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The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
, Confederate
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
 moved north for offensive operations in Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
 and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
. The Union
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, commanded by Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
 and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade (from June 28), pursued Lee, defeated him at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, but allowed him to escape back to Virginia.

Lee's army slipped away from Federal contact at Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located 50 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 58 miles north of Richmond, Virginia....
, on June 3, 1863.






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The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
, Confederate
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
 moved north for offensive operations in Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
 and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
. The Union
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, commanded by Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
 and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade (from June 28), pursued Lee, defeated him at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, but allowed him to escape back to Virginia.

Lee's army slipped away from Federal contact at Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located 50 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 58 miles north of Richmond, Virginia....
, on June 3, 1863. While they paused at Culpeper
Culpeper, Virginia

Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County, Virginia....
, the largest predominantly cavalry battle of the war was fought at Brandy Station
Battle of Brandy Station

The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest to take place ever on American soil....
 on June 9. The Confederates crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a Physiographic regions of the world of the larger Appalachian Mountains division. The province consists of the Northern and Southern physiographic sections, which divide near the Roanoke River gap....
 and moved north through the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bound to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River and to the south by the James River ....
, capturing the Union garrison at Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia

Winchester is an independent city located in the extreme northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 23,585 according to the United States Census 2000....
, in the Second Battle of Winchester, June 13–15. Crossing the Potomac River
Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. The river is approximately 383 statute miles long, with a Drainage basin of about 14,700 square miles ....
, Lee's Second Corps advanced through Maryland and Pennsylvania, reaching the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River

The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At approximately 444 mi long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States and the 16th longest in the United States....
 and threatening the state capital of Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city had a population of 48,950, making it the tenth largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Erie, Pennsylvania, Reading, Pennsylvania, Scranton, Pennsylvani...
. However, the Army of the Potomac was in pursuit and had reached Frederick, Maryland, before Lee realized his opponent had crossed the Potomac. Lee moved swiftly to concentrate his army around the crossroads town of Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg is a city located in the state of Pennsylvania, USA. Although known primarily as an attraction because of its proximity to the Gettysburg Battlefield, site of the Battle of Gettysburg, the town is also known for its institutions of higher learning, namely the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, founded in 1826, and Gettys...
.

The Battle of Gettysburg was the largest of the war. Starting as a chance meeting engagement on July 1, the Confederates were initially successful in driving Union cavalry and two infantry corps from their defensive positions, through the town, and onto Cemetery Hill. On July 2, with most of both armies now present, Lee launched fierce assaults on both flanks of the Union defensive line, which were repulsed with heavy losses on both sides. On July 3, Lee focused his attention on the Union center and the defeat of his massive infantry assault, Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee against Major general George G. Meade's Union Army positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War....
, caused Lee to order a retreat that began the evening of July 4.

The Confederate retreat to Virginia was plagued by bad weather, difficult roads, and numerous skirmishes with Union cavalry. However, Meade's army did not maneuver aggressively enough to prevent the Army of Northern Virginia from crossing the Potomac to safety on the night of July 13–14.

Background

Shortly after Lee's Army of Northern Virginia defeated Hooker's Army of the Potomac during the Chancellorsville Campaign (April 30 – May 6, 1863), Lee decided upon a second invasion of the North. Such a move would upset Union plans for the summer campaigning season, give Lee the ability to maneuver his army away from its defensive positions behind the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River

The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west across the Piedmont to Chesapeake Bay south of the Potomac River....
, and allow the Confederates to live off the bounty of the rich northern farms while giving war-ravaged Virginia a much needed rest. Lee's army could also threaten Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is the fifth-largest metropolitan area and fourth-largest urban area by population in the United States, the nation's fourth-largest consumer media market as ranked by the Nielsen Media Research, and the 49th-most...
, Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the U.S. state of Maryland in the United States. Baltimore is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay....
, and Washington
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
, and encourage the growing peace movement in the North. Lee had written to his wife on April 19,

The Confederate government wanted Lee to reduce Union pressure threatening their garrison at Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, Mississippi, United States. It is located 234 miles north by west of New Orleans, Louisiana on the Mississippi River and Yazoo River rivers, and 40 miles due west of Jackson, Mississippi, the state capital....
, but he declined their suggestions to send troops to provide direct aid, arguing for the value of a concentrated blow in the Northeast.

In essence, Lee's strategy was identical to the one he employed in the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign

The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign, of September 1862 is widely considered one of the major Turning Point of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
 of 1862. He had discovered only recently the secret of how Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan

George Brinton McClellan was a Major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army....
 had defeated that invasion, by intercepting Lee's famous lost order
Special Order 191

Special Order 191 was a military order issued by Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee in the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. A lost copy of this order was recovered in Frederick County, Maryland, by Union Army troops, and the subsequent military intelligence gained by the Union played an important role in the Battle of Antieta...
 to his corps commanders, which compelled him to fight in the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
 before he could fully concentrate his army. This revelation improved his confidence that he could succeed in a northern invasion against another man he considered a timid and ineffective general, Joseph Hooker. Furthermore, after Chancellorsville he had supreme confidence in the men of his army, assuming they could handle any challenge he gave them.

Opposing forces

Union corps commanders
File:GenJFRenyolds.jpg>
Maj. Gen.
John F. Reynolds
John F. Reynolds

John Fulton Reynolds was a career United States Army officer and a General officer in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, despite having a relatively limited amount of combat experience in the war, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was kill...
File:WScottHancock.jpg|
Maj. Gen.
Winfield S. Hancock
File:DanielEdgarSickles.jpg|
Maj. Gen.
Daniel E. Sickles
File:GenGS.jpg|
Maj. Gen.
George Sykes
George Sykes

George Sykes was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer during the American Civil War....
File:John Sedgwick.png|
Maj. Gen.
John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick

John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House is often considered a well known tale of irony....
File:Oliver Otis Howard.jpg|
Maj. Gen.
Oliver O. Howard
Oliver O. Howard

Oliver Otis Howard was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was a corps commander noted for suffering two humiliating defeats, at Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of Gettysburg, but he recovered from the setbacks while posted in the Western Theater of the American Civil War,...
File:Henry Warner Slocum.jpg|
Maj. Gen.
Henry W. Slocum
File:Alfred Pleasonton.jpg|
Maj. Gen.
Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton

Alfred Pleasonton was a United States Army officer and General officer of Union Army cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gettysburg Campaign, including the largest predominantly cavalry battle of the war, Battle of Brandy Station....

