Gettysburg

        Robert E. Lee led his Army of Northern Virginia in its second invasion of the North-the Gettysburg Campaign. Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker and his Union Army of the Potomac moved in pursuit. However, was relieved of command three days before the battle. Maj. Gen. George Meade, the successor of Hooker, and his army traveled north-ward in order to keep him and his army between Lee and Washington D.C. When he learned about Meade being in Pennsylvania also, Lee concentrated and set his army in Gettysburg. On July 1st, 1863, west and north of the town, parts of the two armies collided.Union cavalry, under Brig. Gen. John Buford, slowed the advance of the Confederates until Union infantry, the Union 1st and 11th corps arrived. However, more Confederate reinforcements under generals A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell arrived. Ultimately, 30,000 Confederates defeated the 20,000 Yankees, who fell back to the hills south of Gettysburg--Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill. On the second day of the battle, the Union defended a range of hills and ridges south of Gettysburg with about 90,000 soldiers while the Confederates essentially wrapped around the Union's position with about 70,000 soldiers. On July 2nd, Lee launched a heavy assault on the Unions left side and fierce fighting broke at Devil's Den, Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard and on Cemetery Ride. On the right, a full-scale of assaults on Culp's Hill and East Cemetery Hill. Although the Confederates were gaining land, the Union still held strong positions by the end of the day. On July 3rd, fighting continued on Culp's Hill and battles raged east and south. However, the main event was that of the assault of 12,000 Confederates against the center Union line on Cemetery Ridge (Pickett's Charge). The charge repulsed by Union fire, at great losses of the Confederate army.

         The Battle of Gettysburg is a very important historical event because it ended in as many as 51,000 soldiers on both the Union and the Confederates dying. Many of them were also either captured, missing or wounded in the three-day battle. But, four months after the battle, President Abraham Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for Gettysburg's Soldiers National Cemetery to honor the fallen Union soldiers. He also redefines the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.

(Source: http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg.html?tab=facts)