The Weaknesses In The Battle Of Gettysburg

In the Battle of Gettysburg, according to “The Killer Angels”, the southern generals made far too many mistakes that cost them the victory. In this battle, both sides made frequent mistakes, yet the South’s faults were far more fatal. These faults were the cause of the south’s loss of the battle, and the consequences that followed. The first disastrous mistake made by the South, was their faith in Jeb Stuart. Longstreet and the other generals in the Confederate army relied heavily on Stuart to tell them the locations of the Union army. Stuart failed to send them any information about the Union location. Finally, Longstreet and the other generals realized what Jeb Stuart had done. “Jeb Stuart… was joyriding.” (P. 9 )The Confederate Army was astonished that Stuart had betrayed them and left them blind. Without knowing the location of the Union Army, the Confederate Army had to go into battle blind and knowing nothing. This was a huge factor in the way that the Confederate Army fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, and this fatality cost them a significant amount. The second disastrous mistake was made on the first day of the battle when General Ewell wasn’t able to obtain Cemetery Hill. Should they have obtained the high ground, they would have had …show more content…
Should they have had someone more trustworthy take Stuart position, they might have gone into the battle more prepared. Along with this, if the officers, including Longstreet and Lee, listened to each other and looked at the battle from all angles, they would have come up with more successful strategies and plans. In conclusion, both armies that fought in the Battle of Gettysburg made mistakes, but according to “The Killer Angels”, the Confederate army made many more fatal mistakes and that cost them the victory of the