Could it be argued Gettysburg was a draw?

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Neither side was driven from the field, both sides had suffered extremely heavily casualties especially amongst the officers (the Federals having lost three corps commanders, one killed the other two severely wounded), and neither side would be able to launch a major campaign in the east for the rest of 1863. Lee had managed to capture millions of pounds of food which would feed his army for the remainder of the year, and Lee did replace most of the losses sustained during the campaign despite popular belief.
 
It could be argued that it was a draw, though I would still stress that Lee's failure to defeat the Army of the Potomac on its home soil was certainly not what Lee had hoped for. The loss of the experienced men at the battle was a hard blow, but it wasn't a death knell for the Army of Northern Virginia. It's akin to Antietam; Lee is unable to achieve his main goals, but doesn't end up getting outright destroyed either.
 
Neither side was driven from the field, both sides had suffered extremely heavily casualties especially amongst the officers (the Federals having lost three corps commanders, one killed the other two severely wounded), and neither side would be able to launch a major campaign in the east for the rest of 1863. Lee had managed to capture millions of pounds of food which would feed his army for the remainder of the year, and Lee did replace most of the losses sustained during the campaign despite popular belief.
I would ask how much of the captured food made it back across the Potomac? I don't really know. I am under the impression that much of the live meat never made it, but admittedly I am certainly not well versed in this subject.
 
I have seen it suggested that the nature of fighting in the CW was such that because of supply and transportation issues, need to care for wounded, general exhaustion of all participants, etc., that very few battles were followed up by the victor pursuing the vanquished. It just wasn't possible in practical terms.

The Confederates withdrew because they had exhausted their ammunition, denuded the immediate countryside of supplies to the point that they no longer were able to collect adequate forage and food for themselves, and were in danger of having their line of retreat cut. This is a defeat in IMO. I think the Federals were ready and willing to fight some more on July 4 - the Confederates were not.

Given the vast amount of forage and food needed to supply Lee's army of about 75,000 daily, it is debatable how much of what was collected by the army actually made it back to Virginia as surplus. In any event, I have not seen it argued that the amount of supplies collected made up for the loss of men Lee suffered.
 
Meade to his wife, July 8, 1863: "I never claimed a victory, though I stated that Lee was defeated in his efforts to destroy my army."
Do you have a link to the source for that statement that you can share?

Here is another letter that he wrote his wife concerning Gettysburg.

…I hardly know when I last wrote to you, so many and such stirring events have occurred. I think I have written since the battle, but am not sure. It was a grand battle, and is in my judgment a most decided victory, though I did not annihilate or bag the Confederate Army. This morning they retired in great haste into the mountains, leaving their dead unburied and their wounded on the field. They awaited one day, expecting that, flushed with success, I would attack them, when they would play their old game of shooting us from behind breastworks-a game we played this time to their entire satisfaction. The men behaved splendidly; I really think they are becoming soldiers. They endured long marches, short rations, and stood one of the most terrific cannonadings I ever witnessed. Baldy was shot again, and I fear will not get over it. Two horses that George rode were killed, his own and the black mare. I had no time to think of either George or myself, for at one time things looked a little blue; but I managed to get up reinforcements in time to save the day. The army are in the highest spirits, and of course I am a great man….
Source:
 
This is awesome! - thank you so much. I had no idea it was available online.

In his letter of July 8, though, I am looking for context. My view, which shares the opinion of the writer of the article below, is that Meade is no McClellan and is not trying to toot his own horn regardless of his personal feeling that a victory was achieved at Gettysburg.

Headquarters Army of the Potomac, Frederick, July 8, 1863.

… I did and shall continue to do my duty to the best of my abilities, but knowing as I do that battles are often decided by accidents, and that no man of sense will say in advance what their result will be, I wish to be careful in not bragging before the right time….

….The street has been crowded with people, staring at me, and, much to my astonishment, I find myself a lion. I cannot say I appreciate all this honor, because I feel certain it is undeserved, and would like people to wait a little while. I send you a document I received yesterday afternoon. It will give you pleasure I know. Preserve it, because the terms in which the General in Chief speaks of the battle are stronger than any I have deemed it proper to use myself. I never claimed a victory, though I stated that Lee was defeated in his efforts to destroy my army. I am going to move as soon as I can get the army supplied with subsistence and ammunition.

 
I'd say it could be reasonably argued that it was a tactical draw but not that it was a strategic draw. I'd posit that the same happened several times.
I'd agree. There are many instances of what are called "Pyrrhic" victories -- for example, I've heard Chancellorsville referred to as such, since Lee did defeat Hooker but lost Jackson.
 
It was a tactical draw. And since it did nothing to stop the US forces from forcing the surrender of the Vicksburg and Port Hudson garrisons, and left the Confederates unable to stop the US from occupying both Chattanooga and Knoxville that Summer, the draw at Gettysburg was an enormous strategic loss for the Confederates. By the time the news of Gettysburg(and Vicksburg) reached London on approximately July 20, all chance of British forced mediation ended.
 
