The Battle of Gettysburg was the last time that the Confederate army tried to wage a large battle on Union ground during the Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865. The battle took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and lasted from July 1st to July 3rd. The battle began when the South, led by Robert E. Lee, came to Gettysburg in search of shoes for his troops. The Confederate troops ran into a Union cavalry and the battle began. John Bufordıs cavalry was waiting in Gettysburg, but was not able to hold the Confederate troops itself. More Union troops were sent to the battlefield followed by Confederate troops. Lee began the attack. The first day of the battle the Confederacy showed promise when it pushed back the Union troops. In this first day of battle 8,000 Confederate men died and 9,000 men from the Union died. The second day of battle began slowly until late afternoon when Lee and his troops attacked the Union flanks. This dayıs battle took place on Little Round Top where the Confederacyıs tactic was to capture the Union flank, but the Confederacy failed because of Colonel Joshua Chamberlain. Chamberlain was the head of the 20th Maine. This one regiment forced one part of the Confederacy to surrender on Little Round Top. The death toll was larger than the day before with both armiesı fatalities totalling 9,000 men. The final day of the Battle of Gettysburg marked ³Pickettıs Charge². Lee ordered General George E. Pickett and his troops of 13,000 men to attack the center of the Union line at Cemetery Ridge. The Union was ready for the attack and shot down the Confederates who tried to come across the lines. The few that made it across the Union line were either shot or surrendered. Only 3,000 men returned from ³Pickettıs Charge². When Lee told Pickett to gather his troops in case the Union attacked, Pickett replied to Lee, ³General Lee, I have no division.² July 3, 1863 marked the end of the Battle of Gettysburg with a victory by the Union and the fatalities totalling 50,000 men.