Union

The Army of the Potomac, initially under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
 (Maj. Gen. George G. Meade replaced Hooker in command on June 28), consisted of more than 90,000 men in the following organization:
  • I Corps
    I Corps (ACW)

    I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
    , commanded by Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds
    John F. Reynolds

    John Fulton Reynolds was a career United States Army officer and a General officer in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, despite having a relatively limited amount of combat experience in the war, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was kill...
    , with divisions commanded by Brig. Gen. James S. Wadsworth
    James S. Wadsworth

    James Samuel Wadsworth was a philanthropist, politician, and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was killed in battle during the Battle of the Wilderness of 1864....
    , Brig. Gen. John C. Robinson
    John C. Robinson

    John Cleveland Robinson had a long and distinguished career in the United States Army, fighting in numerous wars and culminating his career as a Union Army Major general in the American Civil War....
    , and Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday
    Abner Doubleday

    Abner Doubleday was a career United States Army officer and Union Army general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Battle of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg....
    .
  • II Corps
    II Corps (ACW)

    There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
    , commanded by Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, with divisions commanded by Brig. Gens. John C. Caldwell
    John C. Caldwell

    John Curtis Caldwell was a teacher, a Union army general in the American Civil War, and an United States diplomat....
    , John Gibbon
    John Gibbon

    John Gibbon was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars....
    , and Alexander Hays
    Alexander Hays

    Alexander Hays was a Union Army general in the American Civil War, killed in the Battle of the Wilderness....
    .
  • III Corps
    III Corps (ACW)

    There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.Three were short-lived:*Army of Virginia:...
    , commanded by Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, with divisions commanded by Maj. Gen. David B. Birney
    David B. Birney

    David Bell Birney was a businessman, lawyer, and a Union army General officer in the American Civil War....
     and Maj. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys
    Andrew A. Humphreys

    Andrew Atkinson Humphreys , was a career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War....
    .
  • V Corps
    V Corps (ACW)

    The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War....
    , commanded by Maj. Gen. George Sykes
    George Sykes

    George Sykes was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer during the American Civil War....
     (George G. Meade until June 28), with divisions commanded by Brig. Gens. James Barnes
    James Barnes

    James Barnes was a railroad executive and a Union Army general in the American Civil War....
    , Romeyn B. Ayres
    Romeyn B. Ayres

    Romeyn Beck Ayres was a Union Army general in the American Civil War....
    , and Samuel W. Crawford
    Samuel W. Crawford

    Samuel Wylie Crawford was a United States Army surgeon and a Union army general in the American Civil War....
    .
  • VI Corps
    VI Corps (ACW)

    The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
    , commanded by Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick
    John Sedgwick

    John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House is often considered a well known tale of irony....
    , with divisions commanded by Brig. Gen. Horatio G. Wright, Brig. Gen. Albion P. Howe
    Albion P. Howe

    Albion Parris Howe was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. Howe's contentious relationships with superior officers in the Army of the Potomac eventually led to his being deprived of Division command....
    , and Maj. Gen. John Newton.
  • XI Corps
    XI Corps (ACW)

    The XI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, best remembered for its humiliating defeats at the battles of Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of Gettysburg in 1863....
    , commanded by Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard
    Oliver O. Howard

    Oliver Otis Howard was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was a corps commander noted for suffering two humiliating defeats, at Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of Gettysburg, but he recovered from the setbacks while posted in the Western Theater of the American Civil War,...
    , with divisions commanded by Brig. Gen. Francis C. Barlow
    Francis C. Barlow

    Francis Channing Barlow was a lawyer, politician, and Union army General officer during the American Civil War....
    , Brig. Gen. Adolph von Steinwehr
    Adolph von Steinwehr

    Baron Adolph Wilhelm August Friedrich von Steinwehr was a German-Brunswick army officer who emigrated to the United States, became a geographer, cartographer, and author, and served as a Union Army general in the American Civil War....
    , and Maj. Gen. Carl Schurz
    Carl Schurz

    Carl Schurz was a Germany revolutionary, United States statesman and reformer, and Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and noted orator, who in 1869 became the first German American elected to the United States Senate....
    .
  • XII Corps
    XII Corps (ACW)

    The XII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.The corps was formed by U.S. War Department General Order of March 13, 1862, under which the corps organization of the Army of the Potomac was first created....
    , commanded by Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum, with divisions commanded by Brig. Gens. Alpheus S. Williams
    Alpheus S. Williams

    Alpheus Starkey Williams was a lawyer, judge, journalist, U.S. Congressman, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War....
     and John W. Geary
    John W. Geary

    John White Geary was an United States lawyer, politician, and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was the final alcalde and first mayor of San Francisco, California, and the governor of the Kansas Territory and Pennsylvania....
    .
  • Cavalry Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton
    Alfred Pleasonton

    Alfred Pleasonton was a United States Army officer and General officer of Union Army cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gettysburg Campaign, including the largest predominantly cavalry battle of the war, Battle of Brandy Station....
    , with divisions commanded by Brig. Gens. John Buford
    John Buford

    John Buford, Jr. was a Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War, with a prominent role at the start of the Battle of Gettysburg....
    , David McM. Gregg, and H. Judson Kilpatrick
    Hugh Judson Kilpatrick

    Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of Brevet Major general . He was later the United States Ambassador to Chile, and a failed political candidate for the United States House of Representatives....
    .
  • Artillery Reserve, commanded by Brig. Gen. Robert O. Tyler
    Robert O. Tyler

    Robert Ogden Tyler was an United States soldier who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is most known as the commander of the Artillery Reserve of the Army of the Potomac, including at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 where many of his Artillery Battery played important role in the Union victory....
    . (The preeminent artillery officer at Gettysburg was Brig. Gen. Henry J. Hunt, chief of artillery on Meade's staff.)


During the advance on Gettysburg, Maj. Gen. Reynolds was in operational command of the left, or advanced, wing of the Army, consisting of the I, III, and XI Corps.

Confederate corps commanders
File:James Longstreet.jpg>
Lt. Gen.
James Longstreet
James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
File:Richard S. Ewell.jpg|
Lt. Gen.
Richard S. Ewell
Richard S. Ewell

Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E....
File:Ap hill.jpg|
Lt. Gen.
A.P. Hill
File:Jeb stuart.jpg|
Maj. Gen.
J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....

