Peter Carmichael refers to the military context for the armies, the "horrendous losses at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, which effectively destroyed Lee's offensive capacity," implying that these cumulative losses were not the result of a single battle. Thomas Goss, writing in the U.S. Army's Military Review journal on the definition of "decisive" and the application of that description to Gettysburg, concludes: "For all that was decided and accomplished, the Battle of Gettysburg fails to earn the label 'decisive battle'."Carmichael, p. xvii; The military historian John Keegan agrees. Gettysburg was a landmark battle, the largest of the war and it would not be surpassed. The Union had restored to it the belief in certain victory, and the loss dispirited the Confederacy. If "not exactly a decisive battle", Gettysburg was the end of Confederate use of Northern Virginia as a military buffer zone, the setting for Grant's Overland Campaign.Keegan, pp. 202, 239.
Peter Carmichael refers to the military context for the armies the "horrendous losses at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg which effectively destroyed Lee's offensive capacity" implying that these cumulative losses were not the result of a single battle Thomas Goss writing in the US Army's Military Review journal on the definition of "decisive" and the application of that description to Gettysburg concludes "For all that was decided and accomplished the Battle of Gettysburg fails to earn the label 'decisive battle'"Carmichael p xvii; The military historian John Keegan agrees Gettysburg was a landmark battle the largest of the war and it would not be surpassed The Union had restored to it the belief in certain victory and the loss dispirited the Confederacy If "not exactly a decisive battle" Gettysburg was the end of Confederate use of Northern Virginia as a military buffer zone the setting for Grant's Overland CampaignKeegan pp 202 239