Therefore, neither general surpassed the other when it comes to military strategies, which rather debunks Shaara's portrayal of Longstreet's advanced knowledge of modern warfare. Despite the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg, often considered the turning point of the war, General Longstreet should not obey an order that results in a significant loss of men who would be extremely difficult to replace at that time. Already limited by the number of men still capable of fighting, pushing additional forces into open battle would almost completely exhaust the Confederate soldiers. Since this battle went on until the majority of the parties were exhausted, the South would have to play it safe against the Union's near-surplus supply of resources.