ped by CS general Jones. In this skirmish, The US received 613 dead, wounded, or captured, while the CS only received 510 dead, wounded, or captured.General Hooker was the supreme commander of the Army of the Potomac during the battle at Chancellorsville which the Confederates lost. Lincoln thought that Hooker made a mistake at Chancellorsville because he thought the war could have been won then. Hooker resigned six days before the battle of Gettysburg. Meade was then ordered to take Hookers place. Meade refused at first but then accepted. Lincoln and his cabinet wanted to fire Hooker but it would look bad politically, so they waited for him to mess up and then they hoped he would resign. This indeed did happen as they planned. When Hooker resigned he thought he would have to argue for it nut Lincoln and his Cabinet gave it to him without and resistance.Meade wasn't sure what he was going to do when he was given the command of the Army of the Potomac. He decided he would follow Lee's Army to Gettysburg while keeping Washington and Baltimore well defended.The battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863. Lt. Marcellus E. Jones of the US fired the first shot while trying to hit a CS officer at a range of 700 yards. He missed then retreated not hoping to hit the officer but slow him down. 70,000 CS troops would participate in the battle and 90,000 US troops would participate.Meade was hoping for the meeting of the two forces to be 20 miles southeast Gettysburg, so he had Union engineers build trenches along Pipe creek. The battle took place much closer to Gettysburg. The ridges that were west of Gettysburg ran North to South about one mile from the town. The first CS troops to arrive encountered Herr Ridge which was named after a tavern located on its crest. 900 Yards east of Herr Ridge there was a small stream called Willoughby Run. Past Willoughby Run there was McPherson's ridge and 17- acres of woods called McPherson's Woods. McPherson'...