Confederate

In reaction to the death of Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and probably the most well-known Confederate commander after General Robert E....
 after Chancellorsville, Lee reorganized his 75,000 men from two infantry corps into three.
  • First Corps
    First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

    The First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia was a military unit fighting for the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. It was formed in early 1861 and served until the spring of 1865, mostly in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
    , commanded by Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
    James Longstreet

    James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
    , with divisions commanded by Maj. Gens. Lafayette McLaws
    Lafayette McLaws

    Lafayette McLaws was a United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War....
    , George E. Pickett, and John Bell Hood
    John Bell Hood

    John Bell Hood was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness....
    .
  • Second Corps
    Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

    The Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War....
    , commanded by Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell
    Richard S. Ewell

    Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E....
    , with divisions commanded by Maj. Gens. Jubal A. Early, Edward "Allegheny" Johnson
    Edward Johnson (general)

    Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate States of America General officer in the American Civil War....
    , and Robert E. Rodes
    Robert E. Rodes

    Robert Emmett Rodes was a railroad civil engineer and a promising young Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War, killed in battle in the Shenandoah Valley....
    .
  • Third Corps
    Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

    The Third Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War....
    , commanded by Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill, with divisions commanded by Maj. Gens. Richard H. Anderson
    Richard H. Anderson

    Richard Heron Anderson was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
    , Henry Heth
    Henry Heth

    Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War. He is best-remembered for precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, accomplished inadvertently while sending some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village, according to his...
    , and W. Dorsey Pender.
  • Cavalry division
    Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

    The Cavalry Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was the only organized cavalry corps in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
    , commanded by Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
    J.E.B. Stuart

    James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....
    , with brigades commanded by Brig. Gens. Wade Hampton
    Wade Hampton III

    Wade Hampton III was a Confederate States of America cavalry leader during the American Civil War and afterwards a politician from South Carolina, serving as its governor and as a U.S....
    , Fitzhugh Lee
    Fitzhugh Lee

    Fitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War....
    , Beverly H. Robertson, Albert G. Jenkins
    Albert G. Jenkins

    Albert Gallatin Jenkins was an attorney, planter, representative to the United States Congress and First Confederate Congress, and a Confederate States Army Brigadier general during the American Civil War....
    , William E. "Grumble" Jones
    William E. Jones

    William Edmondson Jones, known as Grumble Jones, was a planter, a career United States Army officer, and a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer, killed in the American Civil War....
    , and John D. Imboden
    John D. Imboden

    John Daniel Imboden was a lawyer, teacher, Virginia state legislator. During the American Civil War, he was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer and Irregular military fighter....
    , and Col. John R. Chambliss
    John R. Chambliss

    John Randolph Chambliss, Jr. was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army and then in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
    .


Campaign timeline

The battles of the Gettysburg Campaign were fought in the following sequence; they are described in the context of logical, sometimes overlapping divisions of the campaign.
Action Dates Section of campaign
Battle of Brandy Station
Battle of Brandy Station

The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest to take place ever on American soil....
 June 9, 1863 Brandy Station
Second Battle of Winchester June 13–15 Winchester
Battle of Aldie
Battle of Aldie

The Battle of Aldie took place on June 17, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.Major General J.E.B....
 June 17 Hooker's pursuit
Battle of Middleburg
Battle of Middleburg

The Battle of Middleburg took place from June 17 to June 19, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 June 17–19 Hooker's pursuit
Battle of Upperville
Battle of Upperville

The Battle of Upperville took place in Loudoun County, Virginia on June 21 1863 during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 June 21 Hooker's pursuit
Skirmish of Sporting Hill
Skirmish of Sporting Hill

The Skirmish of Sporting Hill was a relatively small skirmish during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War, taking place on June 30, 1863, in present day Camp Hill, Pennsylvania....
 June 30 Invasion of Pennsylvania
Battle of Hanover
Battle of Hanover

The Battle of Hanover took place on June 30, 1863, in Hanover, Pennsylvania in York County, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 June 30 Stuart's ride
Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
 July 1–3 Gettysburg
Battle of Carlisle
Battle of Carlisle

The Battle of Carlisle was a relatively small, but strategically important skirmish during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War, taking place during the evening of July 1, 1863, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
 July 1 Stuart's ride
Battle of Hunterstown
Battle of Hunterstown

The Battle of Hunterstown was a minor cavalry engagement in Adams County, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 July 2 Stuart's ride
Battle of Fairfield
Battle of Fairfield

The Battle of Fairfield was a cavalry engagement during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. It was fought July 3, 1863, near Fairfield, Pennsylvania, concurrently with the Battle of Gettysburg, although it was not a formal part of that battle....
 July 3 Retreat
Battle of Monterey Pass July 4–5 Retreat
Battle of Williamsport
Battle of Williamsport

The Battle of Williamsport, also known as the Battle of Hagerstown or Falling Waters, took place from July 6 to July 16, 1863, in Washington County, Maryland, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 July 6–16 Retreat
Battle of Boonsboro
Battle of Boonsboro

The Battle of Boonsboro took place on July 8, 1863, in Washington County, Maryland, as part of the Retreat from Gettysburg during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 July 8 Retreat
Battle of Funkstown
Battle of Funkstown

The Second Battle of Funkstown took place near Funkstown, Maryland, on July 10, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 July 10 Retreat
Battle of Manassas Gap
Battle of Manassas Gap

The Battle of Manassas Gap, also known as the Battle of Wapping Heights, took place on July 23, 1863, in Warren County, Virginia, at the conclusion of General Robert E....
 July 23 Retreat


Lee's advance to Gettysburg


On June 3, 1863, Lee's army began to slip away northwesterly from Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located 50 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 58 miles north of Richmond, Virginia....
, leaving A.P. Hill's Corps in fortifications above Fredericksburg to protect the Confederate rear as it withdrew. By June 5, Longstreet's and Ewell's corps were camped in and around Culpeper
Culpeper, Virginia

Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County, Virginia....
. Lee ordered Stuart to cross the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River

The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west across the Piedmont to Chesapeake Bay south of the Potomac River....
 on June 9 and raid Union forward positions, screening the Confederate Army from observation or interference as it moved north. Anticipating this imminent offensive action, Stuart ordered his troopers into bivouac around Brandy Station
Brandy Station, Virginia

Brandy Station is a historic unincorporated area in Culpeper County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. Its original name was Brandy. The name Brandy Station comes from the Orange and Alexandria Railroad station that was constructed in the 19th century....
.

Brandy Station

Hooker interpreted Stuart's presence around Culpeper to be indicative of preparations for a raid on his army's supply lines. In reaction to this, he ordered Alfred Pleasonton's combined arms
Combined arms

Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects.Though the lower-echelon units of a combined arms team may be of homogeneous types, a balanced mixture of such units are combined into an effective higher-echelon unit, whether formally in a table of organi...
 force of 8,000 cavalrymen and 3,000 infantry on a "spoiling raid," to "disperse and destroy" the 9,500 Confederates. Pleasonton's attack plan called for a double envelopment of the enemy. The wing under John Buford would cross the river at Beverly's Ford, two miles (3 km) northeast of Brandy Station; at the same time, David McM. Gregg's wing would cross at Kelly's Ford, six miles (10 km) downstream to the southeast. However, Pleasonton was unaware of the precise disposition of the enemy and he incorrectly assumed that his force was substantially larger than the Confederates he faced.

About 4:30 a.m. on June 9, Buford's column crossed the Rappahannock River in a dense fog, surprising Grumble Jones's brigade, which rode to the scene partially dressed and often riding bareback. They struck Buford's leading brigade and temporarily checked its progress, just short of where Stuart's Horse Artillery was camped and was vulnerable to capture. The artillery unlimbered on two knolls on either side of the Beverly's Ford Road. Most of Jones's command rallied to the left of this Confederate artillery line, while Hampton's brigade formed to the right. The 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry unsuccessfully charged the guns at St. James Church, suffering the greatest casualties of any regiment in the battle.

