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Lee was drawn into the Battle of Gettysburg by mistake. General Henry Heath advanced on Gettysburg on the morning of July 1, 1863, in order to capture a supply of shoes in the area. His men were attacked by General Buford's cavalry division. By the time General Lee arrived on the battlefield in the afternoon, several other Confederate units had joined General Heath and the battle had developed into a major engagement. General Lee ordered the rest of his army to concentrate at Gettysburg with the goal to capture Gettysburg and defeat the Union forces defending it.

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Q: Why does lee end up fighting in Gettysburg?
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Why were the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg were?

Gettysburg turned back Lee's raid into Pennsylvania. Vicksburg put the Mississippi Valley in northern hands. Chattanooga opened up the road to Atlanta for Sherman's invasion of Georgia.


The battle of gettysburgh?

The significance of the Battle of Gettysburg has been somewhat exaggerated by many historians. In fact, it was not a strategic turning point. Meade did thwart Lee's invasion of the North, as McClellan had done at Antietam the previous Autumn, thus preventing Lee from threatening civilian populations in the North, and forcing his retreat back to Virginia, from which he never ventured forth again. That said, possibly due to his troops' exhaustion and lacking a sufficient strategic reserve, Meade failed to follow up with a vigorous pursuit to cut Lee off, and, possibly, end the war. Instead, Lee withdrew in good order and, upon reaching the safety of Virginia, managed to wage a defensive campaign that prolonged the war for another 21 months. Its greatest significance may be that it provided the background for the Gettysburg Address.


What battle did volunteer soldiers line up in clean uniforms?

Battle of Gettysburg


Who decided to end the civil war?

Robert E. Lee faced up to it that his army couldn't have gone on any longer, and he surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. His President, Jefferson Davis, was still talking wildly about fighting on, as he fled into Georgia. This was just big talk. He was in fact running away from his responsibilities.


Why was Gettysburg an important town to capture?

At first, Gettysburg was not an improtant town to capture. A small Confederate force went to the town in search for shoes. Union troops encountered the Confederates there and soon each side was sending in reinforcments. (Of course that is a very loose description of how it started.) Eventually, fighting over the physical features of teh town started to take place. (Little Round Top, Big Round Top, etc.) So, to answer your question, it really wasn't of any strategical value, however when forces started to build up, large battles ensued. ........I guess you could argue that it was an important town to capture to blunt Lee's invasion on the North.

Related questions

Which battle was the turnig point of the civil war?

Most consider the Battle of Gettysburg the turning point of the Civil War. Up until Gettysburg, the Confederate Army was winning the war, and was months away from invading Washington D.C. General Lee intended to push the Union up to Pennsylvania, cutting the Union Army off from D.C, and then take D.C with no resistance (considering the entire union force would be pinned in Penn). In Gettysburg, Lee and his staff became reckless, which led the Union forces to push the Confederate forces back. After this victory, the Confederacy's morale dropped and they seemed to stay on the run until the end of the war.


Why were the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg were?

Gettysburg turned back Lee's raid into Pennsylvania. Vicksburg put the Mississippi Valley in northern hands. Chattanooga opened up the road to Atlanta for Sherman's invasion of Georgia.


When do you fight the tyrants in resident evil 2 the game for the playstation 1?

You end up fighting the Tyrant in Scenario B at the end of the game. In Scenario A, you end up fighting William. Does that help?


Why were the Gettysburg and Vicksburg were important battles?

Gettysburg turned back Lee's raid into Pennsylvania. Vicksburg put the Mississippi Valley in northern hands. Chattanooga opened up the road to Atlanta for Sherman's invasion of Georgia.


Why were the battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg important?

Gettysburg turned back Lee's raid into Pennsylvania. Vicksburg put the Mississippi Valley in northern hands. Chattanooga opened up the road to Atlanta for Sherman's invasion of Georgia.


How much earlier had the battle of Gettysburg been fought?

The Battle of Gettysburg started before Lee had the whole of his army concentrated and deployed, that is at least 12 hours. That meant the Union Army had enough time to deploy, hindering Lee's plan to smash the piecemeal coming up Federals Units.


What are the 5 W's of the Gettysburg Address?

Who? Abraham Lincoln, written for those soldiers who fought in Gettysburg What? A speech that recognized those who fell in battle When? November 19, 1963 Where? Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Why? It is important because Lincoln told the Union to not give up, and to continue fighting, and that they cannot give up, like the Copperheads. The war will not be fought in vain.


Was the civil war fought mainly on northern territory?

No. It was almost on Southern soil - which kept up Confederate morale, as they felt they were fighting to defend the homeland from the invader. The only battle on Northern soil was Gettysburg, where Lee managed to invade Pennsylvania, before being defeated and retreating home to Virginia.


What caused the north and the south go to war in the Gettysburg battle?

During Lee's invasion of the North, Lee needed to find shoes for his poorly shod army. He heard here was a warehouse in Gettysburg and detoured to there. Upon hearing that his troops had made contact with Lee there, Meade determined to take up a strong defensive position across Lee's path that would force Lee to attack him or abandon the invasion. As an aside, Lee was initially glad that Meade had replaced Pope. He believed there would be confusion with the Army of the Potomac.


How did the Bella twins stop fighting each other?

in which match did the bellas end up fighting each other


What battle was considered the turning point of the Civil War?

Most consider the Battle of Gettysburg the turning point of the Civil War. Up until Gettysburg, the Confederate Army was winning the war, and was months away from invading Washington D.C. General Lee intended to push the Union up to Pennsylvania, cutting the Union Army off from D.C, and then take D.C with no resistance (considering the entire union force would be pinned in Penn). In Gettysburg, Lee and his staff became reckless, which led the Union forces to push the Confederate forces back. After this victory, the Confederacy's morale dropped and they seemed to stay on the run until the end of the war.


Can male fighting fish be in the same tank as a female fighting fish?

no because they will end up killing each other