Demographics

Could You Have Won the Battle of Gettysburg?

One of the most important battles of the U.S. Civil War -- and indeed of all U.S. history -- was the battle of Gettysburg. During the three days (July 1-3, 1863), the country held its collective breath. The struggle between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia commanded by Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac under General George Meade may have ultimately decided the war.

If the South had won a major victory, some historians believe that it would have caused:
the Confederacy to gain international recognition and support from England and France,
humiliated Abraham Lincoln,
and resulted in a negotiated end to the war on the Confederacy's terms.

This simulation of the battle is a test to pit your decisions as Robert E. Lee against what actually happened.
Many historians write that this battle was not Lee's best battle and that certain choices could have dramatically improved the fate of his army on these three critical days.

Enjoy the simulation - and tell your friends!

This simulation is based on historical maps that show the position of Confederate and Union forces during the battle.

The maps and their style are based on the West Point Atlas series used to train military cadets for centuries at the United States Military Academy (West Point).

Opposing military forces are shown as different colored lines or dots. The longer or thicker the line, the more troops they represent.
In this case, Red lines indicate Confederate (Southern) troops and Blue lines represent Union (Northern) troops.

Straight lines, like those at left and below, indicate infantry and artillery forces. Dots represent cavalry patrols (in this case, Union cavalry since they are blue in color). These usually represent lightly guarded flanks of an army or forward scouts.

The different colors on the map indicate higher or lower elevations White represents the lowest ground, while dark brown indicates the peaks of small hills. Ridges and hills are usually easier to defend and harder to attack. The blue lines represent creeks. The wider the blue area is, the wider the creek and the more difficult it is to cross. Roads are indicated by black lines and are important to keep open in order to receive supplies and reinforcements.

With this basic primer, you should be ready to get into the saddle and assume command of the Army of Northern Virginia!

Decision 1 of 4: The First Day of Battle: How Will You Use Your Reinforcements?

It is noon on July 1, 1863.

Confederate and Union forces have accidentally collided near the small Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg as the Southern soliders went looking for shoes.

During the morning, Confederate forces slammed into Union cavalry and infantry reinforcements in the west and pushed them backwards with both sides taking heavy losses. However, an entire corps of Confederate forces, over 20,000 men under Richard Ewell, are moving rapidly south towards Gettysburg and are threatening to overwhelm the Union right flank and thus hitting the Union forces from both sides.

You have two choices. Do you:

Choice #1:
Immediately strike the Union forces deployed to the north and press rapidly southward into the town, perhaps enabling an attack behind the western-most Union forces.

Choice #2:
Delay the attack of your northern forces to allow them time to move eastward and get even further behind the Union lines. However, this maneuver will split your forces and take 2-3 extra hours to execute.

What factors influenced your decision the most?

Decision 1 of 4: Results Significant Confederate Victory

General Ewell's Second Corps slams into the Union forces' northern flank, sending them reeling back through the town of Gettysburg. Simultaneous attacks from the west push Union forces toward Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge, where they have stopped to regroup and collect stragglers.

Confederate troops have scored a sound, tactical victory, but are very tired after marching, fighting all day, and taking casualties. Union forces are in some disarray and exhausted as well, but appear to be fortifying the hilltops in the area and the high, defensible ground around Cemetery hill in the north and the Round Tops in the south.