Why Was the Battle of Gettysburg Important for the North?
July 1863's battle in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was a significant political and military achievement for the Union. The war was not going well for Abraham Lincoln politically, and he was desperate to blunt the perception that General Robert E. Lee's Confederate forces were invincible.
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Holding On
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The Army of the Potomac (North) knew that the Army of Northern Virginia (South) was operating somewhere in the Northern heartland. A chance encounter between a Confederate skirmishing force looking for shoes in the town of Gettysburg and a stubborn scouting force of Northern cavalrymen, slowed the South's momentum.
High Ground
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Although the Confederates initially held the town, Union forces were able to recover and consolidate their position on higher ground.
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Interior Lines
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The newly consolidated position allowed Union forces to receive significant logistical support from within their own lines. This advantage allowed a build-up of forces quickly, thereby bolstering and extending their original position.
Volume of Fire
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Once Union forces reached levels that were beyond the Confederates' ability to dislodge them, the Union volume of fire stopped Confederate momentum entirely.
Too Worn Out To Win
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Subsequently, the South wasted their power and flexibility on a series of direct attacks against Northern strength. Ultimately, these decisions broke the back of the Southern incursion. This gave Lincoln the ability to declare a victory, setting the stage for his second successful run for president in 1864--and the final defeat of Confederate forces a year later.
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