Buford tried to turn the Confederate left and dislodge the artillery that was blocking the direct route to Brandy Station and sustained heavy losses displacing Rooney Lee's brigade from a stone wall on Yew Ridge. Then, to the amazement of Buford's men, the Confederates began pulling back. They were reacting to the arrival of Gregg's cavalry division of about 2,800 men, which was the second major surprise of the day. Although Gregg had intended to cross at Kelly's Ford at dawn, in concert with Buford's crossing at Beverly's, his men were delayed two hours. Between Gregg and the St. James battle was a prominent ridge called Fleetwood Hill, which had been Stuart's headquarters the previous night. Stuart and most of his staff had departed for the front by this time, but a few shots from a 6-pounder howitzer delayed the advance of Col. Percy Wyndham's brigade as they sent out skirmishers and returned cannon fire. When Gregg's men charged up the western slope of Fleetwood and neared the crest, the lead elements of Jones's brigade, which had just withdrawn from St. James Church, rode over the crown.

Gregg's next brigade, led by Col. Judson Kilpatrick, swung around east of Brandy Station and attacked up the southern end and the eastern slope of Fleetwood Hill, only to discover that their appearance coincided with the arrival of Hampton's brigade. A series of confusing charges and countercharges swept back and forth across the hill. The Confederates finally cleared the hill. Col. Alfred N. Duffié's small 1,200-man division was delayed by two Confederate regiments in the vicinity of Stevensburg and arrived on the field too late to affect the action. While Jones and Hampton withdrew from their initial positions to fight at Fleetwood Hill, Rooney Lee continued to confront Buford, falling back to the northern end of the hill. Reinforced by Fitzhugh Lee's brigade, Rooney Lee launched a counterattack against Buford at the same time as Pleasonton had called for a general withdrawal near sunset, and the ten-hour battle was over.

Brandy Station was the largest predominantly cavalry fight of the war, and the largest to take place on American soil. It was a tactical draw, although Pleasonton withdrew before finding the location of Lee's infantry nearby and Stuart claimed a victory, attempting to disguise the embarrassment of a cavalry force being surprised as it was by Pleasonton. The battle established the emerging reputation of the Union cavalry as a peer of the Confederate mounted arm.

Winchester

After Brandy Station, Lee's infantry forces began crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a Physiographic regions of the world of the larger Appalachian Mountains division. The province consists of the Northern and Southern physiographic sections, which divide near the Roanoke River gap....
 and headed north, "down" the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bound to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River and to the south by the James River ....
. Ewell's Corps, in the lead, crossed at Chester Gap
Chester Gap

Chester Gap, sometimes referred to as Happy Creek Gap for the creek that runs down its western slope, is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border of Rappahannock County, Virginia, Fauquier County, Virginia and Warren County, Virginia in Virginia....
 on June 12 and then through Front Royal
Front Royal, Virginia

Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,589 at the United States Census, 2000. It is the county seat of Warren County, Virginia....
 toward Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia

Winchester is an independent city located in the extreme northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 23,585 according to the United States Census 2000....
. Longstreet's Corps (accompanied by General Lee) moved to protect Ashby's Gap
Ashby's Gap

Ashby Gap, more commonly known as Ashby's Gap is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain on the border of Clarke County, Virginia, Loudoun County, Virginia and Fauquier County, Virginia in Virginia....
 and Snicker's Gap. A.P. Hill waited until Hooker had withdrawn from Fredericksburg on June 14 and then followed Ewell's route across the mountains, leapfrogging Longstreet's Corps, which then brought up the rear of the army. Stuart's cavalry remained to the east of the Blue Ridge to screen Lee's army.

The Union garrison at Winchester stood directly in Ewell's path. It was commanded by Maj. Gen. Robert H. Milroy
Robert H. Milroy

Robert Huston Milroy was a lawyer, judge, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War, most noted for his defeat at the Battle of Winchester II in 1863....
, who had 7,000 men in three brigades—two in Winchester and one 10 miles to the east at Berryville. Three forts with interconnecting trenches had been constructed to defend the town. General-in-chief Henry W. Halleck had since May ordered Milroy's superior, Maj. Gen. Robert C. Schenck
Robert C. Schenck

Robert Cumming Schenck was a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War, and American diplomatic representative to Brazil and the United Kingdom....
 of the Middle Department, to withdraw Milroy's men to Harpers Ferry, but Schenck believed that these were only instances of Halleck's typical suggestions rather than direct orders and did not act on them until explicitly threatened with removal on June 14. By then it was too late. As Allegheny Johnson's division approached Winchester from the south on June 14 and Jubal Early approached from the west, Ewell ordered Rodes's division to Berryville and then to Martinsburg, north of Winchester. These movements effectively surrounded the Federal garrison.

At 6 p.m. on June 14, Confederate artillery opened fire on the Union's West Fort and the brigade of Brig. Gen. Harry T. Hays
Harry T. Hays

Harry Thompson Hays was an United States Army officer serving in the Mexican-American War and a General officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
 led the charge that captured the fort and a Union battery. As darkness fell, Milroy belatedly decided to retreat from his two remaining forts. Anticipating the movement, Ewell ordered Johnson to march northwest and block the Union escape route. At 3:30 a.m. on June 15, Johnson's column intercepted Milroy's on the Charles Town Road. Although Milroy ordered his men to fight their way out of the situation, when the Stonewall Brigade
Stonewall Brigade

The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was one of the most famous combat units in United States history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J....
 arrived just after dawn to cut the turnpike to the north, Milroy's men began to surrender in large numbers. Milroy escaped personally but the Second Battle of Winchester cost the Union about 4,450 casualties (4,000 captured) out of 7,000 engaged, while the Confederates lost only 250 of 12,500 engaged.

Ewell began crossing the Potomac River near Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown, Maryland

Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, Maryland, and the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland....
, late on June 15, along with Jenkins's cavalry brigade. Hill's and Longstreet's corps followed on June 24 and June 25.

Hooker's pursuit

"Fighting Joe" Hooker did not know Lee's intentions, and Stuart's cavalry masked the Confederate army's movements behind the Blue Ridge effectively. He initially conceived the idea of reacting to Lee's absence by seizing unprotected Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
, the Confederate capital. But President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery....
 sternly reminded him that Lee's army was the true objective. His orders were to pursue and defeat Lee but to stay between Lee and Washington and Baltimore. On June 14, the Army of the Potomac departed Fredericksburg and reached Manassas Junction on June 16. Hooker dispatched Pleasonton's cavalry again to punch through the Confederate cavalry screen to find the main Confederate army, which led to three minor cavalry battles from June 17 through June 21 in the Loudoun Valley.

