Gettysburg

1. Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863

2. Start up Assignment:Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Why does Lincoln begin his eulogy to the soldiers buried at Gettysburg with a reference to “Four Score and seven years ago”? Why does Lincoln at Gettysburg call human equality a “proposition”? What does Lincoln mean by calling the Civil War a test of the ability of the nation to “long endure”? What does Lincoln say is the best way for the living to honor the dead at Gettysburg? What is “the new birth of freedom” Lincoln calls for, and how does it differ from the nation’s original birth? Why do you think Lincoln uses “nation” repeatedly, and not the word “union” at all? Lincoln never mentions slavery in his Gettysburg Address. Why not?

3. The Gettysburg Address • Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal.” • Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. • But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate – we can not consecrate – we can not hallow, this ground – The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here. • It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. • President Obama delivers Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

5. Battle of FredericksburgDecember 11-13, 1862 • General Ambrose E. Burnside replaced George McClellan after Antietam • Burnside sent 114,000 men across the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, VA. Robert E. Lee and 75,000 Confederate soldiers controlled the hills above the town • Burnside felt that Lee wouldn’t expect a frontal attack and ordered one on December 13 • Union army suffered 12,000 casualties; the Confederates had 5,000 • “A chicken could not live on that field when they opened fire on it” • Burnside was fired and replaced by General Joseph Hooker • Hooker had previously criticized Lincoln by saying that the union needed a dictator to win the war

7. Battle of ChancellorsvilleApril 30, 1863 • Hooker’s plan-divide the union army into 3 parts, and cut off Lee’s supply lines and attack the Confederates from both flanks • 134,000 Union troops versus 60,000 Confederate troops • Hooker’s men were positioned in the Wilderness near Chancellorsville • Lee acted quicker • Lee divided his troops and sent Stonewall Jackson and 30,000 men through the wilderness to outflank Hooker • When Hooker saw the troop movements he thought the Confederates were retreating • Instead, Lee and Jackson attacked Union from 2 fronts • At the end of the day’s fighting, Hooker retreated • Among the wounded was Stonewall Jackson; after 8 days with an amputated arm, he died of pneumonia

9. On to Gettysburg • Lee’s plan after the victory-attack the North again • Take the war away from Virginia and possibly resupply his troops (as Union had done in the South) • June of 1863-Lee crossed into Pennsylvania with 75,000 troops • Hooker was ordered by Lincoln to attack; Hooker hesitated and asked for his release from command • Hooker was replaced by George Meade • By the end of June, Confederates massed near the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania • Scouts had reported that there was a supply of shoes in town and the Confederates organized a raiding party • Confederates did not know that 2 Union brigades had positioned themselves on the high ground • As Confederate raiding party approached Gettysburg on July 1, it was met by Union fire

11. Ken Burns: The Civil War/Volume 5-”The Universe of Battle” • Ken Burns, Civil War, Volume 5 • Answer the questions on Day 1-3 of the Battle of Gettysburg • Counterfactual: What could the Confederacy have done differently to win the battle and potentially the war? • Causation: What would be the impacts of the Battle of Gettysburg on the war?

12. Lincoln at Gettysburg • After the Battle, residents tended the wounded and dying; came in November to witness the dedication of new soldier’s cemetery. • Lincoln was the special guest of David Wills, 32 year old lawyer from Gettysburg • Lincoln invited to give closing “remarks” at the dedication ceremony following the principal address by Edward Everett • Lincoln spoke to between 10,000 and 15,000 people gathered around Cemetery Hill, cite of heavy bombardment • Everett’s speech lasted 2 hours • Historians agree that Lincoln did not flippantly right his “remarks” on the train to Gettysburg • New York Times reported that Lincoln’s address was interrupted 5 times with applause and greeted with a long continued applause at its conclusion • Partisan papers took clear sides about the speech

13. Edward Everett on the Gettysburg Address • “Permit me also to express my great admiration of the thoughts expressed by you, with such eloquent simplicity and appropriateness, at the consecration of the cemetery. I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”