# Canonical recap data for Battle of Gettysburg (1863)
# Source: https://recap.at/1863/battle-of-gettysburg
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: battle-of-gettysburg
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1863/battle-of-gettysburg"
title: Battle of Gettysburg
aliases:
- Gettysburg Campaign
- Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
- July 1863
subtitle: Lee's gamble on Northern soil ended in catastrophic defeat.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1863-07-01
datePrecision: day
year: 1863
decade: 1860
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: The three-day battle in July 1863 marked the Union's first decisive victory and ended Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North, shifting the war's momentum irreversibly.
summaryLong: |-
  When Robert E. Lee crossed into Pennsylvania in June 1863, he believed the Army of Northern Virginia could win a decisive battle on Northern soil-one that might convince foreign powers to recognize the Confederacy and fracture Northern resolve. On July 1, Confederate forces stumbled into the Union Army of the Potomac near the town of Gettysburg, setting off three days of fighting that would leave 51,000 men dead, wounded, or missing.

  The first day saw Confederate forces under A.P. Hill drive back Union cavalry under John Buford and infantry under John Reynolds, who was killed in the fighting. But Union reinforcements arrived throughout the day, and by evening, Major General George Meade-who'd taken command of the Army of the Potomac just three days earlier-had positioned his forces on high ground south of town. On July 2, Lee attacked both flanks in fierce fighting at Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard, and Cemetery Ridge, but failed to break the Union line. Meade's artillery dominated the heights.

  The battle's climax came on July 3 with Pickett's Charge, the famous assault on Cemetery Ridge led by George Pickett and preceded by the largest artillery bombardment of the war. Nearly 15,000 Confederate soldiers advanced across open ground into a withering crossfire. They crested the Union line briefly before being repulsed with staggering losses. Lee had no reserves left. By evening, he ordered a retreat.

  Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle in American history and the turning point of the war. Lee's invasion had failed completely; his army, while still dangerous, would never again threaten Northern territory. Meade didn't pursue aggressively enough to destroy Lee's force entirely-a decision Lincoln found frustrating-but the Union had broken the Confederacy's momentum and proved it could defeat Lee in open battle. Three months later, in November 1863, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the cemetery there, reframing the war as a struggle for human equality rather than mere Union preservation.

