Although the location and timing of the Battle of Gettysburg was almost an accident, the fact that a huge battle took place in Pennsylvania in July 1863 was certainly no accident. General Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate

At this time, the rest of the Army of the Potomac was spread out, heading for a defensive line along a river known as Pipe Creek. On the Confederate side, Ewell's Corps was still well to the north of Gettysburg, and Longstreet's was a day's march to the west. Stuart was still nowhere to be seen.

Later in the Afternoon, General Lee arrived at the summit of Herr Ridge to observe the fighting. He quickly canceled his initial orders to hold off any major Confederate attack until the army was fully concentrated. He saw Jubal Early's division come into view and concluded that much of the Federal position was vulnerable to becoming trapped. Lee decided to attack, in the front and on the flanks. The Federals were routed from their positions and quickly retreated back into Gettysburg.

The results are best told by the stark statistics of the charge. Of the 12,000 men who went forward, less than 5,000 would return. Of Pickett's three brigades commanders, Garnett and Armistead were killed and Kemper was wounded and captured. Pickett never forgave Lee for what happened. After the days of Gettysburg, Lee explained to everyone that it was "all my fault", yet Southern still chanted his name with great pride and glory. However, the bloodshed had not run it's course, a pointless cavalry charge, ordered by Union Brigadier General Kilpatrick, on the Confederate right flank was met with a bloody repulse, and so ended the third day of fighting.

Of the nearly 150,000 men that fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, there were more than 50,000 casualties. Lee suffered nearly 26,000, while Meade suffered 23,040. Even though the casualties appear similar, several factors attributed to Lee's defeat. First, since the Union army was larger, it was weakened less than the smaller Confederate army. Second, Lee and the Confederates had used up most of their supplies and needed more. Lastly, the Union was reinforced more often than the Confederates were; therefore, the Union army was gaining more and more men as the Confederates delayed their attack.

The opening fight, which started around 10 a.m., was at it's heaviest in the ridges to the northwest of Gettysburg, first at Herr Ridge, then in and around McPherson Woods. The Union cavalry commander, General Buford, had correctly interpreted the Confederate intentions and had placed his dismounted breechloader-carrying troopers to delay the initial Southern advance.

As with the slaughter of the Confederate troops, the chance for Confederate success was now gone. After three days of intense fighting, Lee was unable to strike again. Expecting Meade to launch a counterattack, Lee ordered his army into a defensive posture. When no counterattack came, in heavy rain on the night of July 4, ironically the celebration of Independence Day, Lee and his remaining Confederate troops retreated back into Maryland; with hopes of replenishing their supplies and troops.

Lee and the Confederates were now on the defensive and would show that they still had plenty of fight and courage in them. Because of Lee's determination the bloody Civil War would rage on for two more horrible years. However, after Gettysburg, the Confederates never again tried to go north and attack, but instead fought on the defensive for the remainder of the war.

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Approximate Word count = 3076
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)