1. By Lukas Prin

2. Union on Defense, Confederates on Offense The Confederate troops were on offense under the command of General Lee trying to relieve pressure in Virginia. The Union troops were trying to defend against them under the command of General Meade.

3. Advantages of the Battle Gettysburg General Lee had an army of 75,000 seasoned veteran soldiers while General Meade had an army of 95,000 soldiers. During the fight the Union’s senior field commander, John Reynolds, died. The Confederates however had to infiltrate while the Union had to wait and defend. Both sides had even advantages.

4. Weaknesses on Each Side One weakness the Union had was that their military leadership was not as great as the Confederate’s leaders. The Confederate’s weakness was they were outnumbered by soldiers by about 20,000.

5. The Union Wins, Tragic Losses on Both Sides The Union wins the battle of Gettysburg, but both sides have heavy causalities on them. The Union had 3,155 soldiers killed, 14,530 wounded, and 5,365 missing. The Confederates had about 3,600 soldiers killed, 12,800 wounded, and 5,250 missing. The battle of Gettysburg was indeed bloody.

6. The Battle of Gettysburg a Turning Point The battle of Gettysburg was an important battle which made General Lee only wage a defensive war on southern soil only. This made the Union on the offensive side to make this war go the Union’s way.