory' To their
surprise they ran into 1nion troops' (t began as a s+ir&ish, an% then turne% into a vicious
three %ay fight' The last charge by the Confe%erates *as a %esperate all out attac+ on the
1nion troops on the thir% %ay of battle later +no*n as 2ic+et/s Charge by )2,!!! &en'
The Confe%erate sol%iers &a%e a line over a &ile *i%e an% &arche% at the 1nion line'
The 1nion guns then opene% fire an% gouge% huge holes in the line %e&orali$ing the
Confe%erates' (n .ust ! &inutes )!,!!! sol%iers *ere +ille%' Throughout the battle
General 0ee *as out nu&bere% several ti&es but faile% to notice %ue to his ego *hich
*as too big an% bloc+e% his vie* of the &ista+es that he &a%e'
The Battle of Gettysburg s*aye% the foreign ai% that General 0ee *as hoping for
since he lost &iserably to the 3r&y of the 2oto&ac' The British *ere consi%ering helping
the Confe%erates, but %ue to General 0ee/s loss %eci%e% against it' Di% the battle support
or prevent the %ifferent si%e/s strategies to *in the *ar? 4or the Confe%erates, this *as a
&a.or crisis in the strategy to *in the *ar' They hope% to %efeat the 3r&y of the 2oto&ac
an% to bring a ,uic+ en% to the *ar' The Battle of Gettysburg serve% as a &ilestone for
the 1nion ar&y' They ha% finally %efeate% 0ee/s ar&y an% put the& on the run' This
%efinitely supporte% the 1nion/s &a.or strategy to *in the *ar an% also supporte% the
1nion/s efforts over the Confe%erates because the Confe%erate troops *ere %e&orali$e%
after that huge bloo%bath' The 1nion troops, ho*ever, ha% their spirits lifte% to so&e
e5tent after the battle' The Battle of Gettysburg change% the 1nion/s actions because they
*ere on the offense an% 0ee ha% .ust lost a thir% of his ar&y' (t change% the
Confe%erate/s action because a short ti&e later General 0ee surren%ere% the Confe%erate
3r&y'
3fter e5a&ining the criteria put forth ( have co&e to the conclusion that
Gettysburg *as a turning point in the Civil War' -ince the Confe%erates lost, the 1nion/s
strategy *as helpe%, their %e%ication to the *ar effort *as ai%e%, the ai% that &ight have
co&e fro& Britain *as s*aye%, an% the 1nion/s actions fro& that point for*ar% *ere
affecte%' (f this ha% not happene%, the *orl% as *e +no* it coul% be very %ifferent in that
if the Confe%erates ha%n/t surren%ere% shortly after the battle then the *ar coul% have
rage% on for &uch longer an% &ight have been %eci%e% %ifferently'