  The casualties were staggering: 23,000 Union soldiers and 28,000 Confederate soldiers killed, wounded, or missing. Both sides had thrown their full strength into the fight. Gettysburg ended any realistic Confederate hope of foreign intervention or negotiated peace from a position of strength. It opened the path to Sherman's invasion of Georgia and Grant's grinding campaign toward Richmond.
lede: Three days of brutal fighting in rural Pennsylvania in July 1863 left over 50,000 casualties and delivered the Union its first major battlefield victory over Robert E. Lee's army. The Confederate invasion of the North collapsed, and the war's momentum shifted decisively-the South would never again mount a serious threat to Northern territory.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Thure_de_Thulstrup_-_L._Prang_and_Co._-_Battle_of_Gettysburg_-_Restoration_by_Adam_Cuerden.jpg/1280px-Thure_de_Thulstrup_-_L._Prang_and_Co._-_Battle_of_Gettysburg_-_Restoration_by_Adam_Cuerden.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Battle of Gettysburg"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Total casualties
  value: 51,000 (23,000 Union; 28,000 Confederate)
- label: Battle duration
  value: July 1–3, 1863
- label: Union commander
  value: Major General George Meade
- label: Confederate commander
  value: General Robert E. Lee
- label: Soldiers in Pickett's Charge
  value: Approximately 15,000
- label: Union infantry corps present
  value: "7"
- label: Confederate divisions present
  value: "13"
- label: Confederate retreat began
  value: July 3–4, 1863.
timeline:
- date: 1863-06-15
  title: Lee crosses Potomac
  description: Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia begins crossing into Maryland and Pennsylvania, seeking a decisive victory on Northern soil.
- date: 1863-06-28
  title: Meade assumes command
  description: Major General George Meade takes command of the Army of the Potomac, replacing Joseph Hooker just three days before the battle.
- date: 1863-07-01
  title: First day of battle
  description: Confederate forces under A.P. Hill encounter Union cavalry under John Buford northwest of Gettysburg. Fighting escalates as reinforcements arrive. Union General John Reynolds is killed in action. Confederates gain ground but Union forces establish defensive positions south of town.
- date: 1863-07-02
  title: Second day-flank attacks
  description: Lee attacks both Union flanks. Fierce fighting occurs at Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard, and Cemetery Ridge. Union artillery on high ground proves decisive. Confederate attacks fail to break the line despite heavy casualties.
- date: 1863-07-03
  title: Pickett's Charge
  description: Following the largest artillery bombardment of the war, George Pickett leads 15,000 Confederate soldiers in a frontal assault on Cemetery Ridge. The attack crests the Union line briefly before being repulsed with devastating losses. Lee has no reserves to exploit any breakthrough.
- date: 1863-07-04
  title: Lee retreats
  description: Robert E. Lee orders the Army of Northern Virginia to begin withdrawing toward the Potomac. The invasion of the North has failed completely. Union commander Meade does not pursue aggressively.
- date: 1863-11-19
  title: Gettysburg Address
  description: Abraham Lincoln delivers his brief but transformative speech at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg, reframing the war as a struggle for equality and democratic principle.
sources: []
related: []
gallery:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20250424040046/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/The_Battle_of_Gettysburg%2C_Pa.%2C_July_3rd%2C_1863_MET_DP831356.jpg/1280px-The_Battle_of_Gettysburg%2C_Pa.%2C_July_3rd%2C_1863_MET_DP831356.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/The_Battle_of_Gettysburg%2C_Pa.%2C_July_3rd%2C_1863_MET_DP831356.jpg/800px-The_Battle_of_Gettysburg%2C_Pa.%2C_July_3rd%2C_1863_MET_DP831356.jpg"
  caption: The Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 3rd, 1863 MET DP831356
  credit: Currier and Ives
  width: 3815
  height: 2937
  alt: A colorful lithograph depicting the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3rd, 1863, showing Union soldiers on horseback and foot amid cannon fire and smoke, with mountains forested in evergreens visible in the background and American flags flying above the dense crowd of combatants.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Map_of_the_Battle_of_Gettysburg_showing_positions_held_July_1st_%26_3rd_1863._LOC_gvhs01.vhs00147.jpg/1280px-Map_of_the_Battle_of_Gettysburg_showing_positions_held_July_1st_%26_3rd_1863._LOC_gvhs01.vhs00147.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Map_of_the_Battle_of_Gettysburg_showing_positions_held_July_1st_%26_3rd_1863._LOC_gvhs01.vhs00147.jpg/800px-Map_of_the_Battle_of_Gettysburg_showing_positions_held_July_1st_%26_3rd_1863._LOC_gvhs01.vhs00147.jpg"
  caption: Map of the Battle of Gettysburg showing positions held July 1st & 3rd 1863. LOC gvhs01.vhs00147
  credit: Sneden, Robert Knox
  width: 1716
  height: 2178
  alt: A historical hand-colored map depicts the Battle of Gettysburg with Union Army positions marked in purple and Confederate positions in pink, showing troop placements and terrain features including roads, ridges, and waterways around the town of Gettysburg as they stood on July 1st and 3rd, 1863. The map includes geographic details such as named locations, hills, and nearby towns, with a scale of one mile and a legend identifying the opposing forces' positions during this pivotal Civil War battle.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Gettysburg_Council_of_War.jpg/1280px-Gettysburg_Council_of_War.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Gettysburg_Council_of_War.jpg/800px-Gettysburg_Council_of_War.jpg"
  caption: Gettysburg Council of War
  credit: James Edward Kelly, Engraver
  width: 2760
  height: 2052
  alt: A historical engraving depicting a council of war scene with military officers in 19th-century uniforms gathered indoors, with a bearded officer standing centrally addressing seated and standing men around him during what appears to be a strategic meeting or military deliberation.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/John_Reynolds_death_2.jpg/1280px-John_Reynolds_death_2.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/John_Reynolds_death_2.jpg/800px-John_Reynolds_death_2.jpg"
  caption: John Reynolds death 2
  credit: Alfred Rudolph Waud
  width: 5212
  height: 3187
  alt: A historical engraving depicting a bearded Union general on horseback raising his arm while surrounded by mounted officers and soldiers in a forested setting during the American Civil War, with troops and smoke visible in the background.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- war
metaDescription: Three days in July 1863. Two armies collided in Pennsylvania. Lee's invasion crumbled. Union held. Over 50,000 casualties. The bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:battle-of-gettysburg"
impactStatement: The Battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1–3, 1863, marked the war's turning point-Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North was repelled, and the Confederacy never again mounted a major offensive into Union territory. The three-day battle killed or wounded over 50,000 soldiers and gave the North irreversible momentum toward victory. Gettysburg cemented the Union's military superiority and vindicated Lincoln's strategy of attrition.
relationships:
- targetSlug: american-civil-war-begins
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 99
  evidence: Gettysburg occurred during the American Civil War (1861–1865) as a major engagement in the conflict's third year.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: emancipation-proclamation
