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Why did Lee order Pickett's Charge? Srinidhi Alur 2/23/12 The Battle of Gettysburg, otherwise known as Pickett’s Charge, proved to be one of the bloodiest losses of the Confederacy. The real reason why this proved to be such an epic failure lies with the strategy and techniques lead by General Robert E. Lee. To this day, many speculate why General Lee ordered this charge that ultimately doomed the fate of the Confederate Army. The answers to the question are simple. General Robert E. Lee wanted to make one last effort at Pennsylvania for the Confederacy cause. After so many victories against the Union army, he miscalculated what he needed to do to gain this crucial victory, which ended up changing the tide of the war and sealing the fate of the Confederate Army. General Robert E. Lee had been a man who took credit for many of the victories of the Confederates. Not too long before Pickett’s Charge he had defeated George G. Meades of the Union army and had them retreating back to safety. He helped “Stone wall” Jackson cut off supplies and reinforcements at Seven Pines which showed to be one of the more successful Confederate tactics. He also led the second battle of Bull Run, where he quickly defeated Pope. With so many victories, many believed that the Confederate Army had a strong fighting chance in the war. But as Lee’s already numerous victories started growing, so did his ego. After all these wins, Robert E. Lee now was aiming for Pennsylvania. He believed that this would be an easy win again for the Confederacy, and overestimated his strategy. When the Battle of Gettysburg had completed two days of vigorous and bloody fighting, he came up with a strategy that would cost him and his army dearly. He believed that Meade had weakened the center of his line the day before in order to reinforce his flanks. Lee wanted to hit the center of the line the next day. Although Longstreet warned him “I believe it will fail," Lee paid no heed. He led his men the next day and charged at the center of the Union Army, momentarily hurting them, but later causing severe casualties for the Confederate soldiers. After this battle, not only was the Confederate Army broken, but so was their spirit. This single battle seemed to have changed the tides of the war and the determined the fate of the Confederate soldiers. In reports of this battle, General Lee seemed to have implied that in fact, “his principal lieutenants had come up short, and would even wonder if he had asked his men to do too much”. But in all reality, it seemed to have been the fault and mistake of General Lee for letting pride get in the way of his judgment, causing him to formulate a strategy destined for failure.

Work Cited: "Civil War Trust." //Gettysburg//. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. . "Did Robert E. Lee Doom Himself at Gettysburg?" //Civil War Battle of Gettysburg Robert E. Lee//. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. . "Pickett's Charge." //Encyclopedia Virginia://. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. .