There were too many bodies. There were stacked coffins waiting to be filled on the day that President Lincoln delivered his presidential remarks to dedicate the Soldier’s National Cemetery at Gettysburg (Wills). The Battle of Gettysburg, spanning July 1-3, 1863, is considered the turning point in the American Civil War because it placed the Confederacy on the defensive. It had the greatest number of casualties from both sides at 46,000-51,000 men (GettysburgPA.gov). After two years of civil war and no satisfactory victory visible in the near future, the Union citizens and soldiers were beginning to drag their feet—even their most recent victory was bittersweet with high casualties and no resounding victory for the Union. The Union army was demoralized and disheartened, and they didn’t know if what they were fighting for was even worth it. On the global stage, the great American Experiment was crumbling, not even one century old. The Union decided to lick their wounds, establishing the ...