Retreat from Gettysburg: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|A Timelinetimeline of Eventsevents for the Confederate Army after losing the Battle of Gettysburg}}

[[File:Meade and Lee.jpg|thumb|300px|Commanding generals [[George G. Meade]] and [[Robert E. Lee]]]]

The [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] [[Army of Northern Virginia]] began its '''Retreat from Gettysburg''' on July 4, 1863. Following [[General (CSA)|General]] [[Robert E. Lee]]'s failure to defeat the [[Union Army]] at the [[Battle of Gettysburg]] (July 1–3, 1863), he ordered a retreat through [[Maryland]] and over the [[Potomac River]] to relative safety in [[Virginia]]. The Union [[Army of the Potomac]], commanded by [[Major general (United States)|Maj. Gen.]] [[George G. Meade]], was unable to maneuver quickly enough to launch a significant attack on the Confederates, who crossed the river on the night of July 13 into [[South Mountain (Maryland and Pennsylvania)|South Mountain]] through [[Cashtown, Pennsylvania|Cashtown]] in a wagon train that extended for 15–20 miles, enduring harsh weather, treacherous roads, and enemy cavalry raids. The bulk of Lee's infantry departed through [[Fairfield, Pennsylvania|Fairfield]] and through the [[Monterey Pass]] toward [[Hagerstown, Maryland]]. Reaching the Potomac, they found that rising waters and destroyed pontoon bridges prevented their immediate crossing. Erecting substantial defensive works, they awaited the arrival of the Union army, which had been pursuing over longer roads more to the south of Lee's route. Before Meade could perform adequate reconnaissance and attack the Confederate fortifications, Lee's army escaped across fords and a hastily rebuilt bridge.

{{Main|Gettysburg Campaigncampaign|Battle of Gettysburg|Battle of Gettysburg, First Day|Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day|Pickett's Charge|Battle of Gettysburg, Third Day cavalry battles|l6=East cavalry battles}}

The culmination of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg was the massive infantry assault known as [[Pickett's Charge]], in which the Confederate attack against the center of the Union line on [[Cemetery Ridge]] was repulsed with significant losses. The Confederates returned to their positions on [[Seminary Ridge]] and prepared to receive a counterattack. When the Union attack had not occurred by the evening of July 4, Lee realized that he could accomplish nothing more in his [[Gettysburg Campaigncampaign]] and that he had to return his battered army to Virginia. His ability to supply his army by living off the Pennsylvania countryside was now significantly reduced and the Union could easily bring up additional reinforcements as time passed, whereas he could not. Brig. Gen. [[William N. Pendleton]], Lee's artillery chief, reported to him that all of his long-range artillery ammunition had been expended and there were no early prospects for resupply. However, despite casualties of over 20,000 officers and men, including a number of senior officers, the morale of Lee's army remained high and their respect for the commanding general was not diminished by their reverses.<ref>Coddington, pp. 535&ndash;36; Wittenberg et al., p. 39; Brown, pp. 9&ndash;11.</ref>

The Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia retained their general organizations with which they fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. By July 10, some of the Union battle losses had been replaced and Meade's Armyarmy stood at about 80,000 men. The Confederates received no reinforcements during the campaign and had only about 50,000 men available.<ref>Coddington, p. 569.</ref>