Pleasonton ordered David McM. Gregg's division from Manassas Junction westward down the Little River Turnpike to Aldie
Aldie, Virginia

Aldie is an unincorporated area village located on the John Mosby Highway between Gilbert's Corner, Virginia and Middleburg, Virginia in Loudoun County, Virginia, Virginia....
. Aldie was tactically important in that near the village the Little River Turnpike intersected both of the turnpikes leading through Ashby's Gap and Snickers Gap into the Valley. The Confederate cavalry brigade of Col. Thomas T. Munford
Thomas T. Munford

Thomas Taylor Munford was an USA farmer and Confederate States of America History of Confederate States Army Generals#brigadier general during the American Civil War....
 was entering Aldie from the west, preparing to bivouac, when three brigades of Gregg's division entered from the east at about 4 p.m. on June 17, surprising both sides. The resulting Battle of Aldie
Battle of Aldie

The Battle of Aldie took place on June 17, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.Major General J.E.B....
 was a fierce mounted fight of four hours with about 250 total casualties. Munford withdrew toward Middleburg
Middleburg, Virginia

Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. There are approximately 640 people currently residing in the town established in 1787 by Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman, Levin Powell....
.

While the fighting occurred at Aldie, the Union cavalry brigade of Col. Alfred N. Duffié arrived south of Middleburg in the late afternoon and drove in the Confederate pickets. Stuart was in the town at the time and managed to escape before his brigades under Munford and Beverly Robertson routed Duffié in an early-morning assault on June 18. The primary action of the Battle of Middleburg
Battle of Middleburg

The Battle of Middleburg took place from June 17 to June 19, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 occurred on the morning of June 19 when Col. J. Irvin Gregg's brigade advanced west from Aldie and attacked Stuart's line on a ridge west of Middleburg. Stuart repulsed Gregg's charge, counterattacked, then fell back to defensive positions a half-mile to the west.

On June 21, Pleasonton again attempted to break Stuart's screen by advancing on Upperville
Upperville, Virginia

Upperville is a small town in Fauquier County, Virginia, fifty miles from downtown Washington, D.C. through which U.S. Route 50 runs. Founded in the 1790s along Pantherskin Creek, it was originally named Carrstown by first settler Josephus Carr....
, 9 miles to the west of Middleburg. The cavalry brigades of Irvin Gregg and Judson Kilpatrick were accompanied by infantry from Col. Strong Vincent
Strong Vincent

Strong Vincent was a lawyer who became famous as a United States Army officer during the fighting on Little Round Top at the American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, where he was mortally wounded....
's brigade on the Ashby's Gap Turnpike. Buford's cavalry division moved northwest against Stuart's left flank, but made little progress against Grumble Jones's and John R. Chambliss's brigades. The Battle of Upperville
Battle of Upperville

The Battle of Upperville took place in Loudoun County, Virginia on June 21 1863 during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 ended as Stuart conducted a fierce fighting withdrawal and took up a strong defensive position in Ashby's Gap.

After successfully defending his screen for almost a week, Stuart found himself motivated to begin the most controversial adventure of his career, Stuart's raid around the eastern flank of the Union Army.

Hooker's significant pursuit with the bulk of his army began on June 25, after he learned that the Army of Northern Virginia had crossed the Potomac River. He ordered the Army of the Potomac to cross into Maryland and concentrate at Middletown
Middletown, Maryland

Middletown is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,668 at the 2000 census. Middletown is a small, rural community steeped in American history....
 (Slocum's XII Corps) and Frederick
Frederick, Maryland

Frederick is a city in west-central Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland, the largest county by area in the State of Maryland....
 (the rest of the army, led by Reynolds's advance wing—the I, III, and XI Corps).

The invasion of Pennsylvania

President Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 100,000 volunteers from four states to serve a term of six months "to repel the threatened and imminent invasion of Pennsylvania." Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin
Andrew Gregg Curtin

Andrew Gregg Curtin was a United States lawyer and politician who served as Governor of Pennsylvania during the American Civil War.Curtin was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania....
 called for 50,000 volunteers to take arms as volunteer militia
Militia

The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service....
; only 7,000 initially responded, and Curtin asked for help from the New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
 State Militia. Gov. Joel Parker
Joel Parker

Joel Parker was an United States Democratic Party politician, who served as the List of Governors of New Jersey Governor of New Jersey of New Jersey from 1863-1866 and from 1871-1874....
 of New Jersey
New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
 also responded by sending troops to Pennsylvania. The War Department
United States Department of War

The United States Department of War, sometimes also called the War Office, was the department of the United States Federal government of the United States's Federal government of the United States#Executive branch responsible for the operation and maintenance of land Military of the United States from 1789 until September 18, 1947,...
 created the Department of the Susquehanna
Department of the Susquehanna

The Department of the Susquehanna was a military department created by the United States War Department during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
, commanded by Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch
Darius N. Couch

Darius Nash Couch was a United States Army officer, naturalist, and a Union Army Major general in the American Civil War. Couch rose to command a corps in the Army of the Potomac, and led division in both the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War and Western Theater of the American Civil War....
, to coordinate defensive efforts in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia were considered potential targets and defensive preparations were made. In Harrisburg, the state government removed its archives from the town for safekeeping. (In much of southern Pennsylvania, the Gettysburg campaign became widely known as the "Emergency of 1863." The military campaign resulted in the displacement of thousands of refugees from Maryland and Pennsylvania who fled northward and eastward to avoid the oncoming Confederates, and resulted in a shift in demographics in several southern Pennsylvania borough
Borough

A borough is an administrative division of various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
s and counties.)

Although a primary purpose of the campaign was for the Army of Northern Virginia to accumulate food and supplies outside of Virginia, Lee gave strict orders (General Order 72) to his army to minimize any negative impacts on the civilian population. Food, horses, and other supplies were generally not seized outright, although quartermasters reimbursing Northern farmers and merchants using Confederate money were not well received. Various towns, most notably York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania

York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in South Central Pennsylvania. The population was 40,862 at the United States Census 2000....
, were required to pay indemnities in lieu of supplies, under threat of destruction. A controversial action of the Confederates during the invasion was the seizure of some forty Northern African Americans, a few of whom were escaped slaves
History of slavery in the United States

Slavery in the United States began soon after British colonization of the Americas first settled Colony of Virginia in 1607 and lasted as a legal institution until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865....
 but most freemen. They were sent south under guard into slavery.

