Basicly what lee did was both justified and unjustified, he should have attacked the first day and be very careful in the second day, but attacking the third day was not justifiable the union was entrenched and massively reinforced.
You dont attack a fortified position frontally with the technology of the civil war was suicide.
The estimates on the final day are between 12,000 to 15,000 - no one knows for sure. I agree that Lee should not have fought at Gettysburg once the Union took the high ground.
@SmokeytheBear66 I don't really think that they had a chance. On the battlefield they could hold their own, but they did not have the resources to fight on the scale they needed to. They also had a very fractured political system & economy. Battles do not a war win.
@KamrisAjelico Well If they withdrew to a groung of their choosing they might have been able to destroy the North's army and march on washington. But they're government would crumble as you say.
@SmokeytheBear66 Yeah, I could see them doing significant damage to the Army of the Potomac. The north had good field commanders, just a few bad army leaders. So I can't see them outright destroying the Army of the Potomac. They also simply did not have the resources to do that. They could not replenish their ranks, they didn't have the population for something like that. Guns and ammunition were in precious short supply, largely due to the blockade. They could hold, but not win.
@SmokeytheBear66 Yeah, I could see them doing significant damage to the Army of the Potomac. The north had good field commanders, just a few bad army leaders. So I can't see them outright destroying the Army of the Potomac. They also simply did not have the resources to do that. They could not replenish their ranks, they didn't have the population for something like that. Guns and ammunition were in precious short supply, largely due to the blockade. They could hold, but not win.
@SmokeytheBear66 By the time the Battle of Gettysburg happened the Union Army had already gone through most of it's growing pains. It was a serious force. If Lee had retreated to a field where he held the advantage there was no guarantee that the Union would engage him there. The Union had the advantage of shorter supply lines and a network of railroads. They could simply redeploy wherever they wanted. Trains from the south did not fit on the lines in the north, and vice versa.
@SmokeytheBear66 By the time the Battle of Gettysburg happened the Union Army had already gone through most of it's growing pains. It was a serious force. If Lee had retreated to a field where he held the advantage there was no guarantee that the Union would engage him there. The Union had the advantage of shorter supply lines and a network of railroads. They could simply redeploy wherever they wanted. Trains from the south did not fit on the lines in the north, and vice versa.
@SmokeytheBear66 Lastly, even if Lee could have depleted or destroyed the Army of the Potomac, he would still have to deal with the Army of the Tennessee, under the command of William T. Sherman.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that Lee was the best commander of the Civil War. However his genius could not supply the Southern states with more men, material, or funding.
One word "Amazing"
xXsNoWmAn69Xx 1 week ago
this is sad i think most of us take freedom for granted they don't get what's happened before this i'm glad schools teach about the civil war.
racing01x 1 month ago
Basicly what lee did was both justified and unjustified, he should have attacked the first day and be very careful in the second day, but attacking the third day was not justifiable the union was entrenched and massively reinforced.
You dont attack a fortified position frontally with the technology of the civil war was suicide.
Napoleontas 1 month ago
The estimates on the final day are between 12,000 to 15,000 - no one knows for sure. I agree that Lee should not have fought at Gettysburg once the Union took the high ground.
totalgettysburg 7 months ago
I thought that 15,000 virginians attacked on the 3rd day. Also if Robert E. Lee listened to Longstreet then the confederates might have won the war.
SmokeytheBear66 7 months ago
@SmokeytheBear66 I don't really think that they had a chance. On the battlefield they could hold their own, but they did not have the resources to fight on the scale they needed to. They also had a very fractured political system & economy. Battles do not a war win.
KamrisAjelico 5 months ago
@KamrisAjelico Well If they withdrew to a groung of their choosing they might have been able to destroy the North's army and march on washington. But they're government would crumble as you say.
SmokeytheBear66 5 months ago
@SmokeytheBear66 Yeah, I could see them doing significant damage to the Army of the Potomac. The north had good field commanders, just a few bad army leaders. So I can't see them outright destroying the Army of the Potomac. They also simply did not have the resources to do that. They could not replenish their ranks, they didn't have the population for something like that. Guns and ammunition were in precious short supply, largely due to the blockade. They could hold, but not win.
KamrisAjelico 5 months ago
@SmokeytheBear66 Yeah, I could see them doing significant damage to the Army of the Potomac. The north had good field commanders, just a few bad army leaders. So I can't see them outright destroying the Army of the Potomac. They also simply did not have the resources to do that. They could not replenish their ranks, they didn't have the population for something like that. Guns and ammunition were in precious short supply, largely due to the blockade. They could hold, but not win.
KamrisAjelico 5 months ago
@SmokeytheBear66 By the time the Battle of Gettysburg happened the Union Army had already gone through most of it's growing pains. It was a serious force. If Lee had retreated to a field where he held the advantage there was no guarantee that the Union would engage him there. The Union had the advantage of shorter supply lines and a network of railroads. They could simply redeploy wherever they wanted. Trains from the south did not fit on the lines in the north, and vice versa.
KamrisAjelico 5 months ago
@SmokeytheBear66 By the time the Battle of Gettysburg happened the Union Army had already gone through most of it's growing pains. It was a serious force. If Lee had retreated to a field where he held the advantage there was no guarantee that the Union would engage him there. The Union had the advantage of shorter supply lines and a network of railroads. They could simply redeploy wherever they wanted. Trains from the south did not fit on the lines in the north, and vice versa.
KamrisAjelico 5 months ago
@SmokeytheBear66 Lastly, even if Lee could have depleted or destroyed the Army of the Potomac, he would still have to deal with the Army of the Tennessee, under the command of William T. Sherman.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that Lee was the best commander of the Civil War. However his genius could not supply the Southern states with more men, material, or funding.
:D
KamrisAjelico 5 months ago