Morale can drive an army forward to victory, or drag it to defeat. The Battle of Gettysburg, a military turning point in the war, was also a crisis of motivation and initiative. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, aiming to push the war into the North to secure supplies and an impressive victory, drove into enemy territory in June, 1863. The Union Army of the Potomac followed on its heels, and the two armies collided at Gettysburg on July 1. The fighting continued for two more days and as the casualty rate soared, the morale of the armies virtually reversed.

Before the Battle of Gettysburg, the spirit of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was at its pinnacle. Many victories during the first two years of the War had confirmed the stabilizing and inspiring command and leadership of General Robert E. Lee. A southern soldier in a letter home wrote: "You may expect to hear brilliant achievements from our invincible army." But the dramatic defeat at Gettysburg caused an emotional turnaround.

In contrast, the confidence of the Union army of the Potomac before the battle was low. In June, 1863, George Gordon Meade became the fourth in a rapid succession of commanders, reinforcing long-held feelings of indecision and uncertainty. Continued Union losses during the first two years of the war had further dampened spirits. One soldier wrote, "What disgrace is greater than to belong to the Army of the Potomac?" But at the end of the battle, Lee and his Confederate army had been soundly whipped for the first time. Their spirits soared. Morale had virtually reversed.

The essence of the war changed with this transposition of spirit. The majority of Confederate soldiers seemed to sink into despair. An enlisted man wrote, "I have no heart for anything. We are whipped … the soldiers are all discouraged…." The Confederates would never be able to overcome irreplaceable losses at Gettysburg. Lost men were lost for good. With these lost men, Lee also lost his maneuverability, his tactical strong point. And with it, he lost the initiative, and his men lost their resolve.

Following Gettysburg, the Union army was able to push forward, as soldiers found renewed confidence in their leader. For the first time the war felt winnable. A New York soldier penned, "I never felt in better spirits…I see no reason why we will get whipped again." The troops moved forward with revived hope, superior not only in manpower but in spirit.

Following the Battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln stood on the sacred ground his army had claimed in victory and delivered the immortal Gettysburg Address. Those words of hope revitalized the morale of a nation, touching their hearts, and renewing their commitment to continue the fight for a new birth of freedom.