The invasion of the North by the Army of Northern Virginia was General Robert E. Lee’s plan to gain a peace agreement from the North and independence for the South. Marching north into Northern industry would give the Confederate Army much needed supplies and boost the morale of the soldiers. The plan was to have Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell lead the Second Corps through Pennsylvania taking control of bridges over the Susquehanna River to give the rest of the troops safe passage north. Two of the three divisions were headed towards Harrisburg from Carlisle. The third division had been through Gettysburg heading to Wrightsville. Behind them, Lieutenant Generals James Longstreet and A. P. Hill were leading the First and Third Corps in the Chambersburg area, along with General Robert E. Lee.[1]

            J.E.B. Stuart commanded three brigades of cavalry massed east of Culpeper, Virginia. Stuart decided to stage a review and battle reenactment for local women, some of whom were reported to have fainted from excitement. Afraid that Confederates were preparing to raid his communications and supply lines, the Potomac Army's commander, Joseph Hooker, ordered Alfred Pleasonton to cross the Rappahannock River with his cavalry on June 9 and attack.[2] At dawn, the Union cavalry corps under Major General Alfred Pleasonton launched a surprise attack on Stuart’s cavalry at Brandy Station. After a long day of fighting, the Union forces were beaten back without discovering Lee’s infantry camped near Culpeper. Although the Union forces lost 

[1] James A. Kegel. 1996. North with Lee and Jackson: The Lost Story of Gettysburg. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books [NBN], 1996. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed December 10, 2017).[2]D. Scott Hartwig. "Gettysburg Campaign." Encyclopedia Virginia. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Gettysburg_Campaign#its3.

As Lee kept the Blue Ridge Mountains to the right of him as a protective barrier from Union forces, his army finally made it across the Potomac River by June 24. Lee’s army was getting well supplied in Chambersburg, but he was uneasy because he still didn’t know the whereabouts of the approaching Joseph Hooker and his forces. On June 22 Lee had ordered Stuart to leave two cavalry brigades protecting the entrance to the Shenandoah Valley, and to take the rest of his cavalry and go to the front of Lee’s forces “by the most direct route.” Stuart understood it to mean that he take the remaining three brigades and go on the other side of the Union forces instead of staying between Lee and Hooker as a first line of defense. Lee ordered his troops to scatter throughout Central Pennsylvania scavenging for food and other supplies. Lee’s forces were dangerously scattered in an arc of roughly 72 miles around Chambersburg with him still not knowing the whereabouts of Hooker’s Army of the Potomac.[3]

[1] National Park Service. "Battle Summary: Brandy Station." Accessed December 10, 2017. https://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va035.htm.[2] D. Scott Hartwig. "Gettysburg Campaign." Encyclopedia Virginia. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Gettysburg_Campaign#its3.[3] Albert A. Nofi. Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863. [N.p.]: Combined Pub, 1997. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed December 10, 2017).

The divisions of Major General Henry Heth and Major General William Pender of Hill's Corps, marched down the Chambersburg Road to drive Buford away and take Gettysburg. At 

[1] Albert A. Nofi. Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863. [N.p.]: Combined Pub, 1997. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed December 10, 2017). 

Initially wanting to avoid an engagement with the Union because of unknown terrain and strength, Lee arrived too late. Soon after Lee’s arrival, a division of Ewell's Corps arrived on Oak Hill and attacked the right of 1^st Corps. After Heth and Pender joined the fight against 1^st Corps, and the 11^th Corps flank was crushed, the Union forces retreated south through Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill, where Lee could have attacked before reinforcements came, but chose not to. This first day resulted in about 9,000 and 6,500 losses for the Union and Confederate troops, respectively.[1]

The morale of the Confederate soldiers under the command of Robert E. Lee was high, as can be told in a letter from LeRoy Summerfield Edwards of the 12th Virginia Infantry, “"[T]he health of the troops was never better and above all the morale of the army was never more favorable for offensive or defensive operations . . . victory will inevitably attend our arms in any collision with the enemy."[2] The morale of the Union soldiers at the time was different as we can tell from Captain Waters Whipple Braman, of the 93rd New York Infantry, in a letter to his 

[1] Penn State University. "The Battle of Gettysburg - Day 1." Accessed December 10, 2017. http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/k/a/kab4/WebPro_Projects/ist6773/day1.htm.[2] Gary W. Gallagher. 1993. The Second Day at Gettysburg: Essays on Confederate and Union Leadership. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1993. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed December 11, 2017).