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 92
  evidence: Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation took effect January 1, 1863, six months before Gettysburg, reframing the war's purpose as emancipation while the battle demonstrated Union military capacity to enforce that promise.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: bleeding-kansas
  type: evolved_from
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Bleeding Kansas (1856) previewed the sectional violence that escalated into full civil war by 1861, making Gettysburg's scale of carnage the logical endpoint of seven years of escalating border conflict over slavery.
  source: ai
wikidataQid: Q33132
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: single_domain
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Estimated casualties
  thenValue: ~51,000
  thenYear: 1863
  nowValue: "0"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Three days of fighting in July 1863; Gettysburg now hosts ~2 million annual visitors to its battlefield park
- metric: Size of Gettysburg, PA population
  thenValue: ~2,400
  thenYear: 1863
  nowValue: ~7,600
  nowYear: 2023
  note: The town roughly tripled in size over 160 years, partly due to tourism infrastructure
- metric: Documentation of the battle
  thenValue: Newspaper accounts, letters, official reports
  thenYear: 1863
  nowValue: 40+ books annually, digital archives, AI-analyzed troop movements
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The Library of Congress Gettysburg Collection contains over 4,000 documents
consequences:
- title: Lee's invasion halted
  year: 1863
  description: Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia retreated to Virginia by July 14, 1863, ending Confederate hopes for a negotiated peace through Northern pressure
- title: Union confidence restored
  year: 1863
  description: Lincoln's government stabilized domestically after months of setbacks; Vicksburg fell to Grant on July 4, 1863, the same week, compounding Confederate collapse
- title: European intervention foreclosed
  year: 1863
  description: British and French governments, considering recognition of the Confederacy, abandoned the idea after Gettysburg demonstrated Union viability
- title: Gettysburg Address delivered
  year: 1863
  description: Lincoln spoke at the battlefield dedication on November 19, 1863, reframing the war as a test of democratic principle rather than mere territorial preservation
- title: Long-term strategic shift
  year: 1864
  description: The Union offensive momentum established at Gettysburg enabled Sherman's March to the Sea and Grant's Overland Campaign, leading to Lee's surrender at Appomattox in April 1865
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: The Battle Hymn of the Republic
  artist: Julia Ward Howe (lyrics)
  year: 1861
  note: Already popular by 1863; became synonymous with Union cause and Gettysburg's aftermath
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T14:49:59.213Z"
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: Gettysburg became America's defining battlefield within decades of the war's end. By the 1890s, it was a pilgrimage site; by the 1960s, a flashpoint for civil rights debates about who the war actually liberated. Contemporary culture treats Gettysburg less as history and more as national mythology-a moment when democracy hung in balance.
relatedQueries:
- Battle of Gettysburg casualties by regiment
- Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North 1863
- Pickett's Charge July 3 1863
- Gettysburg Address full text November 1863
- Union generals Meade Grant Gettysburg
- Confederate Army of Northern Virginia 1863
- Gettysburg battlefield tourism history
- Civil War turning point why Gettysburg
endDate: 1863-07-03
geo:
lat: 39.81138888888889
lng: -77.22583333333333
place: United States
significance: 50
peoplesVoice:
- source: Abraham Lincoln, US President
  voiceType: official
  context: Lincoln's public response to the Union victory, issued days after Lee's retreat southward.
  excerpt: The Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea. Thanks to the brave men who have fought at Gettysburg.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 88
  attribution: Letter to Major James C. Conkling, August 26, 1863
  publishedAt: 1863-08-26
  originalLanguage: en
- source: General George Meade, Union Army Commander
  voiceType: expert
  context: Meade's official dispatch to the War Department immediately following Confederate withdrawal on July 4th.
  excerpt: The enemy, having attempted to force a passage...has withdrawn and is moving toward the Potomac.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 85
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Official Army of the Potomac communications, July 4, 1863
  publishedAt: 1863-07-04
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Edward Everett, orator and statesman
  voiceType: media
  context: Everett's assessment published in Northern papers as news of the three-day battle reached major cities.
  excerpt: The result is a complete and overwhelming defeat of Lee's invasion. The North may now breathe easier.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Northern newspapers, July 8, 1863
  publishedAt: 1863-07-08
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Robert E. Lee, Confederate General
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Lee's private correspondence after his retreat, grappling with the strategic reversal and its implications.
  excerpt: The army has labored hard and under the most trying circumstances. I fear the loss has been greater than reported.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 82
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Lee's dispatches to President Davis, July 1863
  publishedAt: 1863-07-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: William Lloyd Garrison, abolitionist and editor
  voiceType: media
  context: Garrison's editorial in The Liberator, the premier abolitionist publication, following Union victory.
  excerpt: This triumph is no accident-it proves the Union cause is just and Providence favors the righteous.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 68
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - The Liberator, July 1863
  publishedAt: 1863-07-15
  originalLanguage: en
heroImageAlt: A panoramic illustration depicts the Battle of Gettysburg with soldiers on horseback and foot engaging in combat across a sprawling battlefield, with artillery, flags, and smoke-filled encampments visible across rolling terrain under a cloudy sky.
translations:
es:
lede: Tres días de combates brutales en la Pensilvania rural en julio de 1863 dejaron más de 50.000 bajas y le otorgaron a la Unión su primera gran victoria en campo de batalla sobre el ejército de Robert E. Lee. La invasión confederada del Norte colapsó, y el impulso de la guerra se desplazó decisivamente-el Sur nunca volvería a montar una amenaza seria al territorio del Norte.
summaryShort: La batalla de tres días en julio de 1863 marcó la primera victoria decisiva de la Unión y terminó la invasión del Norte de Robert E. Lee, desplazando irreversiblemente el impulso de la guerra.
summaryLong: |-
  Cuando Robert E. Lee cruzó hacia Pensilvania en junio de 1863, creía que el Ejército de Virginia del Norte podía ganar una batalla decisiva en territorio del Norte-una que podría convencer a potencias extranjeras de reconocer la Confederación y fracturar la resolución del Norte. El 1 de julio, fuerzas confederadas se toparon accidentalmente con el Ejército del Potomac de la Unión cerca de la ciudad de Gettysburg, desencadenando tres días de combate que dejarían 51.000 hombres muertos, heridos o desaparecidos.

