10 Interesting Facts about Battle of Gettysburg

These following facts about Battle of Gettysburg will definitely give you much knowledge about what the battle was all about. Some of you might have learned this battle in one of your school’s subjects. However, do you really know what the Battle of Gettysburg is? This article is brought to you to let you know more about it. Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1-3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is often described as the war’s turning point. To get to know more about it, below are some facts about Battle of Gettysburg you may be interested in.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 1: Everyone’s Battle

Due to the enormous size of the battle, it was really a battle between the every-soldier, despite military historians thoroughly documenting officer strategy. Even Robert E. Lee acknowledged the limits of planning compared to the execution of battle.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 2: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

Renowned war hero Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, who is sometimes credited as the most influential figure in the Battle of Gettysburg, was nt even going to enlist in the service originally. He hesitated because he was supposed to take a sabbatical from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine to study in Europe for two years. He was struck with a pang of patriotism and instead used his sabbatical to grant leave from the school and become lieutenant colonel in the 20th Maine Infantry.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 3: Consfusing Correspondence

Because of the hasty restructuring and some confusing correspondence, when the Battle of Gettysburg started on July 1st, most of Ewell’s men were sent to Cashtown, eight miles away from the main fight. The Confederate troops took a significant hit in Cashtown before they were redirected, then weakened, towards Gettysburg.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 4: Victory by the Union

In a quantitative analysis of Day 2, Gettysburg could have easily gone to either side. While the advantages during the middle of the battle remain a mystery, the Union did have one blunder on their side: Major Daniel Sickles disregarding orders and marching his troops past Cemetery Ridge, leaving them exposed to attacks on all sides. If anything, the Confederacy had a leg up, making the ultimate victory by the Union that much more impressive.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 5: J.E.B. Stuart’s Weakness

J.E.B. Stuart took his Confederate troops to more than four major battles for sixteen days before they arrived at Gettysburg, having traveled without appropriate rations or sleep for two and a half days when they arrived.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 6: Pickett’s Charge

While Pickett’s Charge may be the famous fight on July 3rd, the Union Army launched an attack at 4:30 a.m., reclaiming the tactical advantage and making the first strike. While the Union strategy was more effective, the foolhardy Confederate attack at 1 p.m. would be more memorable.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 7: Another Fights

During the Battle of Gettysburg, another fight went on; the town of Gettysburg, population 2,400, had to defend itself too. Everyone remembers the battlefield, but the civilians defended their town for three days as well. Notable mentions include elderly John Burns who took a gun to the streets to defend against Confederates and school teacher Salome Myers who nursed the various wounded in town.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 8: Strategies

Gettysburg happened in July 1863, but the campaign that built to it began in the spring. Battles at that time were happening in Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, and Mississippi. The Southern strategy was to attack multiple areas at once, as they thought the North tended to engage troops in only one place at a time. When the Confederates discovered this was not the case, they regrouped several armies and the Battle of Gettysburg became a behemoth for both sides.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 9: Maryland

When plans for a northern battle were formulated, Maryland was considered. Maryland was a gray area, still loyal to the original Union but associated with the Confederacy because of its ties to slavery. Lee decided to attack a location where it would be more of a statement. Pennsylvania was indisputably Northern territory.

Facts about Battle of Gettysburg 10: Casualties

The two armies suffered between 46,000 and 51,000 casualties. Union casualties were 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured or missing), while Confederate casualties are more difficult to estimate.

Those following facts about the Battle of Gettysburg might have expanded you knowledge about this battle. It was proved that this battle, on one side, brought a positive, but on the other side, it led the whole history to the negative one.  Hope you would find this Battle of Gettysburg facts interesting and useful.