It was a tactical draw. And since it did nothing to stop the US forces from forcing the surrender of the Vicksburg and Port Hudson garrisons, and left the Confederates unable to stop the US from occupying both Chattanooga and Knoxville that Summer, the draw at Gettysburg was an enormous strategic loss for the Confederates. By the time the news of Gettysburg(and Vicksburg) reached London on approximately July 20, all chance of British forced mediation ended.
I don't really think there was much Lee could do about that in the first place.
 
It was a tactical draw. And since it did nothing to stop the US forces from forcing the surrender of the Vicksburg and Port Hudson garrisons, and left the Confederates unable to stop the US from occupying both Chattanooga and Knoxville that Summer, the draw at Gettysburg was an enormous strategic loss for the Confederates. By the time the news of Gettysburg(and Vicksburg) reached London on approximately July 20, all chance of British forced mediation ended.
In that sense, it was also a morale-al (is that a word?) loss -- the quadruple summer defeats really hit the Confederacy all at the same time.
 
Neither side was driven from the field, both sides had suffered extremely heavily casualties especially amongst the officers (the Federals having lost three corps commanders, one killed the other two severely wounded), and neither side would be able to launch a major campaign in the east for the rest of 1863. Lee had managed to capture millions of pounds of food which would feed his army for the remainder of the year, and Lee did replace most of the losses sustained during the campaign despite popular belief.
No. Lee was lucky on day 1 and lost on days 2&3.
 
In that sense, it was also a morale-al (is that a word?) loss -- the quadruple summer defeats really hit the Confederacy all at the same time.
Even then as Gary Gallagher has pointed out, the ANV wasn't really that badly stricken in terms of morale after Gettysburg and most Southern citizens only wrote of Gettysburg as a minor setback in comparison to Vicksburg, Tullahoma, Port Hudson, and the fear of losing Charleston.
 
I'd agree. There are many instances of what are called "Pyrrhic" victories -- for example, I've heard Chancellorsville referred to as such, since Lee did defeat Hooker but lost Jackson.
He lost way more than Jackson. He lost about 13,000 soldiers as well. Chancellorsville was a bloody hard fought affair, and while it was a victory for him, it was a victory that was exceedingly expensive to win.
 
No, it could not be considered a tactical draw, in my opinion. The Union Army didn't have to totally destroy the Confederate army, drive them from the field, or severely demoralize them to achieve victory. If that's the criteria you're using, then the Battle of Chancellorsville is also a tactical draw. The Union Army was not destroyed. Nor were they driven from the field. It was easily winnable for the Union right up until Hooker decided it was not. However, most of his core commanders wanted to stay. And the Union soldiers were not demoralized. What most had trouble with was all the sacrifices they were making and the death surrounding them, only to have the lead general quit the field the moment the battle turned against them. Furthermore, Lee lambasted his generals for not crossing the river in pursuit of Hooker with wording that was very similar to Lincoln's unsent letter to Meade. Except Lee was a whole lot less polite and more than willing to speak his mind in front of everyone.

And actually what Gary Gallagher said, which Allen Guelzo backed up, is that Confederate morale did plummet at first, but then recovered. Gallagher said the very same thing about the first Battle of Bull Run. Union morale plummeted, but soon recovered. So, good luck selling that battle as a tactical draw.

The difference between strategic and tactical is that strategic is the long term plan and tactical is the short term actions to get to that goal. In other words, it's long term goals versus short term goals.

Hence, it was not a strategic victory for the Union. There was no long term plan that they had which involved Lee marching into Pennsylvania, raiding a bunch of towns, and threatening Washington D.C. It was a tactical victory for the Union because they achieved their short term goals: Find Lee's army, protect the Capitol, and drive the invaders back across the river and out of the north. Abraham Lincoln would probably say it was a strategic defeat, because the long term goal was to destroy Lee's army and win the war. But, in actuality, it really had very little strategic significance for the Union, especially in comparison to Vicksburg. The strategic defeat was at the Battle of Chancellorsville, and Meade was essentially left doing damage control. Even if it wasn't part of their strategic plan, leaving a Rebel Army to run amuck through the Pennsylvania countryside is obviously not going to help their chances for ultimate victory. Had Meade destroyed Lee's army, though, then it would have been both a tactical and strategic victory for the Union.

It was both a strategic and tactical defeat for the Confederacy. Lee did not achieve his long term goals, which was to win the war by forcing the Union to accept a negotiated peace. And he failed to achieve it, because he failed in his short term goals, which were raiding supplies, hurting northern morale by raiding and/or a decisive defeat of the Union Army on northern soil, and taking the fighting out of war torn Virginia. Admittedly, though, one could argue that it was a partial tactical victory. Lee did conduct raids. And I suppose you could say he took the fighting out of Virginia, if you happen to think one battle was much of a respite for the state. Regardless, it was all nullified due to the outcome of the battle.

As far as the first day of the battle, that was a tactical win for the Confederacy, but a strategic win for the Union Army. Reynolds and Buford knew they couldn't defeat Lee's army with only the troops they had. All they were trying to do is hold the high ground until the rest of the army got there, which they achieved.
 
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