The Killer Angels are historical fictional novels written by Michael Shaara based on the battle of the Gettysburg during the American civil war. The battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle in the American civil war, and it resulted in the death of over 50,000 men over a period of three days. The battle of Gettysburg has been hailed by historians as the turning point of the America’s civil war that culminated in the victory of the Union Army. Shaara developed the story in the novel from the letters, journal entries, and memoirs written by the soldiers who fought the battle. One unique feature of the novel is the use of real-life characters who took part in the war including General James Longstreet, General Robert Lee, and General Chamberlain.
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It is therefore not a surprise that the battle fought by the Confederate Army and the Union Army in the town of Gettysburg have always attracted a great deal of interest to the historians and even the students. One of the most intriguing questions among these interested groups is the reason why the Confederate forces lose the battle of the Gettysburg. From the events in Michael Shaara’s “The Killer Angels,” several leadership ineptitudes and bad decision from within the Confederate forces as well as smart tactics and good luck for the Union forces contributed to the outcome of the battle in Gettysburg. The first reason that contributed to the loss of the Gettysburg battle by the Confederate forces was the mysterious absence and silence of General J.E.B. Stuart and his Calvary who had been instructed by General Robert Lee to spy and monitor the activity of Union forces. Stuart for reasons General James Longstreet suspected to be joyriding, failed to notify his comrades of the Union troops moving dangerously close to their territory. This allowed the Union forces brigade led by General John Buford to take a position in the strategic high ground that consisted of Culp’s, Cemetery, Little Round Top, and Round Top hills. Stuart was also absent for the first two days of the battle. Therefore, the Confederate did not get …show more content…
The theme of loyalty comes about from the relationship between General Lee and his junior General Longstreet. Longstreet’s failure to assertively confront his boss on his doomed tactics led to the defeat of the Confederate forces. The theme of the value disparities between the confederates and the federalists is seen in the way the author portray the perception of the characters about slavery. The Federalist’s as perceived from the thoughts of General Chamberlin are tolerant and consider slavery inhuman. The Confederates on the other hand still accepts slavery in their society to the extent that General Longstreet can’t completely define that they are fighting with the war Union forces because they didn’t want to let go of slavery (Jordan et al. p
It is therefore not a surprise that the battle fought by the Confederate Army and the Union Army in the town of Gettysburg have always attracted a great deal of interest to the historians and even the students. One of the most intriguing questions among these interested groups is the reason why the Confederate forces lose the battle of the Gettysburg. From the events in Michael Shaara’s “The Killer Angels,” several leadership ineptitudes and bad decision from within the Confederate forces as well as smart tactics and good luck for the Union forces contributed to the outcome of the battle in Gettysburg. The first reason that contributed to the loss of the Gettysburg battle by the Confederate forces was the mysterious absence and silence of General J.E.B. Stuart and his Calvary who had been instructed by General Robert Lee to spy and monitor the activity of Union forces. Stuart for reasons General James Longstreet suspected to be joyriding, failed to notify his comrades of the Union troops moving dangerously close to their territory. This allowed the Union forces brigade led by General John Buford to take a position in the strategic high ground that consisted of Culp’s, Cemetery, Little Round Top, and Round Top hills. Stuart was also absent for the first two days of the battle. Therefore, the Confederate did not get …show more content…
The theme of loyalty comes about from the relationship between General Lee and his junior General Longstreet. Longstreet’s failure to assertively confront his boss on his doomed tactics led to the defeat of the Confederate forces. The theme of the value disparities between the confederates and the federalists is seen in the way the author portray the perception of the characters about slavery. The Federalist’s as perceived from the thoughts of General Chamberlin are tolerant and consider slavery inhuman. The Confederates on the other hand still accepts slavery in their society to the extent that General Longstreet can’t completely define that they are fighting with the war Union forces because they didn’t want to let go of slavery (Jordan et al. p