The Battle of Gettysburg

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how, although it did not end the war, the Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War, and represented the true beginning of the end for the Confederacy. The paper examines how, in this costly battle, both the 21st North Carolina and the Iron Brigade experienced some of the heaviest losses, and both units were highly regarded as valorous and intrepid in their actions. The writer proposes that the first-hand accounts and reports of gallantry of both of these units confirm that the Iron Brigade lived up to its name, and the 21st North Carolina earned and deserved an honorary title of their own.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Figure 1. Uniform of the Iron Brigade
Conclusion
References

From the Paper:

"In fact, although the Union forces managed to exact a heavy toll on the Confederate forces at Gettysburg, Meade failed to take advantage of his strategic opportunity though and allowed the Southern forces to retreat without pursuing them across the Potomac. President Lincoln wrote Meade a letter written on July 14, 1863 (but it was never mailed) when he learned that Lee's Army of Northern Virginia had escaped back across the Potomac and had successfully avoided further battle with Meade's army; even though Meade never read the letter, it is illustrative of Lincoln's frustration with this lost opportunity and his general."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Andrews, J. Cutler. 1955. The North Reports the Civil War. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. This book provides a number of first-hand accounts of the action that led up to Gettysburg, and what the implications of that battle were for both sides. Dr. Cutler's analysis of the Battle of Gettysburg itself was also useful.
• Beecham, Robert & Stevens, Michael. 1998. As If It Were Glory. Madison, WI: Madison House. The author reports on the daily lives of Civil War soldiers and provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of Meade's failure to fully prosecute his advantage at Gettysburg.
• Gallagher, Gary W. 2001. Lee & His Army in Confederate History. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. This book was reviewed to help place the events preceding Gettysburg into context and to reinforce the observations concerning Meade's failure to pursue a retreating enemy.
• Gallagher, Gary W. 1994. The Third Day at Gettysburg and Beyond. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. This comprehensive analysis of the fighting that took place at Gettysburg during day two and thereafter was useful in developing an overview of the commanders and their respective philosophies prior to the action beginning.
• Gallagher, Gary W. (Ed). Three Days at Gettysburg: Essays on Confederate and Union Leadership. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1999. This work focuses on the leadership successes and failures at Gettysburg by citing source documents, and reiterates the tenet that Meade failed to seize an opportunity to end the war at Gettysburg.

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