The '''[[Army of the Potomac]]''' had significant changes in general officer assignments because of its battle losses. Meade's chief of staff, Maj. Gen. [[Daniel Butterfield]], was wounded on July 3 and was replaced on July 8 by Maj. Gen. [[Andrew A. Humphreys]]; Brig. Gen. [[Henry Price (general)|Henry Price]] replaced Humphreys in command of his old division of the [[III Corps (Union Army)|III Corps]]. Maj. Gen. [[John F. Reynolds]], killed on July 1, was replaced by Maj. Gen. [[John Newton (engineer)|John Newton]] of the [[VI Corps (Union Army)|VI Corps]]. Maj. Gen. [[Winfield Scott Hancock]] of the [[II Corps (Union Army)|II Corps]], wounded on July 3, was replaced by Brig. Gen. [[William Hays (general)|William Hays]]. Maj. Gen. [[William H. French]], who had temporarily commanded the garrison at Harpers Ferry for most of the campaign, replaced the wounded [[Daniel Sickles]] in command of the III Corps on July 7. In addition to the battle losses, Meade's army was plagued by a condition that persisted during the war, the departure of men and regiments whose enlistments had expired, which took effect even in the midst of an active campaign. To make matters worse, thousands of Union soldiers who had not eaten since the battle began would have to be fed while boots, forage and shoes for the Army's horses and mules needed to be replenished to pursue Lee's army.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Masterson Brown |first1=Kent |title=Meade at Gettysburg: A Study in Command |date=2021 |publisher=University of North Carlolina Press |location=Chapel Hill, NC |isbn=1469661993978-1469661995 |page=345 |edition=1st |url=https://uncpress.org/book/9781469661995/meade-at-gettysburg/ |access-date=14 September 2021}}</ref> On the plus side, however, Meade had available temporary, although inexperienced, reinforcements of about 10,000 men who had been with General French at Maryland Heights, which were incorporated into the [[I Corps (Union Army)|I Corps]] and III Corps. The net effect of expiring enlistments and reinforcements added about 6,000 men to the Army of the Potomac. Including the forces around Harpers Ferry, Maryland Heights, and the South Mountain passes, by July 14 between 11,000 and 12,000 men had been added the army, although Meade had extreme doubts about the combat effectiveness of these troops.

In addition to the Army of the Potomac, Maj. Gen. [[Darius N. Couch]] of the [[Department of the Susquehanna]] had 7,600 men at Waynesboro, 11,000 at Chambersburg, and 6,700 at Mercersburg. These were "emergency troops" that were hastily raised during Lee's march into Pennsylvania and were subject to Meade's orders.<ref>Coddington, 557-63.</ref> In addition, a force of about 6,000 from the newly created Department of West Virginia under Brig. Gen. [[Benjamin Franklin Kelley]] sat astride the [[Baltimore &and Ohio Railroad]] at [[Grafton, West Virginia|Grafton]], and at [[New Creek, West Virginia|New Creek]] in [[West Virginia]], to prevent Confederate forces from retreating west, as well asand later assisting in the pursuit of Lee toward Virginia.<ref>Brown, pp. 21, 299.</ref>

[[Image:Gettysburg Campaign Retreat.png|thumb|400px|The [[Gettysburg Campaigncampaign]] (July 5–14)

Although many descriptions of the [[Gettysburg Campaigncampaign]] end with Lee's crossing of the Potomac on July 13&ndash;14,<ref>Wittenberg et al., p. xix.</ref> the two armies did not take up positions across from each other on the [[Rappahannock River]] for almost two weeks and the official reports of the armies include the maneuvering and minor clashes along the way. On July 16 the cavalry brigades of Fitzhugh Lee and Chambliss held the fords on the Potomac at [[Shepherdstown, West Virginia|Shepherdstown]] to prevent crossing by the Federal infantry. The cavalry division under [[David_McMurtrie_Gregg|David Gregg]] approached the fords and the Confederates attacked them, but the Union cavalrymen held their position until dark before withdrawing. Meade called this a "spirited contest."<ref>Kennedy, p. 213; Wittenberg et al., p. 345.</ref>

{{further|Gettysburg Campaigncampaign}}

The retreat from Gettysburg ended the [[Gettysburg Campaign, Robert E. Lee's final strategic offensive in the Civil War. Afterwards, all combat operations of the Army of Northern Virginia were in reaction to Union initiativescampaign]]. The Confederates suffered over 5,000 casualties during the retreat, including more than 1,000 captured at Monterey Pass, 1,000 stragglers captured from the wagon train by Gregg's division, 500 at Cunningham's Crossroads, 1,000 captured at Falling Waters, and 460 cavalrymen and 300 infantry and artillery killed, wounded, and missing during the ten days of skirmishes and battles.<ref>Wittenberg et al., pp. 343&ndash;44.</ref> There were over 1,000 Union casualties&mdash;primarily cavalrymen&mdash;including losses of 263 from Kilpatrick's division at Hagerstown and 120 from Buford's division at Williamsport.<ref>Wittenberg et al., p. 343.</ref> For the entire campaign, Confederate casualties were approximately 27,000, Union 30,100.<ref>Sears, pp. 496, 498.</ref>