This most famous and most important Civil War Battle occurred over three hot summer days, July 1 to July 3, 1863,
around the small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It began as a skirmish but by the time it ended, it
involved 160,00 Americans.
Before the battle, major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington itself, were under
threat of attack from General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia which had crossed the
Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania.
the Union Army of the Potomac under its new and untried commander, General…
