Immediate reaction to the speech was mixed, with some publications praising it and others denouncing it. The president’s 272-word address lasted only several minutes. In fact, the date of the ceremony was postponed in order to allow Everett enough time to compose the speech. Harvard professor and former Massachusetts Governor Edward Everett preceded Lincoln and talked for two hours. Lincoln’s speech, however great, was not the headliner speech at the event. The horrible battle resulted in over 46,000 total casualties. In the epic, bloody three-day battle, which started on July 1, 1863, Confederate forces were finally repulsed by Union forces, and were forced to retreat back to the southern side of the Potomac River. Lee hoped to bring the fighting to Northern soil. Whereas virtually every major battle of the war occurred or was to occur on Southern soil, Confederate forces under Robert E. The battlefield, which is thought to be the site of largest battle ever waged on the North American continent, proved a turning point in the war. President Lincoln gave the address on November 19, 1863, at the dedication to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Gettysburg Address is widely considered one of the greatest speeches in American history.
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