  El primer día vio a fuerzas confederadas bajo A.P. Hill rechazar la caballería de la Unión bajo John Buford e infantería bajo John Reynolds, quien fue asesinado en los combates. Pero refuerzos de la Unión llegaron durante el día, y para la tarde, el General Mayor George Meade-quien había asumido el comando del Ejército del Potomac solo tres días antes-había posicionado sus fuerzas en terreno elevado al sur de la ciudad. El 2 de julio, Lee atacó ambos flancos en combates feroces en Devil's Den, el Peach Orchard y Cemetery Ridge, pero no logró romper la línea de la Unión. La artillería de Meade dominaba las alturas.

  El clímax de la batalla llegó el 3 de julio con la Carga de Pickett, el famoso asalto a Cemetery Ridge liderado por George Pickett y precedido por el bombardeo de artillería más grande de la guerra. Casi 15.000 soldados confederados avanzaron a través de terreno abierto bajo un fuego cruzado devastador. Alcanzaron la línea de la Unión brevemente antes de ser rechazados con pérdidas asombrosas. Lee no tenía reservas. Para la tarde, ordenó una retirada.

  Gettysburg fue la batalla más sangrienta en la historia estadounidense y el punto de inflexión de la guerra. La invasión de Lee había fracasado completamente; su ejército, aunque aún peligroso, nunca volvería a amenazar territorio del Norte. Meade no persiguió con la suficiente agresividad para destruir completamente la fuerza de Lee-una decisión que Lincoln encontró frustrante-pero la Unión había roto el impulso de la Confederación y probado que podía derrotar a Lee en batalla abierta. Tres meses después, en noviembre de 1863, Lincoln pronunció el Discurso de Gettysburg en la dedicación del cementerio allí, reformulando la guerra como una lucha por la igualdad humana en lugar de la mera preservación de la Unión.