“A great may of our boys were killed or wounded but I escaped without a scratch. It is a miracle that we were not all killed or wounded. We were in the thickest of the fight, making a charge on the Rebs a ½ a mile through a fire of grape and cannister. Our Regt. lost a 100 men in 10 minutes.”[2]

 

            During the night after the first day both armies received reinforcements. By the morning of July 2, Meade had six of his seven corps on hand, and he arranged them in a fishhook-shaped line that took advantage of the hilly terrain south of Gettysburg. Lee, who had eight of his nine divisions on the field, held the initiative. He planned an offensive to roll up Meade's left flank with Longstreet's corps and part of Hill's, while Ewell mounted a demonstration against the Union right. Longstreet objected to the plan, however, leading to awkward times on the battlefield. Longstreet thought it best to move south because the Union force would be too strong. Lee turned down this advice postponing the battle until about 3:30 in the afternoon. Meade shifted reinforcements to threatened areas on the left side after it risked falling, and by night had stopped Lee's main attack. Lee was not ordering as full of attacks as he could have, causing them not to be as effective as possible. Ewell tried to defeat Meade on the right at East Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill, but the Union had the high ground advantage.[3]

[1] Waters W. Braman. "Letter to his Uncle." (July 5, 1863). http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/mssc/cwletters/index.html[2] Calvin A. Haynes. "Letter to his Wife." (July 19, 1863). http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/mssc/cwletters/index.html[3] D. Scott Hartwig. "Gettysburg Campaign." Encyclopedia Virginia. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Gettysburg_Campaign#its3.

Lee ordered a retreat to Virginia shortly after, which was difficult. It rained for several days, plus there were thousands of wounded soldiers. Union cavalry destroyed Lee’s bridge across the Potomac at Williamsport, Maryland leaving them at a standstill. Meade considered attacking, but decided against it. This gave Lee’s forces enough time to cross back into Virginia. On July 4 Vicksburg was surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, combined with Gettysburg the Confederate cause was coming to an end.[1]

            Through communication errors, lack of reinforcements at the right time, and the terrain advantage of the Union, Robert E. Lee lost the Battle of Gettysburg for the Confederate Army. The ability to coordinate a better attack might have changed the outcome of Gettysburg, or even the war.

[1] D. Scott Hartwig. "Gettysburg Campaign." Encyclopedia Virginia. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Gettysburg_Campaign#its3.

Gallagher, Gary W. 1993. The Second Day at Gettysburg: Essays on Confederate and Union Leadership. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1993. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed December 11, 2017).

Hartwig, D. Scott. "Gettysburg Campaign." Encyclopedia Virginia. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Gettysburg_Campaign#its3.

Haynes, Calvin A. "Letter to his Wife." (July 19, 1863). http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/mssc/cwletters/index.html

Kegel, James A. 1996. North with Lee and Jackson: The Lost Story of Gettysburg.     Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books [NBN], 1996. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed December 10, 2017).

National Park Service. "Battle Summary: Brandy Station." Accessed December 10, 2017. https://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va035.htm.

Nofi, Albert A. Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863. [N.p.]: Combined Pub, 1997. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed December 10, 2017).

Penn State University. "The Battle of Gettysburg - Day 1." Accessed December 10, 2017. http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/k/a/kab4/WebPro_Projects/ist6773/day1.htm.

 

As Lee kept the Blue Ridge Mountains to the right of him as a protective barrier from Union forces, his army finally made it across the Potomac River by June 24. Lee’s army was getting well supplied in Chambersburg, but he was uneasy because he still didn’t know the whereabouts of the approaching Joseph Hooker and his forces. On June 22 Lee had ordered Stuart to leave two cavalry brigades protecting the entrance to the Shenandoah Valley, and to take the rest of his cavalry and go to the front of Lee’s forces “by the most direct route.” Stuart understood it to mean that he take the remaining three brigades and go on the other side of the Union forces instead of staying between Lee and Hooker as a first line of defense. Lee ordered his troops to scatter throughout Central Pennsylvania scavenging for food and other supplies. Lee’s forces were dangerously scattered in an arc of roughly 72 miles around Chambersburg with him still not knowing the whereabouts of Hooker’s Army of the Potomac.[3]

[1] National Park Service. "Battle Summary: Brandy Station." Accessed December 10, 2017. https://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va035.htm.[2] D. Scott Hartwig. "Gettysburg Campaign." Encyclopedia Virginia. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Gettysburg_Campaign#its3.[3] Albert A. Nofi. Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863. [N.p.]: Combined Pub, 1997. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed December 10, 2017).