Was the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War lost because of a broken heart?

[John Bell Hood]

Was the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil war lost because of the ischemic heart disease of General Robert E Lee? Or did losing the Civil war cause our beloved General Lee too die of a broken heart?

August 1863, Letter written from Gen. Robert E. Lee to Confederate president Jefferson Davis:

“I have not yet recovered from the attack I experienced this spring. I am becoming more and more incapable of exertion, and thus am prevented from making the personal examinations and giving the personal supervision to the operations in the field which I feel to be necessary. I am so dull that in making use of the eyes of others I am frequently misled. Everything, therefore points to the advantages to be derived from a new commander.”

Davis would refuse to except Lee’s resignation. On whom else could he possibly bestow command?

see article:

http://www.americancivilwarforum.com...ions.-201.html

The article makes a good case and with just little research you can judge for yourselves...

I believe it was heart disease or dysentery that cost the south the war because both General Lee and General A.P.Hill were incapacitated for at least part of the battle and that answers why the attacks where uncoordinated.

[michaelsmithern]

well the war was most likely a lost cause to begin with, after all you could say the North had one hand behind its back for most of it, it had manpower pools left untouched and Units that had been recruited still sitting around who had not seen combat(even by the end of the war), on top of this while many in the south had to help send supplies and lend towards the army fighting up north, the Northerners had luxury, and fine wares, life was rather simple for them even with a civil war.

However for 1863, I believe the heart problems were a problem to Lee, however it must have gotten worse for him knowing friend and exceptional commander Thomas Jackson was mortally wounded and later died after Chancellorsville, the stress alone from having new commanders as Corp Commanders would have been bad for his health unknowing if they were ready for it, and he was pulling off a dangerous move by heading north. the war, in general, wasn't good for his health either, having to be at the battlefields and command his army.

[Poorlaggedman]

July 3rd was totally inexcusable to me. Of course hindsight is 20/20. The idea of renewing the attacks on the formidable flanks was insane, too. Culp's Hill and the round tops were basically impregnable on the 3rd. If they couldn't take it on July 2nd, how were those beat up divisions going to do it on the 3rd when outnumbered? He thought the effectiveness of his artillery was too great as well. He was trying to win the war and when it came down to it he just rolled the dice at very bad odds. You could play out July 3rd any way you want and Lee was never going to get that decisive victory.

IMO Jeb Stuart was the major reason they lost the campaign. It would have been a huge political victory to rout the Army of the Potomac in Pennsylvania and that's what it was all about. The war should have never happened in the first place and there were forces arguing for an end to the bloodshed or a different way of approaching the CSA.

[MontySJ]

I could say, the only thing that held the Union forces from touching Southern Land were those Confederate armies, who were led by strong and capable leader's, whom by the end of the war, wasn't around much, same with Corp Commander's and Brigade Commander's, Lee lost alot of his favorite General's through out the Campaign the Gettysburg and Overland Campaign, Kemper, Barksdale, Pender and so on, i also read or got this from somewhere but the phrase " Richmond has nothing to send" ( Not quite sure where) and with the Confederate Armies exhausted from all the campaign and alsoi think the Army was formed as an Army to protect Southern lands and border's i am not surprised when Lee set foot on Pennsylvania his Army wont function as well, the terrain is quite unknown to some CS Officer's, while to the Union it was like the back of their hand, i belive Lee was also traumatized ( If you want to call it that way) after Gettysburg losing all confidence of a swift Victory or an offensive, alot of article's or books i pass by and read sometimes mention alot that even during Gettysburg his Officer belive his decision to attack instead of repositioning the army ( i wont say retreat) was insane, the Movie Gettysburg portrayed Longstreet's resentment towards attacking the Union entrenced forces on Cemetary Ridge, General Lee being told hundreds and hundreds of time by his officers that this attack wont succeed, then turns a blind eye to any motion of retreating or staying idle, then led the attack which failed and resulted in the utter destruction of his Virginians and destroyed almost the morale of his men.

Lee belived that if he could destroy or damage the Army of the Potomac in Gettysburg it could boost morale all around and pave the way to Washington and even cripple any morale the union have left, he truly belive he could do it, he was more confident then ever, but when it all came crashing down on him, all that spirit and energy just become numb, during Gettysburg he had to chew out a couple of his Officer's including JEB Stuart his words were..upon meeting him " Well..at least you are here, General" he had lost confidence on his favourite Cavalry Officer, his 2nd in Command doubting his strategy all this pressured Lee of course, wanting to prove ( for want of a better word) that his decision could save the Southern Soil and pave all the way to Gettysburg, had he lost all that he had in a Victory he would have honored his dead, but it was not a Victory rather it was a defeat, he would weep and weep for the death of his men and Generals over his overly ambitious idea's, the fear of repeating it is what stay with him till the end of the war.

If that wasnt worse there was the public press, how they viewed Lee was diffrent that a year ago, also some Confederate officer's and Generals viewed him diffrently, one noticeably was General Pickett who is said to hate General Lee for his failed attack on the Pickett Charge, " That Old man had my division slaughtered" Lee would be more famous for his defeat after Gettysburg more then anything else, people will hear of Gettysburg more then they willl of Antienam or Maryland, because it was something nobody expected but all of this also put stress on Lee, after Gettysburg, the Confederate newspaper's headline were filled with thing's they did not or would not imagine, their idolized Confederate Hero in a white stead, lost a battle in Northern soil, this Army they know to be invincible and untouched by Union Armies that was idolized by every Southern gentleman there was now suddenly crippled after 1 battle, Gettysburg wasnt the most deadliest battle ( i belive Sharpsburg was) but it had a huge effect both on Lee's physchological mind and morale which then cost his ability and confidence on fighting the war. i could not blame Lee for wanting to resign, he had been exhausted, he had lost his Friend's and best Commander's, he accepted defeat like a true Gentleman instead of the opposite, it was Lee who once said " Defeat is not dishonor"

[Mercanto]

"I always thought the Yankees had something to do with it..."

- George E. Pickett, in a post-war interview regarding the blame for the defeat at Gettysburg