USPS on 1 July 2013 issued the third of a five-year series commemorating the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Featured here is the Battle of Gettysburg stamp on a maxim card, postmarked with a first day cover cancellation from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The first day cover of the Battle of Vicksburg is postmarked Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Designed by art director Phil Jordan, the 2013 Civil War stamps feature the same format as previous issues, including traditional artwork. The Gettysburg stamp pictures an 1887 chromolithograph by Thure de Thustrup while the Vicksburg image was taken from an 1863 Currier and Ives lithograph. The selvage on the front of the pane pictures a Matthew Brady photo of Confederate prisoners at Gettysburg. There are also quotes from battlefield nurse Clara Barton, President Abraham Lincoln, Rufus Dawes, and William Tunnard (solders from each of the honored battles). The back of the pane tells the story of the two battles.
The Battle of Gettysburg, 1 - 3 July 1863
In June 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee began to carry out his bold plan to invade Pennsylvania and perhaps deal a decisive blow to the Union. By the end of the month, troops from his Army of Northern Virginia had moved out of Fredericksburg, VA, and crossed the Potomac River into Maryland, on their way toward Pennsylvania. There, on 1 July, near the small town of Gettysburg, Lee’s forces would meet those of Major General George Gordon Meade, the newly appointed Union commander of the Army of the Potomac.
The ensuing three-day Battle of Gettysburg — in places soon known across the nation as the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and Devil’s Den — was the largest battle fought during the war and Lee’s first major defeat. Casualties exceeded 50,000, including more than 7,500 killed or mortally wounded. For Lee’s forces and the South, Gettysburg has often been called the “high water mark of the Rebellion.”
During the three-day battle, Robert E. Lee’s full strength was concentrated against the Army of the Potomac. Although they breached the Union line on July 3, Confederate troops were unable to withstand withering artillery during “Pickett’s Charge.” Nearly one third of Lee’s army was casualties. During their retreat, their train of wounded Confederate soldiers stretched for more than fourteen miles.
The Battle of Gettysburg, 1 - 3 July 1863
In June 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee began to carry out his bold plan to invade Pennsylvania and perhaps deal a decisive blow to the Union. By the end of the month, troops from his Army of Northern Virginia had moved out of Fredericksburg, VA, and crossed the Potomac River into Maryland, on their way toward Pennsylvania. There, on 1 July, near the small town of Gettysburg, Lee’s forces would meet those of Major General George Gordon Meade, the newly appointed Union commander of the Army of the Potomac.
The ensuing three-day Battle of Gettysburg — in places soon known across the nation as the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and Devil’s Den — was the largest battle fought during the war and Lee’s first major defeat. Casualties exceeded 50,000, including more than 7,500 killed or mortally wounded. For Lee’s forces and the South, Gettysburg has often been called the “high water mark of the Rebellion.”
During the three-day battle, Robert E. Lee’s full strength was concentrated against the Army of the Potomac. Although they breached the Union line on July 3, Confederate troops were unable to withstand withering artillery during “Pickett’s Charge.” Nearly one third of Lee’s army was casualties. During their retreat, their train of wounded Confederate soldiers stretched for more than fourteen miles.
In the West, Grant’s army had laid siege to Vicksburg, a key town along the Mississippi River. His men tried to battle their way into the fortified town in early spring, but the obstacles were insurmountable. Grant then tried to tunnel his army in, but that failed as well. The Union general then had his troops surround the town, cutting off its supply line, and begin a daily artillery assault. On July 4, after a 47-day siege, Confederate General John C. Pemberton surrendered. With its victory, the Union took control of the Mississippi River and severed the Confederacy in half. This Confederate defeat occurred the day after Lee's defeat at Gettysburg.
Source: USPS and Mystic Stamps
No comments:
Post a Comment