Battle of Gettysburg

1. Battle of Gettysburg

2. How was the war going in 1863? • The North had the advantage as the South’s morale sank to new lows. • The North continued to win small battles and suck the life out of the South. • The South didn’t want to give up, and felt they still had a chance if they got some key victories.

3. How did the country feel about the war? • People on both sides were tired of the war and wanted it to end. • Because of this, the South felt they could get the North to “give up the fight.”

4. What did Robert E. Lee decide to do? • Robert E. Lee (Confederate General) moved his troops north into Pennsylvania to fight the Union. • It was July 1863, and the two armies met just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. • The battle began, and immediately it was clear it would be the bloodiest battle.

5. How did the battle progress? • Both sides fought hard, with the Union having a close edge. • More than 4,000 North Carolinians died. • The Confederate Army retreated to Virginia once it was clear the Union wasn’t going to surrender.

6. What was Gettysburg’s aftermath? • After 3 days of intense fighting, 28,000 Confederate and 23,000 Union soldiers were killed, wounded or captured. • The soldiers died with honor: One dying soldier wrote, while bleeding on the battlefield, “Tell my father I died with my face to the enemy.” • This battle basically ended the Confederate hopes of victory.

8. Primary Source: Photo from Gettysburg

9. What was the Gettysburg Address? • After the battle, President Lincoln visited the site of the bloody battle and gave a speech. • The speech included a reflection on those killed, and discussed the importance of the war being fought. • It is one of the most well-known speeches in history.