The Battle Of Gettysburg: The Greatest Battle Of The Civil War

I. The Battle of Gettysburg was the worst battle ever fought on American soil
a. It was the bloodiest battle of the Civil war
b. The battle was won by the North
c. The Gettysburg Address was written after this horrendous battle
d. What would have happened had this battle never occurred?
II. The situation up until the battle
a. During the first two years, every major battle in the eastern U.S. was won by the south except the Battle of Antietam
1. in which General T. J. “Stonewall” Jackson lost his life
b. General Lee began plotting and readying his troops to attack the North’s territory a second time
c. Many various small battles were fought, the Confederate army pressing further toward Northern territory
1. Battle of Brandy Station
2. The confederate army captures 4,000 Union troops at a garrison and obtains large quantities of ammunition.
3. The Southern Army steadily moved through Pennsylvania, capturing Carlisle and threatening the capital, passing through Gettysburg and capturing York.
III. The Battle of Gettysburg-July 1-3, 1863
a. The Battleground layout, geography and sides
b. Day One
1. A group of Confederate soldiers led by Major General Henry Heth approached Gettysburg secretly-after having learned that the enemy had a supply of shoes with were much sought after by the Confederates.
2. Commanding two columns of men and cavalry, Brig. Gen. John Buford spotted the approaching enemy, and sent his troops to attack.
3. A skirmish ensued between the two opposing forces, but the Confederates retreated, ending the first morning of the battle.
4. The morning’s mini-battle attracted soldiers on both sides; Union from the Sou...

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...onfederate retreat
1. July 4th, 1863, Lee began his retreat back to Virginia. The decisive victory at Gettysburg marked a huge turning point in the war.
IV. What if the battle had never occurred?
a. The Gettysburg address wouldn’t have been written
b. More importantly, this battle dramatically weakened the Confederate forces.
c. If this battle wasn’t fought, the South might have had the man-power to eventually win the war
d. America would either have had another civil war, or we might still be a slave nation today.
V. Conclusion
a. Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle that was ever fought on American soil. It dramatically changed the course of the Civil War and helped the North to win the war against slavery. It would most certainly have been a different outcome if this war was never fought, but for the good of this nation, it was.