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Midpoint of the War: May to July 1863

Gettysburg: The Third Day

Could Pemberton have fought on? Might it have made any difference?

Pemberton is often accused of cowardice, but the charge is unfair. He was a good general, who had been completely outmaneuvered and then overpowered by a much better one. Just as important, by July 3, 1863, Grant and his men had assumed a complete moral superiority over the Confederate defenders, who had known nothing but defeat. It is hard to say how much carnage would have resulted from a continuation of the siege, but one can state, categorically, that the men in blue were going to win this time.



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