Ewell's corps continued to push deeper into Pennsylvania, with two divisions heading through the Cumberland Valley
Cumberland Valley

The Cumberland Valley is a geographic region that lies between South Mountain and the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians of central Pennsylvania and western Maryland, United States....
 to threaten Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city had a population of 48,950, making it the tenth largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Erie, Pennsylvania, Reading, Pennsylvania, Scranton, Pennsylvani...
, while Jubal Early's division of Ewell's Corps marched eastward over the South Mountain
South Mountain (Maryland and Pennsylvania)

South Mountain is the northern extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains mountain range in Maryland and Pennsylvania. From the Potomac River near Knoxville in the south, to Dillsburg, Pennsylvania in the north, the long range separates the Hagerstown Valley and Cumberland Valley Valleys from the piedmont regions of the two states....
 range, occupying Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg is a city located in the state of Pennsylvania, USA. Although known primarily as an attraction because of its proximity to the Gettysburg Battlefield, site of the Battle of Gettysburg, the town is also known for its institutions of higher learning, namely the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, founded in 1826, and Gettys...
 on June 26 after a brief series of skirmishes with state emergency militia and two companies of cavalry. Early laid the borough under tribute but did not collect any significant quantities of supplies. Soldiers burned several railroad cars and a covered bridge
Covered bridge

A covered bridge is a bridge, often single-lane, with enclosed sides and a roof. They have typically been wooden, although some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides....
, and they destroyed nearby rails and telegraph lines. The following morning, Early departed for adjacent York County
York County, Pennsylvania

York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2004, the estimated population was 401,613. York County is located in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
.

The brigade of Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon of Early's division reached the Susquehanna on June 28, where militia guarded the 5,629-foot-long covered bridge at Wrightsville
Wrightsville, Pennsylvania

Wrightsville is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,223 at the 2000 census. Wrightsville borough has a police department, historic society, and a volunteer fire company....
. Gordon's artillery fire caused the well fortified militiamen to retreat and burn the bridge. Confederate cavalry under the command of Brig. Gen. Albert G. Jenkins
Albert G. Jenkins

Albert Gallatin Jenkins was an attorney, planter, representative to the United States Congress and First Confederate Congress, and a Confederate States Army Brigadier general during the American Civil War....
 raided nearby Mechanicsburg
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA, eight miles west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle, Pennsylvania Harrisburg metropolitan area....
 on June 28 and skirmished with militia at Sporting Hill on the west side of Camp Hill
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

Camp Hill is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, 2 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle, Pennsylvania Harrisburg metropolitan area....
 on June 29. The Confederates then pressed on to the outer defenses of Fort Couch, where they skirmished with the outer picket line for over an hour, the northernmost engagement of the Gettysburg Campaign. They later withdrew in the direction of Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Carlisle is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, 18 miles west by southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the State capital....
.

Stuart's ride

Jeb Stuart enjoyed the glory of circumnavigating an enemy army, which he had done on two previous occasions in 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign

The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
 and at the end of the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign

The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign, of September 1862 is widely considered one of the major Turning Point of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
. It is possible that he had the same intention when he spoke to Robert E. Lee following the Battle of Upperville. He certainly needed to erase the stain on his reputation represented by his surprise and near defeat at the Battle of Brandy Station. The exact nature of Lee's order to Stuart on June 22 has been argued by the participants and historians ever since, but the essence was that he was instructed to guard the mountain passes with part of his force while the Army of Northern Virginia was still south of the Potomac and that he was to cross the river with the remainder of the army and screen the right flank of Ewell's Second Corps. Instead of taking a direct route north near the Blue Ridge Mountains, however, Stuart chose to reach Ewell's flank by taking his three best brigades (those of Wade Hampton
Wade Hampton III

Wade Hampton III was a Confederate States of America cavalry leader during the American Civil War and afterwards a politician from South Carolina, serving as its governor and as a U.S....
, Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee

Fitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War....
, and John R. Chambliss
John R. Chambliss

John Randolph Chambliss, Jr. was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army and then in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, the latter replacing the wounded W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee

William Henry Fitzhugh Lee , known as Rooney Lee or W.H.F. Lee, was the second son of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. He was a planter, a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, and later a member of the U.S....
) between the Union army and Washington, moving north through Rockville
Rockville, Maryland

Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. According to the 2007 census update, the city had a total population of 58,706, making it the third largest city in Maryland....
 to Westminster
Westminster, Maryland

'Westminster' is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Carroll County, Maryland. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's population was 17,715 for a 12 month period ending 01 July 2007....
 and on into Pennsylvania, hoping to capture supplies along the way and cause havoc near the enemy capital. Stuart and his three brigades departed Salem Depot
Marshall, Virginia

Marshall is an unincorporated area village located in the fox_hunting of northwestern Fauquier County, Virginia, Virginia. Marshall was originally known as Salem....
 at 1 a.m. on June 25.

Unfortunately for Stuart's plan, the Union army's movement was underway and his proposed route was blocked by columns of Federal infantry from Hancock's II Corps, forcing him to veer farther to the east than either he or General Lee had anticipated. This prevented Stuart from linking up with Ewell as ordered and deprived Lee of the use of his prime cavalry force, the "eyes and ears" of the army, while advancing into unfamiliar enemy territory.

Stuart's command reached Fairfax Court House
Fairfax, Virginia

This article refers to the independent city of Fairfax, Va. For the surrounding unincorporated area of Fairfax County with a Fairfax postal address, please see Fairfax County, Virginia...
 on June 27 and crossed the Potomac River at Rowser's Ford at 3 a.m. on June 28. Upon entering Maryland, the cavalrymen attacked the C & O Canal, one of the major supply lines for the Army of the Potomac, capturing canal boats and cargo. They entered Rockville on June 28, also a key wagon supply road between the Union Army and Washington, tearing down miles of telegraph wire and capturing a wagon train of 140 brand-new, fully loaded wagons and mule teams. This wagon train would prove to be a logistical hindrance to Stuart's advance, but he interpreted Lee's orders as placing importance on gathering supplies. The proximity of the Confederate raiders provoked some consternation in the national capital and Meade dispatched two cavalry brigades and an artillery battery to pursue the Confederates. Stuart supposedly told one of his prisoners from the wagon train that were it not for his fatigued horses "he would have marched down the 7th Street Road [and] took Abe & Cabinet prisoners."

Stuart had planned to reach Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover, Pennsylvania

Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, 19 miles southwest of York, Pennsylvania and 54 miles north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland....
, by the morning of June 28, but rode into Westminster, Maryland
Westminster, Maryland

'Westminster' is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Carroll County, Maryland. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's population was 17,715 for a 12 month period ending 01 July 2007....
, instead late on the afternoon of June 29. Here his men clashed briefly with and overwhelmed two companies of the 1st Delaware Cavalry under Maj. Napoleon B. Knight, chasing them a long distance on the Baltimore road, which Stuart claimed caused a "great panic" in the city of Baltimore.

