Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels

We all know the outcome of the Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in 1865, meaning the North defeated the South and won the treacherous war over slavery. In Michael Shaara's historical fiction novel The Killer Angels, the reader follows the disastrous three day course of the Battle Of Gettysburg; the battle of which many historians believe was the downfall for the Confederate Army and the turning point of the war. In addition to the recent loss of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, the absence of Jeb Stuart and his leaving the entire Rebel army blind, and General Lee's heart condition, the biggest factor for the loss at Gettysburg was Lee's order to make a frontal assault

Longstreet suggests his method to vacate Gettysburg and "move [the Confederate Army] to the right around the enemy flank and interpose between Meade and Washington." (Shaara, 139). This means that instead of facing the Union head on, the Rebels could move to the right; something the North would have never expected. Lee himself stated that the town had absolutely no military importance whatsoever, so flanking appears to be the best option. (139). The element of surprise would have proven to be an enormous advantage had the South decided to flank the North. Having the Union soldiers see the Confederates leaving Gettysburg would have given some the illusion that they had won the battle. Then, once night fell, the South would attack. With nowhere to go, the entrenched Yankees would not stand a chance. In other words, Longstreet's method would have most likely decimated the entire Union Army, rather than it being the other way

The Battle of Gettysburg is well-known for the unprecedented cannon barrage that occurred on the third day of battle. The amount of artillery used was unreasonably high for an attack that was hardly devastating, as the Confederates kept overshooting. Union Colonel Chamberlain who witnessed the cannonade explains, "...too much smoke; possibly that's why the Reb shells were going overhead. Reb artillery never very accurate." (Shaara, 311). Had that amount of ammunition been concentrated into a well calculated attack, the Rebels would have proven victorious. The victory at Gettysburg could possibly have meant an end to the war. Perhaps the Confederates would have won their independence, saving the North and South an additional two years of war. Needless to say, fifty-three thousand lives did not to be wasted on that day. Longstreet had predicted multiple times that the attack would not work. He dreaded it so much he even considered resigning, refusing to lead the assault. (300). The lieutenant general knew the charge would be costly, and he was correct. While the number of lives that could have been saved is inestimable, it can be concluded that many Rebel lives would not have been wastefully expensed like they