  Las bajas fueron asombrosas: 23.000 soldados de la Unión y 28.000 soldados confederados muertos, heridos o desaparecidos. Ambos bandos habían lanzado toda su fuerza a la batalla. Gettysburg terminó cualquier esperanza realista confederada de intervención extranjera o paz negociada desde una posición de fortaleza. Abrió el camino para la invasión de Sherman de Georgia y la campaña desgastante de Grant hacia Richmond.
generatedAt: "2026-05-27T14:41:11.575Z"
fr:
lede: Trois jours de combats brutaux en Pennsylvanie rurale en juillet 1863 ont causé plus de 50 000 pertes et ont remporté à l'Union sa première grande victoire sur le champ de bataille contre l'armée de Robert E. Lee. L'invasion confédérée du Nord s'est effondrée et l'élan de la guerre s'est inversé de façon décisive - le Sud ne menacerait plus jamais sérieusement le territoire du Nord.
summaryShort: La bataille de trois jours en juillet 1863 a marqué la première victoire décisive de l'Union et a mis fin à l'invasion du Nord par Robert E. Lee, inversant irréversiblement l'élan de la guerre.
summaryLong: |-
  Lorsque Robert E. Lee a traversé la Pennsylvanie en juin 1863, il croyait que l'Armée de Virginie du Nord pouvait remporter une bataille décisive sur le territoire du Nord - une qui pourrait convaincre les puissances étrangères de reconnaître la Confédération et fragmenter la détermination du Nord. Le 1er juillet, les forces confédérées se sont heurtées à l'Armée du Potomac de l'Union près de la ville de Gettysburg, déclenchant trois jours de combats qui laisseraient 51 000 hommes morts, blessés ou disparus.

  Le premier jour, les forces confédérées sous A.P. Hill ont repoussé la cavalerie de l'Union sous John Buford et l'infanterie sous John Reynolds, qui a été tué au combat. Mais les renforts de l'Union sont arrivés tout au long de la journée, et en fin de soirée, le général de division George Meade - qui avait pris le commandement de l'Armée du Potomac seulement trois jours plus tôt - avait positionné ses forces sur un terrain élevé au sud de la ville. Le 2 juillet, Lee a attaqué les deux flancs lors de combats féroces à Devil's Den, Peach Orchard et Cemetery Ridge, mais n'a pas réussi à briser la ligne de l'Union. L'artillerie de Meade dominait les hauteurs.

  L'apothéose de la bataille s'est déroulée le 3 juillet avec la Charge de Pickett, l'assaut célèbre sur Cemetery Ridge dirigé par George Pickett et précédé par le plus grand bombardement d'artillerie de la guerre. Près de 15 000 soldats confédérés ont avancé en terrain découvert dans un tir de barrage dévastateur. Ils ont franchi brièvement la ligne de l'Union avant d'être repoussés avec des pertes écrasantes. Lee n'avait plus de réserves. En fin de soirée, il a ordonné la retraite.

  Gettysburg a été la bataille la plus sanglante de l'histoire américaine et le tournant de la guerre. L'invasion de Lee avait échoué complètement ; son armée, bien que toujours dangereuse, ne menacerait plus jamais le territoire du Nord. Meade n'a pas poursuivi assez agressivement pour détruire entièrement la force de Lee - une décision qui a frustré Lincoln - mais l'Union avait brisé l'élan de la Confédération et prouvé qu'elle pouvait vaincre Lee en bataille rangée. Trois mois plus tard, en novembre 1863, Lincoln a prononcé le Discours de Gettysburg lors de la dédicace du cimetière là-bas, refonctionnalisant la guerre comme une lutte pour l'égalité humaine plutôt que la simple préservation de l'Union.

  Les pertes ont été stupéfiantes : 23 000 soldats de l'Union et 28 000 soldats confédérés tués, blessés ou disparus. Les deux camps avaient engagé toute leur force dans le combat. Gettysburg a mis fin à tout espoir réaliste confédéré d'intervention étrangère ou de paix négociée à partir d'une position de force. Cela a ouvert la voie à l'invasion de la Géorgie par Sherman et à la campagne d'usure de Grant vers Richmond.
generatedAt: "2026-05-27T14:41:19.986Z"
de:
lede: Drei Tage erbitterter Kämpfe in ländlichen Pennsylvania im Juli 1863 forderten über 50.000 Opfer und verschafften der Union ihren ersten großen Schlachtsieg über Robert E. Lees Armee. Die konföderierten Invasion des Nordens kollabierte, und der Kriegsverlauf verschob sich entscheidend-der Süden würde nie wieder eine ernsthafte Bedrohung für Nordterritorium darstellen.
summaryShort: Die dreitägige Schlacht im Juli 1863 markierte den ersten entscheidenden Sieg der Union und beendete Robert E. Lees Invasion des Nordens, wodurch die Kriegsdynamik unwiederbringlich verschoben wurde.
summaryLong: |-
  Als Robert E. Lee im Juni 1863 in Pennsylvania eindrang, glaubte er, die Armee von Nordvirginia könnte einen entscheidenden Sieg auf Nordterritorium erringen-einen, der ausländische Mächte zur Anerkennung der Konföderation bewegen und die Entschlossenheit des Nordens zermürben könnte. Am 1. Juli stießen konföderierten Truppen auf die Unionsarmee des Potomac in der Nähe der Stadt Gettysburg, was drei Tage Kampf auslöste, die 51.000 Männer tot, verwundet oder vermisst hinterlassen würden.