Meanwhile, Union cavalry commander Alfred Pleasonton ordered his divisions to spread out in their movement north with the army, looking for Confederates. Judson Kilpatrick's division was on the right flank of the advance and passed through Hanover on the morning of June 30. The head of Stuart's column encountered Kilpatrick's rear as it passed through town and scattered it. The Battle of Hanover
Battle of Hanover

The Battle of Hanover took place on June 30, 1863, in Hanover, Pennsylvania in York County, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 ended after Kilpatrick's men regrouped and drove the Confederates out of town. Stuart's brigades had been better positioned to guard their captured wagon train than to take advantage of the encounter with Kilpatrick. To protect his wagons and prisoners, he delayed until nightfall and then detoured around Hanover by way of Jefferson
Jefferson, Pennsylvania

Jefferson, Pennsylvania can refer to:*Jefferson, Greene County, Pennsylvania*Jefferson Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania*Jefferson, York County, Pennsylvania...
 to the east, increasing his march by 5 miles. After a 20 mile trek in the dark, his exhausted men reached Dover
Dover, Pennsylvania

Dover is a Borough in York County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,815 at the 2000 census....
 on the morning of July 1, the same time that his Confederate infantry colleagues began to fight Union cavalrymen under John Buford at Gettysburg.

Leaving Hampton's Brigade and the wagon train at Dillsburg
Dillsburg, Pennsylvania

Dillsburg is a borough adjacent to Carroll Township in northwestern York County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,063 at the 2000 census....
, Stuart headed for Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Carlisle is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, 18 miles west by southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the State capital....
, hoping to find Ewell. Instead, he found nearly 3,000 Pennsylvania and New York militia occupying the borough. After lobbing a few shells into town during the early evening of July 1 and burning the Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks

Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is part of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and is the site of the U.S....
, Stuart concluded the so-called Battle of Carlisle
Battle of Carlisle

The Battle of Carlisle was a relatively small, but strategically important skirmish during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War, taking place during the evening of July 1, 1863, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
 and withdrew after midnight to the south towards Gettysburg. The fighting at Hanover, the long march through York County with the captured wagons, and the brief encounter at Carlisle slowed Stuart considerably in his attempt to rejoin the main army.

Stuart and the bulk of his command reached Lee at Gettysburg the afternoon of July 2. He ordered Wade Hampton to take a position to cover the left rear of the Confederate battle lines. Hampton moved into position astride the Hunterstown Road four miles (6 km) northeast of town, blocking access for any Union forces that might try to swing around behind Lee's lines. Two brigades of Union cavalry from Judson Kilpatrick's division under Brig. Gens. George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. At the start of the Civil War, Custer was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and his class's graduation was accelerated so that they could enter the war....
 and Elon J. Farnsworth
Elon J. Farnsworth

Elon John Farnsworth was a Union Army cavalry general in the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of Gettysburg....
 were probing for the end of the Confederate left flank. Custer attacked Hampton in the Battle of Hunterstown
Battle of Hunterstown

The Battle of Hunterstown was a minor cavalry engagement in Adams County, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 on the road between Hunterstown and Gettysburg, and Hampton counterattacked. When Farnsworth arrived with his brigade, Hampton did not press his attack, and an artillery duel ensued until dark. Hampton then withdrew towards Gettysburg to rejoin Stuart.

Dix's advance against Richmond

As Lee's offensive strategy became clear, Union general-in-chief Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck planned a countermove that could take advantage of the now lightly defended Confederate capital of Richmond. He ordered the Union Department of Virginia, two corps under Maj. Gen. John A. Dix
John Adams Dix

John Adams Dix was an United States politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and Governor of New York. He was also a distinguished American Civil War General....
, to move on Richmond from its locations on the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula

The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River , James River , Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name....
 (around Yorktown
Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 203 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, Virginia, one of the 8 original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
 and Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 11,998....
) and near Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia

Suffolk is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of eastern Virginia. Geographically, it is the largest of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, and the largest independent city in land-area in the entire Commonwealth....
. However, Halleck made the mistake of not explicitly ordering Dix to attack Richmond. The orders were to "threaten Richmond, by seizing and destroying their railroad bridges over the South and North Anna Rivers, and do them all the damage possible." Dix, a well respected politician, was not an aggressive general, but he eventually contemplated attacking Richmond despite the vagueness of Halleck's instructions. On June 27, his men conducted a successful cavalry raid on Hanover Junction, led by Col. Samuel P. Spears, which defeated the Confederate regiment guarding the railroad junction, destroyed the bridge over the South Anna River
South Anna River

The South Anna River is a principal tributary of the Pamunkey River, about 85 mi long, in central Virginia in the United States. Via the Pamunkey and York River Rivers, it is part of the drainage basin of Chesapeake Bay....
 and the quartermaster's depot, capturing supplies, wagons, and 100 prisoners including General Lee's son, Brig. Gen. W. H. F. "Rooney" Lee
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee

William Henry Fitzhugh Lee , known as Rooney Lee or W.H.F. Lee, was the second son of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. He was a planter, a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, and later a member of the U.S....
. On June 29, at a council of war
Council of war

A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle....
, Dix and his lieutenants express concerns about their limited strength (about 32,000 men) and decided to limit themselves to threatening gestures. Confederate Maj. Gen. D. H. Hill wrote that the Union advance on Richmond was "not a feint but a faint." The net effect of the operation was primarily psychological, causing the Confederates to hold back some troops from Lee's offensive to guard the capital.

Meade assumes command

On the evening of June 27, Lincoln sent orders relieving Hooker. Hooker had argued with Halleck about defending the garrison at Harpers Ferry and petulantly offered to resign, which Halleck and Lincoln promptly accepted. George Meade, a Pennsylvanian who was commanding the V Corps, was ordered to assume command of the Army of the Potomac early on the morning of June 28 in Frederick, Maryland. Meade was surprised by the change of command order, having previously expressed his lack of interest in the army command. In fact, when an officer from Washington woke him with the order, he assumed he was being arrested for some transgression. Despite having little knowledge of what Hooker's plans had been or the exact locations of the three columns moving quickly to the northwest, Meade kept up the pace. He telegraphed to Halleck, in accepting his new command, that he would "Move toward the Susquehanna, keeping Washington and Baltimore well covered, and if the enemy is checked in his attempt to cross the Susquehanna or if he turns toward Baltimore, to give him battle."

On June 30, Meade's headquarters advanced to Taneytown, Maryland
Taneytown, Maryland

Taneytown is a city in Carroll County, Maryland, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,128 at the 2000 census. was founded in 1754....
, and he issued two important orders. The first directed that a general advance in the direction of Gettysburg begin on July 1, a destination that was from 5 to 25 miles away from each of his seven infantry corps. The second order, known as the Pipe Creek Circular, established a prospective line on Big Pipe Creek, which had been surveyed by his engineers
Combat engineering

Combat engineering is a combat arms role of using the knowledge, tools and techniques of engineering by troops in peace and war, but specifically in combat....
 as a strong defensive position. Meade had the option of occupying this position and hoping that Lee would attack him there; alternatively, it would represent a fall back position if the army got into trouble at Gettysburg.

