July 3 - Gettysburg's Monumental Price: The Stunning Battle That Turned the Civil War

When Sin Festers Like Battlefield Stench

Jul 03, 2024

This is the day the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle ever fought on the American continent, ended in a major victory for the Union during the U.S. Civil War in 1863.

In today's lesson, we will explore how the grim aftermath of a historic battle serves as a powerful metaphor for the pervasive nature of sin and our need for spiritual cleansing. How can the stench of decay on a Civil War battlefield illuminate our understanding of Paul's words about being the "aroma of Christ"? What does it mean for us to emit a spiritual fragrance that brings life rather than death?

"For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?" - 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NIV)

This Date in History

The morning sun cast long shadows across the Pennsylvania countryside as Confederate General Robert E. Lee studied the Union battle line stretched along Cemetery Ridge. Two days of brutal fighting had failed to break the enemy. Now, on July 3, 1863, Lee made a decision that would echo through American history. He would stake everything on one massive assault against the center of the Union position.

Lee's Army of Northern Virginia had marched into Pennsylvania three weeks earlier, riding high on confidence from recent victories at Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg. The Confederate commander believed a decisive victory on Northern soil might force Washington to negotiate peace and secure Southern independence. His 75,000 battle-hardened veterans represented the South's best hope for achieving that goal.

The Union Army of the Potomac, under newly appointed General George Meade, had pursued Lee northward. When advance units from both armies collided near the small town of Gettysburg on July 1, neither commander had intended to fight there. But the road network and terrain made withdrawal impossible. Within hours, the chance encounter had escalated into the largest battle ever fought on American soil.

The first two days of fighting had been savage. Confederate attacks on July 1 drove Union forces through Gettysburg to defensive positions on Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge. On July 2, Lee ordered simultaneous assaults on both flanks of the Union line. At Little Round Top, Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's 20th Maine Regiment barely held the left end of the Union line in desperate hand-to-hand combat. Confederate General James Longstreet's corps attacked the right flank at Culp's Hill with equal ferocity. Despite heroic efforts, Lee's forces failed to break the Union defensive positions.

Now Lee faced his most crucial decision. His staff officers urged retreat, but the Confederate commander remained convinced that one more attack could shatter Union resistance. He ordered a frontal assault on Cemetery Ridge, believing the Union center had been weakened by reinforcements sent to defend the flanks. Three divisions under Generals George Pickett, Johnston Pettigrew, and Isaac Trimble would lead nearly 12,500 men across a mile of open ground.

At 1 p.m. on July 3, Confederate artillery opened the largest bombardment in the war's history. For nearly two hours, 150 cannons pounded the Union center. When the guns fell silent at 3 p.m., Confederate soldiers emerged from the tree line and began their advance. What followed became known as Pickett's Charge, though Pickett commanded only one of the three attacking divisions.

The charge was magnificent and doomed. Union artillery raked the advancing lines while riflemen waited behind stone walls. A handful of Confederates briefly broke through the Union line near a copse of trees, but they were quickly overwhelmed. Within an hour, over 6,000 Confederate soldiers lay dead or wounded on the field. Lee's gamble had failed catastrophically.

As his shattered divisions retreated, Lee rode among them, accepting full responsibility for the disaster. "It is all my fault," he told his men. The next day, July 4, 1863, Lee began his painful withdrawal to Virginia. His invasion of the North was over, and with it the Confederacy's best chance for independence.

The Battle of Gettysburg is often described as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy," representing the closest the South ever came to its goal of achieving independence. Its outcome, along with the fall of Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 4, is widely considered the turning point of the Civil War. The Union victory gave new hope to the Northern states and dealt a significant blow to the Confederacy's chances of achieving independence.

Today, the Gettysburg National Military Park preserves the site of the battle, allowing visitors to walk in the footsteps of soldiers and reflect on this crucial moment in American history. The battle continues to captivate historians and the public alike, serving as a stark reminder of the cost of war and the complex socio-political landscape that shaped American history during this pivotal era.

Historical Context

The Battle of Gettysburg occurred in the midst of profound national upheaval. By 1863, the Civil War had raged for two years, rooted in irreconcilable differences over slavery, states' rights, and the nature of the Union itself. The North, rapidly industrializing, opposed the spread of slavery, while the agrarian South, dependent on enslaved labor, viewed secession as a constitutional right. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 intensified this divide, prompting eleven Southern states to form the Confederacy. Armed conflict began in 1861 after a forced Confederate attack on Union held Fort Sumter, signaling the breakdown of political compromise. As the war progressed, Confederate victories emboldened General Robert E. Lee to launch a second invasion of the North, hoping a decisive win on Union soil would prompt European recognition and force a peace settlement.

Meanwhile, the civilian toll mounted. Conscription sparked unrest, economies strained under the weight of war, and families were fractured. Technological advancements in weaponry made the war deadlier than any previous American conflict, while medical care lagged behind the carnage. Politically, Lincoln faced criticism from anti-war Democrats in the North, while the South grappled with internal dissent and dwindling resources. When Union and Confederate forces converged at Gettysburg, the stakes were immense. A Confederate victory could have altered the war’s trajectory, perhaps even leading to Southern independence. Instead, Gettysburg became a pivotal turning point, marking the beginning of the Confederacy’s decline and reaffirming the Union's resolve to endure.

