Killer Angels Essay

War might be described as a collection of complex circumstances. There is an overabundance of different factors that are involved in the planning and the execution of strategy during a war. Examples of considerations that must be given while fighting a battle include the number of troops, ammunition supplies, and knowledge of the land on which you are fighting. Such considerations were made during the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, and the details were thoroughly depicted by Michael Shaara in The Killer Angels.

The Killer Angels started with a short explanation of the two fighting armies and their leaders, focusing mainly on Lieutenant General Longstreet of the Confederate army and Colonel Chamberlain of the Union army. Then the book traveled to a couple days before the Battle of Gettysburg, where a Confederate spy ran into Union troops and reported back his findings to Longstreet and General Robert E. Lee. Lee, who was not exactly sure where the Union troops were, felt as though they were “drifting blindly toward a great collision”(83). Lee decided to make way to meet the enemy at Gettysburg. Confederate infantry attacked the Union cavalry, led by John Buford, who gained higher ground, which proved to be a major advantage. More Union troops came to support Buford, but John Reynolds, who was their commanding officer, was killed and they were pushed back. They moved back to the higher ground at night, and Longstreet tried to get Lee to understand that the Union positions were nearly impossible to take with such an advantage. Lee, to his ultimate demise, was overconfident in his men and had his troops flank the defending enemy. This attack was easily foiled by Chamberlain’s forces. On the final day of the battle, Lee, showing his stubbornness, ordered a direct assault to take the town. George Pickett’s famous charge experienced heavy losses and was held off. Lee, again wanted to attack up through the middle of the Union forces and ordered Pickett to reform his division, to which Pickett responded “General Lee, I have no Division”(354). The Confederates then retreated and the tides of the war shifted in favor of the Union.

The Killer Angels, which was set in the American Civil War, centers around the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg, located in southern Pennsylvania, could be considered the geographical holy grail of strategic advantage. Many well known roads crossed paths in the town, and a major rail line ran through it. From the start of the war, it was crucial that the Confederates push into Union territory. Gettysburg might have served as a strategic stronghold to foster such advance. The town is overlooked by many hills that could be used advantageously, and is encompassed by large fields used for farming. These heights proved to be vital to the Union’s success in the battle, and gave their troops a better place to spot troop movements which made it easier to defend their position.

At the time of the battle, circumstances could not have been much worse for the Union. Until that battle, they had won no significant victories against Confederate forces, and the moral of the soldiers was at an all-time low. Meanwhile the Confederates were driving into Union territory, and were confident in a Southern victory, which had become the standard. Their moral was very high, and they saw themselves as protecting their way of life from a larger, oppressive aggressor. This confidence would work against them however. Common civilians gave their complete support to the Union, and only one civilian casualty was suffered during the battle. The traditionalism and stubbornness of General Lee would prove to be his greatest weakness. At Gettysburg, Lee decided to ignore Longstreet’s effective new strategies and instead opted for plans that could easily be seen as set up for failure. He had his men push straight into the center of Union positions, known as Pickett’s charge.

On the Union end, the Battle of Gettysburg might be viewed as an assorted mix of incompetence as well as innovation. General George Meade was hesitant to pursue Confederate forces, and moved slowly, which allowed the Confederate armies to blitz past him. Other Union leaders, like General Joshua Chamberlain, proved his tactical genius. Realizing the importance of the hills overlooking Gettysburg, he effectively defended a numerically superior Confederate assault at Little Round Top, which to the Union’s advantage and heavily weakening the Confederate forces. These successes would tip the advantage of the war in the Union’s favor, predominantly by weakening the Confederates more skilled and veteran army. Starved for men and resources, the Rebel army grew weaker with every battle, and eventually the Union would prevail victorious.

The Killer Angels was written by Michael Shaara. He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, He graduated from Rutgers University in 1951, and served in the