How Did The Battle Of Gettysburg Affect The Confederate

The Battle of Gettysburg had a huge impact on the Civil War as it weakened the Confederacy and helped lead to the end of the war. One of the most well-known battles fought during the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg, took place on July 1to 3, 1863. The battle happened outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee decided that the South needed to invade the North, hoping that some countries over-seas would acknowledge the South as its own country. For the invasion, Lee’s army totaled about 75,000 men. After receiving news that General George G. Meade had taken over the Army of the Potomac, Confederate General R.S. Ewell received orders to move into Gettysburg or a town near Gettysburg. Unfortunately for Lee, General John Buford, commander of one of Meade’s units, understood what …show more content…
Buford prepared himself and his men to hold their position until backup arrived (Battle of Gettysburg, 2017).
According to the article “Revisiting Gettysburg”, “At sunrise on July 1, 1863, Two Armies Collide at a Rural Crossroads in Pennsylvania” (Stiehm, J., & others). The first day of fighting resulted in many casualties for both the Union and the Confederacy. It also showed both sides that Gettysburg is the place to fight and that both armies need to arrive there quickly. The second day of fighting saw many bold attacks with the opposing side returning them. Both the North and South wanted control of the five small mountains that surrounded the battlefield. The third day saw Lee become even more desperate. As stated in the “Battle of Gettysburg”, “in an