Did You Know?
The battlefield became a gruesome health hazard in the aftermath of the fighting. With over 7,000 dead soldiers and 3,000 dead horses left on the field, the stench was reportedly detectable from many miles away. It took over 100 days to bury all the bodies, and the process of identifying and properly interring the dead continued for years after the battle.
Mary Virginia "Jennie" Wade, age 20, was the only civilian killed by gunfire at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. She died kneading dough in her sister's kitchen after a bullet passed through two doors; her mother later baked 15 loaves of bread with that dough.
John L. Burns, a 69‑year‑old War of 1812 veteran, walked to the front on July 1 and fought with Pennsylvania infantry as a civilian sharpshooter. He was wounded multiple times but survived, became known as Gettysburg's "Hero," and lived until 1872.
Elizabeth Möser Thorn, about six months pregnant, personally buried approximately 100 soldiers in the week following the battle, stepping in while her husband, the cemetery caretaker, was away.

Today’s Reflection

The aftermath of Gettysburg was more than a military turning point—it was a human catastrophe. In the sweltering heat of July 1863, the green Pennsylvania fields were choked with the bodies of more than 7,000 fallen soldiers and 3,000 horses. The smell of death reportedly lingered for miles. Crews labored for months just to bury the dead. That scene of devastation stands not only as a tragic chapter of history but also as a vivid image of the spiritual condition left behind by sin.

Sin, like the stench of that battlefield, does not stay confined. It spreads. It corrupts everything it touches. If left undealt with, it affects our minds, our choices, our relationships, even the atmosphere of our homes and communities. Just as the aftermath of Gettysburg posed a physical threat to the living, unconfessed sin becomes a spiritual hazard to everyone around us.

The Apostle Paul draws a striking contrast to that image. He writes, "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life." 2 Corinthians 2:15–16 (NIV)

As believers, we are called to carry a different kind of fragrance. Not the scent of decay, but the aroma of life. Not the residue of guilt, but the presence of Christ.

This invites a personal question: What kind of spiritual aroma follows you? When others interact with you, are they met with bitterness, pride, or secrecy—or do they sense peace, humility, and grace? Is your life marked by the lingering odor of unresolved sin, or by the fragrant presence of the Savior?

At Gettysburg, the burial process took over 100 days. It was slow, painful, and essential. Likewise, dealing with sin is often gradual and difficult. Repentance is not a single act but a rhythm. It demands honest examination, confession, and the humility to let God do the cleansing. Without it, healing cannot take root.

And just as the fields of Gettysburg could not begin to recover until the dead were properly buried, our souls cannot begin to flourish until sin is confronted and laid to rest.

Paul's words also remind us that our lives have a spiritual aroma that affects others. To some, that fragrance points to life in Christ. To others, it's a testimony they may reject. But either way, we carry an influence. The world will smell what we bring.

This is a weighty responsibility. And it leads to the same question Paul asked: "And who is equal to such a task?" We are not. But Christ is.

He is the cleansing, the fragrance, the life. Our role is to yield. To walk in step with the Spirit. To let the pleasing aroma of Christ displace the hidden rot within us.

So today, examine the air around your soul. Let the lesson of Gettysburg remind you: the longer sin remains unburied, the more it festers. But when we surrender it, when we let the old things die, something new can begin to breathe.

Practical Application

Conduct a personal spiritual inventory by spending time in quiet reflection, asking God to reveal any unconfessed sin or unresolved bitterness that may be creating a spiritual "stench" in your life. Write these down privately, confess them specifically to God, and ask Him to replace that spiritual decay with the pleasing aroma of Christ's presence. Then identify one person in your life who might benefit from experiencing Christ's fragrance through your interactions, and intentionally demonstrate grace, humility, or forgiveness in your next encounter with them.

Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the profound truth that through Christ, we can carry the pleasing aroma of life rather than the stench of spiritual death. We confess that too often we allow sin to fester unburied in our hearts, affecting not only our own souls but those around us. Like the fields of Gettysburg, our lives sometimes bear the lingering odor of what should have been laid to rest long ago.
Lord, search our hearts and reveal what needs to be confessed and cleansed. Give us the courage to face sin honestly and the humility to surrender it completely to You. Transform us from the inside out, so that others encounter the fragrance of Christ in our words, actions, and attitudes. Help us remember that we carry a sacred responsibility—to be vessels through which Your grace flows to a world desperate for hope. Make us faithful stewards of this calling, knowing that You alone are sufficient for such a task. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Final Thoughts

The spiritual condition of our hearts affects everyone around us, just as surely as the aftermath of Gettysburg affected the surrounding countryside for miles. We cannot compartmentalize sin or pretend it stays contained. But God offers us something infinitely better than our own efforts at cleanup—He offers us the very presence of Christ as our spiritual fragrance. When we surrender our hidden corruption to Him, He doesn't just mask the stench; He transforms us into something that brings life to others. The question is not whether we're perfect, but whether we're willing to let God bury the dead things and breathe new life into our souls.