Gettysburg was a major battle that inflicted grievous wounds on both the North and the South. Though even at the time the Union was recognized at having come out on top, their losses led to discouragement and discontent at the ambiguity of the outcome throughout the North. Yet the slight margin of victory proved to be just enough to allow Sherman’s troops to defeat the Confederacy in Atlanta the next year. One of the enduring lessons of Gettysburg is that one never knows how consequential events may prove to be in the future, even when the results are mixed and messy.

Daniel L. Davis is a retired U.S. Army colonel who served multiple tours in Afghanistan. He is a senior fellow with Defense Priorities. Follow him on Twitter @DanielLDavis1. This article first appeared last year.

Image: Wikipedia.