THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

GETTYSBURG

1ST TO 3RD JULY 1863

What started off as a small skirmish had, in the end, evolved into a battle of 160,000 troops. Before the battle, major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington were under threat of attack from Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia which had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania. By the 4th of July the most important battle of the American Civil war had cost over 50,000 casualties and – while the Confederate wounded were loaded aboard wagons to withdraw – Union commander Meade did not pursue them, leading President Lincoln to believe that he had missed an opportunity to end the war early.