Gettysburg Turning Point

The Battle of Gettysburg is one of the most important engagement of the American Civil War and it is one of the bloodiest battles in American history. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, 90,000 Union troops and 75,000 Confederate troops met in a head on collision. It left 11,000 soldiers dead or mortally wounded, 29,000 soldiers wounded, and nearly 10,000 soldiers missing. Though a very costly battle, it was a major turning point in the war of the North against the South.
After the election of President Lincoln in 1860, all tensions within the country had come to a head. At that time, eleven southern states seceded from the Union and on April 12, 1861, the Confederates attack Fort Sumter and the Civil War officially

With the Union Lieutenant Calef’s Battery strategically placed along the eastern and western edges of Cashtown road, they engaged the Confederate infantry, who stood no chance during their movement up the road. However, the Union battery came at odds when nine Confederate batteries started to mass their counter fires towards the Union lines. The strategic placement of the artillery on Cemetery hill and Cashtown road on day one were just the start, artillery was once again used to great effect during fighting at the Peach Orchard, the Wheat Field, Devil’s Den and Little Round Top. During the Battle at Peach Orchard, a Union artillery officer by the name of Colonel Freeman McGilvery caused substantial damage to the advancing Confederates. Colonel McGilvery was able to place and direct Artillery fires where most needed and was able to maximize the effectiveness of their Artillery by massing fires on specific targets at a time (the same principles used

Although they outnumbered the Confederate artillery, their numbers were not the deciding factor. The strategic placement and usage of these tremendous assets helped to turn the tide of the battle. Couple that with the fact that the Union had the more experienced of the two commanding artillery Officers in Brigadier General Harry Hunt, and odds already favored the Union. General Hunt served in Mexico, and was the chief artillery instructor at West Point and wrote the primary instruction used by all the Union artillery units. Consolidation of equipment, men, and ammunition then re-organized in strategic positions was an excellent example of the Union’s far superior logistical capabilities.
Before the battle, General Hunt had organized a special ammunition train that would be on standby to replenish ammunition for all the batteries within the Union Army, with over 70 wagonloads of ammunition consisting of 10,090 rounds of ammunition resupplied to the Corps batteries alone. The supply train gave the batteries a fresh supply of ammunition in order to deliver mass fires during the 3rd day of battle. This supply train, led to the ability of the Union Artillery to provide a non-stop barrage of fire on the Confederate infantry, ultimately leading to the success of the Union during the