General Lee Dbq

987 Words4 Pages

If General Lee had counterintelligence capabilities, he probably would not have attacked the Union forces at center flank; he would have won the Battle of Gettysburg, ultimately winning the Civil War. It all began in early July 1863, when Union met the Confederate troops in a famous three-day long Battle of Gettysburg. The sequence of events during the Gettysburg Campaign, affected the north and south decisions, and illustrated the aims of the Confederates. The battle was the turning point of Civil War, particularly on the third day, known as the Picket’s Charge. It left thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers dead and injured; nevertheless, it ignited the end of slavery. The battle highlighted intelligence capabilities, such as interrogation …show more content…

(Heidler & Heidler, 2000) The Campaign initiated for many reasons, first one was General Lee’s desire to attack the Union to assist the fraying Virginia, to impede the economy in the North, and possibly to attain the support from the foreign nations. Second reason identified was the existence of slavery and its trade. (Reardon & Vossler, 2013) South’s largest asset was slavery, they were almost exclusively dependent on enslaved persons for monetary gains and survival. According to Dr. Edward Ayers, author of “The Crucible of the Civil War,” South at the time was worth more than the entire United States’ factories, roads, and banks, more than $3.5 billion. (Scott & Scott, …show more content…

(Reardon & Vossler, 2013)
Moreover, General Lee lost at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, but the loss did not affect his will to attack the North states yet again. He continued to promote operations against Hooker’s, later General Meade’s Army. General Lee’s remarkable persistence on the matter, eventually persuaded President Jefferson Davis to approve an attack against the North. (Reardon & Vossler, 2013)
The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War, lasting four years and had over 50,000 soldiers dead on both sides. (Reardon & Vossler, 2013) The entire Civil War had lost between 620,000 and 630,000 soldiers, today this translates into 6 million American troops. The battle had more casualties due to invention of mini balls, used with Springfield 1861 musket. The bullet had a hallow base and groves, which stabilized it, allowing the bullet to reach the target with better range and accuracy. The wounds were deeper, and shattered bones. The bullet caused ninety percent of all injuries during the Battle of Gettysburg. (Scott & Scott,