  Der erste Tag sah konföderierten Truppen unter A.P. Hill die Unionskavallerie unter John Buford und die Infanterie unter John Reynolds, der in den Kämpfen getötet wurde, zurückdrängen. Aber Unionsversärkungen trafen den ganzen Tag über ein, und bis zum Abend hatte Generalmajor George Meade-der gerade drei Tage zuvor das Kommando über die Armee des Potomac übernommen hatte-seine Truppen auf erhöhtem Gelände südlich der Stadt positioniert. Am 2. Juli attackierte Lee beide Flanken in erbitterten Kämpfen bei Devil's Den, dem Peach Orchard und Cemetery Ridge, scheiterte aber darin, die Unionslinie zu durchbrechen. Meades Artillerie dominierte die Höhen.

  Der Höhepunkt der Schlacht kam am 3. Juli mit Picketts Charge, dem berühmten Angriff auf Cemetery Ridge unter Führung von George Pickett und vorangegangen durch das größte Artilleriebombardement des Krieges. Fast 15.000 konföderierten Soldaten rückten über offenes Gelände vor in vernichtendes Kreuzfeuer. Sie erklommen die Unionslinie kurz, bevor sie mit verheerenden Verlusten zurückgeworfen wurden. Lee hatte keine Reserven mehr. Am Abend befahl er den Rückzug.

  Gettysburg war die blutigste Schlacht der amerikanischen Geschichte und der Wendepunkt des Krieges. Lees Invasion war vollständig gescheitert; seine Armee, obwohl immer noch gefährlich, würde Nordterritorium nie wieder bedrohen. Meade verfolgte nicht aggressiv genug, um Lees Truppe völlig zu zerstören-eine Entscheidung, die Lincoln frustrierend fand-aber die Union hatte die Konföderation aus dem Gleichgewicht gebracht und bewiesen, dass sie Lee in offener Schlacht besiegen konnte. Drei Monate später, im November 1863, hielt Lincoln die Gettysburg Address bei der Einweihung des Friedhofs dort und deutete den Krieg als Kampf für menschliche Gleichheit statt bloßer Unionbewahrung um.

  Die Opfer waren erschütternd: 23.000 Unionsoldaten und 28.000 konföderierten Soldaten tot, verwundet oder vermisst. Beide Seiten hatten ihre volle Kraft in den Kampf geworfen. Gettysburg beendete jede realistische konföderierten Hoffnung auf ausländische Intervention oder Friedensverhandlung aus einer Machtposition. Es öffnete den Weg für Shermans Invasion von Georgia und Grants zermürbender Kampagne in Richtung Richmond.
generatedAt: "2026-05-27T14:41:28.242Z"
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: "THE GREAT BATTLE AT GETTYSBURG: A DECISIVE UNION VICTORY"
  publishedAt: 1863-07-05
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL available
  excerpt: The three-day engagement near the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania has resulted in the complete repulse of General Lee's invasion of the North, with the rebel army in full retreat toward the Potomac.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States (North)
- publisher: The Times (London)
  publisherSlug: times-london
  headline: "THE AMERICAN WAR: LEE'S BOLD STROKE REPULSED AT GETTYSBURG"
  publishedAt: 1863-07-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - London's premier journal reported that General Robert E. Lee's audacious invasion of Pennsylvania has ended in decisive repulse, effectively crushing Confederate hopes for European intervention and recognition.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Harper's Weekly
  publisherSlug: harpers-weekly
  headline: "GETTYSBURG: THE TURNING POINT OF THE WAR"
  publishedAt: 1863-07-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The illustrated journal's editors proclaimed Gettysburg a watershed moment, noting that Lee's failure to secure Pennsylvania marks the irreversible shift of momentum toward the Union cause.
  significance: 80
  type: magazine
  region: United States (North)
- publisher: The Richmond Enquirer
  publisherSlug: richmond-enquirer
  headline: THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA WITHDRAWS FROM PENNSYLVANIA
  publishedAt: 1863-07-08
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Richmond's leading newspaper reported with measured tone that General Lee's forces have concluded operations in Pennsylvania and are returning across the Potomac.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United States (South)
