As we enter the month of July this year we will not only march toward the 237th celebration of America's Independence, but will also mark 150 years since the Battle of Gettysburg which started today, (July 1-3, 1863) perhaps the most important engagement of the American Civil War.
The Civil War is my favorite period of history, as the epic divide between north and south came to a head between the years of 1861-1865. Those years did more to define the progress and history of the United States perhaps than any other, and while some in the South still harbor an odd resentment toward the outcome, the Civil War taught many lessons, including how to be a victor and not stomp on the pride those whom you have vanquished.
Gettysburg, the deadliest battle ever in terms of lost American lives, was in itself a crucial moment to the outcome of this nation. Had Lee's invasion of the North succeeded, we would be living in a far different world, and as respects people of color, the time frame until equality would have been delayed decades, maybe even longer.
In late June of 1863, Lincoln, having already declared the Emancipation of the Slaves, and ever concerned about the fact that his Generals had yet to do much but suffer defeat after defeat at the hands of General Robert E. Lee, again fired his top commander, General Joseph Hooker and replaced him with the competent but cautious George Meade on June 28.
Lee's Army of Northern Virginia had again bested the Union just a few months prior at Chancellorsville, but perhaps at the greatest cost of the war for the Confederacy. Lee had lost his best field commander, General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson when his own picket line shot Jackson down as he approached in an evening during the battle. Perhaps the loss of Jackson gave Lee reason to pursue an all-out victory sooner than later, and sensing he might turn the tide of the war, Lee decided to move northward and try to draw the Union out into the open. Only Meade's Army lay between Lee and Washington, D.C., and with word that Lee was marching northward, Meade's Army was forced to follow.
The battle that followed was replete with misinformation, impulsive maneuvering and heroics that cannot be understated. It started almost by accident with a group of soldiers of Harry Heth's division looking for supplies, including shoes. Orders from Lee were not to cause any engagement until the rest of the army had arrived. Even so, things went well for Lee at the outset -- errors by the Union commanders, as well as the untimely loss of infantry specialist General John Reynolds, offset the fact that Lee's cavalry specialist and 'eyes' of his army J.E.B. Stuart was nowhere to be found. They routed the Union forces by day's end on July 1 forcing them to flee through the town and reassemble south of Gettysburg. Lee's army then made it's first uncharacteristic blunder, whereby Lee's orders to take the heights 'if practicable' were not heeded by Richard Ewell, and the north dug in on Cemetery Hill and the Round Tops. Against the wishes of his advisers and on the heels of a small victory Day 1, Lee determined he had to attack again. However, the attack was delayed so that General James Longstreet, who was most in favor of continuing a defensive campaign, awaited for the entire army to come online so they could attack fully en masse. The assault of July 2 didn't commence until late in the afternoon, allowing the Union forces to build defenses. The assault was successful in the lower areas initially, but was repelled, particularly as Lee tried to flank the far right of the Union line at Little Round Top.
Still believing he could outsmart the Federals, Lee believed his demonstrations and assaults on the flanks had forced Meade to reinforce there leaving the center vulnerable. It turned out he was absolutely right, but the assault he chose to make on July 3, thereafter known as Pickett's charge, relied heavily on an artillery barrage to clear the way for his troops to charge a mile across open field, pass over and beyond fences and somehow arrive atop Cemetery Hill. The artillery barrage was put into the hands of a relatively young artillery commander, 28-year-old Edward Alexander, who was highly decorated for his work at Bull Run for using flags to signal infantry commanders. He wasn't Lee's formal artillery commander, and the assault on July 3 would be the largest of its kind. Alexander plead with Lee to commence the charge before he ran out of ammunition so he could support Pickett's Division. Meanwhile, his cannons were not properly ranged, overshooting the front lines of the Union center and causing little damage to the regiments that awaited. Refusing to heed the lessons from his victory at Fredricksburg the first time around, whereby Lee's army held a ridge with a stonewall breastworks and repeatedly warded off Union assaults, Lee ordered the charge anyway. The result was catastrophic failure.
Lee's army was forced to retreat, but Meade, ever so cautious and perhaps weary from over 20,000 casualties, did not pursue Lee, allowing him to cross back over the Potomac and into Virginia. Lincoln was furious, but refused to scold his commander, apparently having written Meade a screed, admonishing him for not finishing Lee off and ending the war right there. However, Lincoln never sent the letter.
Perhaps Lincoln understood that after such a huge and vigorous fight, one he simply heard about from his office, it would be easy for him to malign Meade and his ranks for not taking an aggressive hand. Perhaps he knew he couldn't completely understand the weariness a soldier feels having ordered the death of so many of his men. Whatever the reason, Lincoln held back his immediate response. Though he would replace Meade soon after, he did so in a way that allowed Meade to keep his stature and his pride. To his pleasant surprise, on July 4th Lincoln would learn that General Grant, the man who would soon command all Union forces, took the supply center of the West, Vicksburg, Mississippi, effectively spelling the end of the Confederacy.
There have been few commanders as highly regarded as General Lee. After the failure at Gettysburg, Lee told his officers and his troops that this defeat was solely his fault. This act of contrition simply made his troops love him even more. And though his army could never again mount a true threat to the capital, his soldiers dug in for another two years because of the character Lee displayed.
It should be noted, that two years later when Grant and Lee met at Appomattox Courthouse to sign the terms of surrender, General Grant refused to allow his Union troops to celebrate loudly. He allowed all of Lee's officers to keep their sidearms and viewed them now as fellow countrymen.
Lincoln would deliver one of his greatest speeches at his second inaugural, remarks that were most likely the basis for Grant's exemplary behavior. Lincoln reminded Americans that retribution for the war was not something his government would seek and that both sides were at fault. With malice toward none, with charity for all - his words were a conclusive reminder of what kind of man Lincoln was.
It has been hard for any of us to see this kind of character amongst our current leadership. In terms of military success few armies have been as successful as the United States in reaching military objectives. However, it is the objectives that matter most after that where we have seemingly learned little.
The rush to war in Iraq without any plan of what to do with the country once we held control; the behavior of our troops at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq; the holding of prisoners inexorably at Guantanamo Bay Cuba, the scandals of General David Petraeus and John Allen; all of these things have disheartened many of us who believe in the lessons one can learn from the past. While our armed forces may be the most highly trained in the world skills wise, they still have a lot to learn in terms of how to be humane.
There is a quote attributed to a famous Chinese proverb which says, The best soldiers are not warlike.
And now, one hundred and fifty years later to the day, our country, is still embroiled in conflicts to determine the outcome of our nation. And almost all of them are not going to be settled on a battlefield, but through our humanity to one another. And considering how it is we treat each other these days, often with short temper and little tolerance, I believe the Civil War, and the important Battle of Gettysburg can teach us a lot.
I think General Lee, General Grant and most importantly, Abraham Lincoln, would agree.
No comments:
Post a Comment