How do you describe the Gettysburg address?

Answer 1

It is a speech given by Lincoln on the dedication of the Gettysburg battle field. It lasted about 15 minutes, is 265 words, and was criticized when he gave it. Many didn't hear him because his voice was high and soft and it was outside, but history has shown it was one of the greatest speeches a president has given.

Answer 2

General Lee was ordered to move his army (75,000 men) into the north and attempt to take a large city, preferably Washington, but Baltimore and Philadelphia were good alternate choices. If he could do this, the Union would be forced to negotiate to end the war. The Confederacy would become a nation.

General Meade responded to the invasion by moving more than 130,000 men to stop Lee. Union cavalry slowed the Confederate forces at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. On July 2, Lee made a huge attempt to force back the Union forces. The South made some progress and moved the Union forces back to a low, hilly ridge. The South tried to get in behind the main Union force by skirting around Little Round Top, where in a fierce fight the Union forces held on. On July 3, Lee ordered General Longstreet to head up a charge at the Union center with General Pickett's division in front. Lee believed the Union forces were much more seriously hurt than they really were. Pickett's men went into a hellish nightmare of fire with thousands killed and wounded. Lee's entire army was nearly out of ammunition, and most artillery companies were completely out of powder.

On July 4, Lee prepared for a Union counterattack, but Meade was unable to organize the effort. A small cavalry battle occurred a few miles away from the main battlefield while Lee began withdrawing to Virginia. The South ended up the fight with around 26,000 casualties and the Union with about 25,000. However, the Union could replace its losses while the South could not. The Union did not really win; perhaps prevailed is a better term. The South lost, but avoided disaster by getting all of their survivors back across into Virginia. The Union missed the chance to attack toward Richmond while the Army of Northern Virginia was gone and they also missed the chance to seriously tear up Lee's forces during the retreat across the Potomac.