Battle of Gettysburg and Chickamauga

   On July 1, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg began. General Robert E. Lee was ready to invade the north again (instead of staying in the south and using the defensive strategy), to Adams County, Pennsylvania. A famous battle within this battle is Pickett’s Charge. In this battle, General George G. Meade’s Union soldiers were up on a hill at camp. Confederate soldiers were inching in, ready to strike at any moment. Except, there was one flaw- because the Union was on higher ground, they saw the Confederates coming! In the end, it was a Union victory. The Battle of Gettysburg was considered a turning point in the war because the south lost a lot of resources. 

    The Battle of Chickamauga has a similar story to the Battle of Gettysburg. Union General William S. Rosecrans was ready to start a battle in the south because he wanted the Civil War to end as soon as possible. He consolidated is troops, then proceeded into Chattanooga (Confederate territory). When Confederate General Braxton Bragg found out that the north was in Chattanooga, he was furious and wanted them out. So, a battle began. On September 18, 1863 they commenced that battle, and ended it on September 20, 1863. During the battle however, the Union also went to Chickamauga (in Georgia). The Confederates pushed the north back into Chattanooga, and while the Union was there, they got stronger. The north built railroads, which meant more supplies (food, clothing, other resources) where able to get to the soldiers. Think of it like a sponge. At first, the sponge is dry and withered away, but as water starts to land on it, it grows and grows, finally becoming a strong sponge. After their rehabilitation, the union soldiers broke through the surrounding Confederate Soldiers proceeding into Chattanooga. Soon, they were in Georgia setting the stage for William T. Sherman to come, which would then later lead to the Atlanta Campaign. The battle of Chickamauga was considered a Confederate Victory because the south regained their territory taken by the Union. 

*George G. Meade*

*Robert E. Lee*

Sources
*http://virtualfieldtripsforstudents.wikispaces.com/The+Story+of+the+Gettysburg+Address
*http://www.nps.gov/resources/story.htm?id=188