What was gettysburg

Lee thought if his men got another win, northerners might withdraw their support for the war. His troops began marching north in June. The area was mostly deserted by the time the Confederate soldiers appeared—except for the Union Army awaiting their arrival. Tipped off by intelligence reports, the Yankees were able to predict when the southerners would arrive—and had camped out in Cashtown to wait for them. At first the Confederates outnumbered the Yankees.

Overwhelmed by the sheer size of the southern army, the Union was forced to retreat from Cashtown to Gettysburg and wait for more troops. There, led by General George Meade, the Union regrouped and set up renewed defenses.

By the second day the Yankees numbered around 94, soldiers; the Confederates around 72, General Lee attacked first. On the final day of the battle, General Lee decided to stage an aggressive attack. He sent General George Pickett—with approximately 12, men—on a direct charge against the Union Army. General Lee and the Confederate Army retreated.

The Battle of Gettysburg remains the deadliest battle of the Civil War. As many as 23, Yankees and 28, Confederates were killed, wounded, or captured over the course of just three days. Although the war went on for almost two more years, Gettysburg was a turning point toward the final Union victory in And that victory meant more than holding together the United States as a country. She later married two chiefs and had several children. Several opportunities arose where Mary could have been liberated and returned to the White world, but she refused to return and spent a long life in the Native American culture with her family.

Mary inherited a large tract of land in New York. A life-size monument memorializes Mary at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church and a Pennsylvania historical marker is at the intersection of Routes 30 and On April 13, , the Bard family had a similar experience.

For over two year, Native Americans held Catherine Bard captive, but her husband escaped, trailed them and bargained for her release. Raids in Adams County occurred only during the French and Indian War and the countryside once again returned to a place of peace. In , one of these early settlers, Samuel Gettys, established a tavern in the area. Just twenty-five years later, his son James had laid out a town of lots with a central town square on the land surrounding the tavern.

The town today is Gettysburg. At this time, Gettysburg was part of York County. But by , the growing population of the area decided to separate from York County.

A new county was approved by the state legislature in and was named after the President at the time, John Adams. Gettysburg was chosen as the county seat. By , the town of Gettysburg had grown to 2, citizens.

Ten roads lead into the town, creating a few small but thriving industries. Approximately buildings housed carriage manufacturing, shoemakers, and tanneries as well as the usual merchants, banks and taverns. There were also several educational institutions. In an unplanned engagement, they confront Union calvary. John F. Reynolds arrives. Reynolds is killed in action. Soon Confederate reinforcements under generals A. Hill and Richard Ewell reach the scene.

By late afternoon, the wool-clad troops are battling ferociously in the sweltering heat. Thirty thousand Confederates overwhelm 20, Federals, who fall back through Gettysburg and fortify Cemetery Hill south of town. July 2. On the second day of battle, the Union defends a fishhook-shaped range of hills and ridges south of Gettysburg. The Confederates wrap around the Union position in a longer line. That afternoon Lee launches a heavy assault commanded by Lieut. James Longstreet on the Union left flank.

Winfield S. Hancock and others move reinforcements quickly to blunt Confederate advances. Although the Confederates gain ground on both ends of their line, the Union defenders hold strong positions as darkness falls. July 3. Heavy fighting resumes on Culp's Hill as Union troops attempt to recapture ground lost the previous day.

Cavalry battles flare to the east and south, but the main event is a dramatic infantry assault by 12, Confederates commanded by Longstreet against the center of the Union position on Cemetery Ridge. Though undermanned, the Virginia infantry division of Brig. George E. Pickett constitutes about half of the attacking force. This daring strategy ultimately proves a disastrous sacrifice for the Confederates, with casualties approaching 60 percent.

Repulsed by close-range Union rifle and artillery fire, the Confederates retreat. Lee withdraws his army from Gettysburg late on the rainy afternoon of July 4 and trudges back to Virginia with severely reduced ranks of wasted and battle-scarred men.

As many as 51, soldiers from both armies are killed, wounded, captured or missing in the three-day battle. With Lee running South, Lincoln expects that Meade will intercept the Confederate troops and force their surrender.

Meade has no such plan. Lee surely knew that some would desert him up north in Gettysburg. In January of that year, Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which gave enslaved people in the Confederate states their freedom.

Despite this, many slaves remained loyal to their masters on the battlefield at Gettysburg, and later accompanied them home or carried the effects of those who had died back to their families in the South. Others took advantage of the Union victory to break their bonds and join the opposition. Some black camp workers were taken prisoner along with the Confederate soldiers at Gettysburg and, once released, many stayed in the North.

As Confederates advanced on Gettysburg there was terror among the approximately 2, residents there as well as in the neighboring towns. White residents feared for their lives and property; African Americans feared enslavement. Many white civilians huddled in basements, but for people of color the stakes were greater, and they fled.

In Gettysburg, Abraham Brian, a free black man who owned a small farm near Cemetery Ridge, left with his family, as did Basil Biggs, a veterinarian, and Owen Robinson, an oyster seller. Nearby in Chambersburg, some contrabands—former slaves who sought refuge with the Union Forces—were kidnapped by Confederate calvary units.

The Emancipation Proclamation stated that those seeking freedom from states of rebellion could not be re-enslaved. Accordingly, the Union refused to hand over contrabands to the Confederates, and this, too, this prompted retaliation.