An Inequitable Advantage
Prior to the Battle of Gettysburg, the North had been driven on multiple occasions from their advances into the southern territories. This trouble encountered by the Union army was due to the military genius of General Robert E. Lee. This was also caused by the Confederate soldiers’ advantage over the Union troops because the they knew the terrain of the South far better than the northern forces could have ever dreamed. The single man that was the key to the Union victory over the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg was General George G. Meade. Meade had received his formal military training at the prestigious West Point academy. Similar to many military officials at that time, Meade maintained outstanding strategic plans. He grew up in Spain but decided to become a U.S. military officer following his father’s demise. He served in the Union army of the Potomac during the Civil War, including the Battle of Gettysburg. He had many successes during his career, but his prized success was chasing off the Confederate forces at the Battle of Gettysburg. This garnered him much praise but was later overshadowed by the fact that he allowed Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his armies to escape after the battle instead of finishing them off.
Meade Turns the Tides
The forces under Meade’s control intercepted General Robert E. Lee’s soldiers in Gettysburg. After intervention, Meade’s army--without backup--managed to hold off the combined forces of Lee’s divisions, which was an enormous feat for a commander who had just received control only three days preceding the battle. Under Meade’s control, his men were able to avoid being flanked by Confederate forces while simultaneously fighting off the strongest military power of the war. Meade and his forces were able to defend Gettysburg until help arrived. If Meade had not been present to stave the incoming forces, Lee's troops would have been given the opportunity of acquiring superior positions in the town of Gettysburg, which would have allowed them to have a noteworthy strategic edge over the Union forces that would later arise at the battle.
Meade’s accomplishments at Gettysburg permitted the Union to pound the Confederacy as a whole in the Civil War. After failing at the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee was forced to take what little forces he possessed and return to the southern states. The South was devastated with no Plan B and little hope of achieving their goals of creating a separate confederation of states. However, the Union luxuriated in victory and experienced the the complete opposite effect. Their morale increased, boosting the confidence and motivation of the North, which enabled them to triumph over the South, ultimately winning the war.
However, due to Meade’s lack of aggression to terminate Lee in June of 1863, the war was prolonged for two additional unnecessary years. Despite the extra lives lost and the rougher conjunction of the two separate parties, Meade solely turned the tides for the Union and fundamentally won the war.
Meade’s accomplishments at Gettysburg permitted the Union to pound the Confederacy as a whole in the Civil War. After failing at the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee was forced to take what little forces he possessed and return to the southern states. The South was devastated with no Plan B and little hope of achieving their goals of creating a separate confederation of states. However, the Union luxuriated in victory and experienced the the complete opposite effect. Their morale increased, boosting the confidence and motivation of the North, which enabled them to triumph over the South, ultimately winning the war.
However, due to Meade’s lack of aggression to terminate Lee in June of 1863, the war was prolonged for two additional unnecessary years. Despite the extra lives lost and the rougher conjunction of the two separate parties, Meade solely turned the tides for the Union and fundamentally won the war.