July 1, On This Day 1863: Battle of Gettysburg Begins
- Gen. Robert E. Lee
July 01, 2009 12:10 AM
On July 1, 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lee led Confederate troops into the battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. The three-day conflict left approximately 5,500 dead.
by “findingDulcinea” Staff
at findingDulcinea.com
A Turning Point in the Civil War
The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pa., on July 1–3, 1863, was a turning point in the war. Southern forces arrived in Gettysburg in high spirits. They took the lead on the first day of fighting, but the North retreated to stronger positions. The South suffered heavy losses during the second day, which was the bloodiest of the battle, according to the Gettysburg National Military Park Virtual Tour.
Lee’s final effort came on July 3, when he ordered an ill-fated attack on the seemingly weak center of Union forces on Cemetery Ridge. His nearly 12,000-man assault, known as “Pickett’s Charge,” resulted in the death, injury or capture of about 5,500 soldiers from both armies, the Gettysburg National Military Park Virtual Tour reports, and marked the end of the South’s northern advance.
