The Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania At about the same time Grant was fighting in Vicksburg, Robert E. Lee was invading the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg fought between July 1 – July 3, 1863, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's turning point. The Battle was the turning point in the Civil War because it almost destroyed the Army of Northern Virginia. (CS)

Causalities There were heavy losses on both sides. The Confederates had about 28,000 men killed, wounded or missing. The Union had about 22,000 men killed, wounded or missing. There were so many wounded men left behind that there were 10 wounded soldiers for every survivor in Gettysburg.

Tennessee Soldiers Tennessee’s Fourteenth Regiment began the battle with 365 soldiers. When the battle ended, only three men had survived.

Gettysburg Address On November 19, 1863, President Lincoln went to Gettysburg to dedicate a cemetery for those who had died there. A crowd of 6,000 gathered for the ceremony.

Gettysburg Address Lincoln gave a short speech that lasted for less than three minutes. Lincoln’s speech was so short that many people in the crowd were disappointed. Lincoln thought the speech was a “flat failure.”

Gettysburg Address In the years that followed, The Gettysburg Address was recognized as one of the most inspiring messages ever delivered by an American president.

What did the speech say? He spoke about the ideals of liberty and equality on which the country had been founded. He honored the soldiers who had died defending those ideals. He called on Americans to try harder to win the struggle the soldiers had died for.