Over three days in July 1863, Union and Confederate forces met at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 165,000 soldiers fought there. 51,000 became casualties. The Confederacy never again launched a major campaign into the North. Four months later, Lincoln dedicated part of the battlefield with 272 words.

Key Takeaways

• Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) remains the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing across three days.

• John Buford's Union cavalry held the high ground north of town long enough on July 1 for Union infantry to seize Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge, and Little Round Top.

• Joshua Chamberlain's 20th Maine held the extreme left flank at Little Round Top with a bayonet charge after running low on ammunition. Losing the hill would have unraveled the Union line.

• Pickett's Charge on July 3 sent 14,000 Confederates across three-quarters of a mile of open ground toward the Union center. More than 6,500 became casualties. Only a fraction reached the Union line.

• Lincoln dedicated the Soldiers' National Cemetery on November 19, 1863, with a 272-word address that redefined the war as a test of whether government of, by, and for the people could endure.

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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Why is Gettysburg called the turning point of the Civil War?

Before Gettysburg, Lee had won most of his major battles and was invading the North for the second time. After Gettysburg, the Confederacy never again launched a major campaign into Union territory. Lee's army would fight defensively for the rest of the war.

Q2: What was Pickett's Charge?

On July 3, 1863, Lee ordered a massive assault on the Union center at Cemetery Ridge. George Pickett led roughly 14,000 Confederates across three-quarters of a mile of open ground under heavy artillery and rifle fire. More than 6,500 became casualties. Only a handful breached the Union line. The charge is remembered as the failed climax of the Confederate invasion.

Q3: What happened at Little Round Top?

On July 2, Colonel Strong Vincent rushed his brigade to occupy Little Round Top, the left flank of the Union line. Joshua Chamberlain's 20th Maine held the extreme end. When his men ran low on ammunition, Chamberlain ordered a downhill bayonet charge that stopped the Confederate assault. Losing Little Round Top would have let the Confederates get behind the Union line.

Q4: How long was the Gettysburg Address?

272 words. Lincoln delivered it on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery. Edward Everett, the featured speaker, spoke for over two hours before him. Lincoln's remarks took about two minutes.

Q5: Why didn't Meade pursue Lee after Gettysburg?

Meade's army had taken heavy casualties and he was cautious about pressing a wounded but still dangerous enemy. The Confederate army escaped back across the Potomac into Virginia. Lincoln was deeply disappointed and later drafted a letter to Meade saying the failure to pursue had cost the Union a chance to end the war. He never sent it.

The Bloodiest Battle in American History

In the first three days of July 1863, Union and Confederate forces clashed at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Over 165,000 soldiers fought there, making it the largest battle in the Civil War, and the largest battle in any war fought on American soil. About 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing, making Gettysburg the bloodiest battle of the war, worse than Shiloh or Antietam. In terms of total American casualties, it remains the bloodiest battle in all of American history.

The Stakes and the Armies

The stakes at Gettysburg were exceptionally high. Robert E. Lee needed a military victory north of the Mason-Dixon line. A win at Gettysburg would open up a path southward to Washington DC. Other cities would either be threatened or besieged with unrest. Such an impact could well provide Lee with the ability to force a negotiated end to the war. The small farming community of Gettysburg served as a junction for several important roads, a main reason the two armies collided there. 94,000 Union forces were led by George G. Meade. Robert E. Lee led 72,000 Confederate rebels. The preceding Chancellorsville campaign had given Lee the confidence, and the casualties, that shaped his decision to invade the North a second time.

Day 1: Buford Holds the High Ground

On the first of July, the first major encounter of the battle occurred on McPherson Ridge. Union cavalry under John Buford battled the advancing Confederate infantry led by Henry Heth. Buford held the high ground and delayed the Confederates until Union infantry arrived under the command of John F. Reynolds. Reynolds positioned his infantry in the woods. As he led his men, a Confederate bullet struck him in the neck, killing him instantly. Confederate forces gradually pushed Union troops back. By afternoon, they had forced the Northerners to retreat through Gettysburg and to the south of town. Though the day belonged to the Confederates, Buford's stand north of town had bought crucial time. Most importantly, it allowed the North to occupy strong defensive positions on the high ground: Cemetery Hill, Cemetery Ridge, and Little Round Top.

Day 2: The 20th Maine at Little Round Top

On July 2nd, clashes occurred at six locations, most famously on the rocky hill of Little Round Top. Little Round Top held the strategic key to the battle. It was the center of the Union flank. If the rebels captured it, they could get behind the Union line. Its high ground afforded maximal visibility, and a superior position for artillery and for defending against attackers. At one critical point, the North left Little Round Top undefended. Colonel Strong Vincent ran his brigade to the hill. Among his men were Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine. Other regiments hailed from Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. Two regiments from Texas powered up the slopes. The Federal line had nearly collapsed when Colonel Patrick O'Rorke led the 140th New York regiment in a successful counterattack. Vincent and O'Rorke were both killed that day. Under heavy assault by regiments from Alabama, the extreme left flank of the line, formed by Chamberlain and his men, began to give. The men took courage from Andrew Tozier, the young sergeant who stood firm and held straight the regimental colors. Chamberlain ordered the 20th Maine to fix bayonets and charge downhill. The decision paid off, and the Union forces held Little Round Top.

Day 3: Pickett's Charge

On Day 3, Lee ordered James Longstreet to make a massive assault on the Union center. The attack would span three quarters of a mile. Longstreet warned: "there was never a body of fifteen thousand men who could make that attack successfully." Lee persisted. The assault took shape under Major General George Pickett. He led what came to be known as Pickett's Charge. The Confederates marched from the woods of Seminary Ridge toward the Union line at Cemetery Ridge. Union artillery and infantry gunfire blasted the advance. Only a fraction of the Confederates managed to breach the Union line. 14,000 Confederates participated in Pickett's charge. 6,500 became casualties, including General Lewis A. Armistead, a Virginian, who was mortally wounded by Northern gunfire. The failed charge signaled Confederate defeat.

The End of Lee's Invasion

The loss at Gettysburg marked the end of Lee's invasion. The Confederates would not launch another major campaign deep into northern territory. Any hope of forcing a negotiated end of the war had vanished on the grounds at Gettysburg. As the rebels limped back toward the Potomac with wagon loads of wounded soldiers, Lee and his army were vulnerable. General Meade, however, and much to President Lincoln's dismay, pursued them too slowly. And so the Confederates returned to Virginia. Over the days that followed, as news of the battle spread, the Union victory strengthened Northern confidence and support for the war.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Four months later, on November 19, 1863, President Lincoln dedicated part of the battlefield as the site of the Soldiers' National Cemetery. On that occasion, he delivered his Gettysburg Address, just 272 words and the most beloved speech in American history. The president humbly noted that the living cannot consecrate the ground already hallowed by the fallen.

But Lincoln also pointed to the ultimate meaning of the sacrifices made: "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." For the full text of the address and other primary source documents from the Civil War era, visit the HISTORY250® documents library.