Lee concentrates his army

The lack of Stuart's cavalry intelligence kept Lee unaware that his army's normally sluggish foe had moved as far north as it had. It was only after a spy hired by Longstreet reported in that Lee found out his opponent had crossed the Potomac and was following him nearby. By June 29, Lee's army was strung out in an arc from Chambersburg
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Chambersburg is a Borough in the South Central Pennsylvania region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley....
 (28 miles (45 km) northwest of Gettysburg) to Carlisle
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Carlisle is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, 18 miles west by southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the State capital....
 (30 miles (48 km) north of Gettysburg) to near Harrisburg and Wrightsville
Wrightsville, Pennsylvania

Wrightsville is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,223 at the 2000 census. Wrightsville borough has a police department, historic society, and a volunteer fire company....
 on the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River

The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At approximately 444 mi long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States and the 16th longest in the United States....
. Ewell's Corps had almost reached the Susquehanna River and was prepared to menace Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania state capital. Early's Division occupied York
York, Pennsylvania

York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in South Central Pennsylvania. The population was 40,862 at the United States Census 2000....
, which was the largest Northern town to fall to the Confederates during the war. Longstreet and Hill were near Chambersburg.

Lee ordered a concentration of his forces around Cashtown
Cashtown-McKnightstown, Pennsylvania

Cashtown redirects here, for other uses, see Cashtown Cashtown-McKnightstown is a census-designated place in Adams County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States....
, located at the eastern base of South Mountain and 8 miles (13 km) west of Gettysburg. On June 30, while part of Hill's Corps was in Cashtown, one of Hill's brigades, North Carolinians under Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew
J. Johnston Pettigrew

James Johnston Pettigrew was an author, lawyer, linguist, diplomat, and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was a major leader in the disastrous Pickett's Charge and was killed a few days after the Battle of Gettysburg during the Confederate retreat to Virginia....
, ventured toward Gettysburg. The memoirs of Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
Henry Heth

Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War. He is best-remembered for precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, accomplished inadvertently while sending some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village, according to his...
, Pettigrew's division commander, claimed that Pettigrew was in search of a large supply of shoes in town, but this explanation may have been devised in retrospect to justify an overly heavy reconnaissance force.

When Pettigrew's troops approached Gettysburg on June 30, they noticed Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. John Buford
John Buford

John Buford, Jr. was a Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War, with a prominent role at the start of the Battle of Gettysburg....
 arriving south of town, and Pettigrew returned to Cashtown without engaging them. When Pettigrew told Hill and Heth about what he had seen, neither general believed that there was a substantial Federal force in or near the town, suspecting that it had been only Pennsylvania militia. Despite General Lee's order to avoid a general engagement until his entire army was concentrated, Hill decided to mount a significant reconnaissance in force
Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information. Militarily, its shorthand Australian, Canadian, and British form is recce , its American usage form is recon ....
 the following morning to determine the size and strength of the enemy force in his front. Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, two brigades of Heth's division advanced to Gettysburg.

Battle of Gettysburg

The three-day battle in and around Gettysburg resulted in the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
—between 46,000 and 51,000. In conjunction with the Union victory at Vicksburg on July 4, Gettysburg is frequently cited as the war's turning point
Turning point of the American Civil War

There is widespread disagreement over the turning point of the American Civil War. The idea of a turning point is an event after which most observers would agree that the eventual outcome was inevitable....
.

The two armies began to collide at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. The first day proceeded in three phases as combatants continued to arrive at the battlefield. In the morning, two brigades of Confederate Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
Henry Heth

Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War. He is best-remembered for precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, accomplished inadvertently while sending some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village, according to his...
's division (of Hill's Third Corps) were delayed by dismounted Union cavalrymen under Brig. Gen. John Buford. As infantry reinforcements arrived under Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds
John F. Reynolds

John Fulton Reynolds was a career United States Army officer and a General officer in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, despite having a relatively limited amount of combat experience in the war, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was kill...
 from the I Corps, the Confederate assaults down the Chambersburg Pike were repulsed, although Gen. Reynolds was killed. By early afternoon, the Union XI Corps had arrived, and the Union position was in a semicircle from west to north of the town. Ewell's Second Corps began a massive assault from the north, with Maj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes
Robert E. Rodes

Robert Emmett Rodes was a railroad civil engineer and a promising young Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War, killed in battle in the Shenandoah Valley....
's division attacking from Oak Hill and Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early's division attacking across the open fields north of town. The Union lines generally held under extremely heavy pressure, although the salient at Barlow's Knoll was overrun. The third phase of the battle came as Rodes renewed his assault from the north and Heth returned with his entire division from the west, accompanied by the division of Maj. Gen. W. Dorsey Pender
William Dorsey Pender

William Dorsey Pender was one of the youngest, and most promising, General officers fighting for the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War....
. Heavy fighting in Herbst's Woods (near the Lutheran Theological Seminary
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg

The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is America's oldest Lutheran Seminary....
) and on Oak Ridge finally caused the Union line to collapse. Some of the Federals conducted a fighting withdrawal through the town, suffering heavy casualties and losing many prisoners; others simply retreated. They took up good defensive positions on Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill

Cemetery Hill is a key terrain feature in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the northernmost extent of Cemetery Ridge. It played prominent roles in all three days of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863....
 and waited for additional attacks. Despite discretionary orders from Robert E. Lee to take the heights "if practicable," Richard Ewell chose not to attack. Historians have debated ever since how the battle might have ended differently if he had found it practicable to do so.

On the second day, Lee attempted to capitalize on his first day's success by launching multiple attacks against the Union flanks. After a lengthy delay to assemble his forces and avoid detection in his approach march, Longstreet attacked with his First Corps against the Union left flank. His division under Maj. Gen. John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness....
 attacked Little Round Top
Little Round Top

Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate States Army troops against the Union Army left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg....
 and Devil's Den
Devil's Den

Devil's Den is the nickname for a terrain feature south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that was the site of fierce fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War....
. To Hood's left, Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws
Lafayette McLaws

Lafayette McLaws was a United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War....
 attacked the Wheatfield
Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day

During the Second Day of the Battle of Gettysburg, on July 2, 1863, Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee attempted to capitalize on his first day's success....
 and the Peach Orchard
Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day

During the Second Day of the Battle of Gettysburg, on July 2, 1863, Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee attempted to capitalize on his first day's success....
. Although neither prevailed, the Union III Corps was effectively destroyed as a combat organization as it attempted to defend a salient over too wide a front. Gen. Meade rushed as many as 20,000 reinforcements from elsewhere in his line to resist these fierce assaults. The attacks in this sector concluded with an unsuccessful assault by the Third Corps division of Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson
Richard H. Anderson

Richard Heron Anderson was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
 against the Union center on Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge

Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg Battlefield south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863....
. That evening, Ewell's Second Corps turned demonstrations against the Union right flank into full-scale assaults on Culp's Hill
Culp's Hill

Culp's Hill is a key terrain feature in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, overlooking the main downtown area from the southeast. It consists of two rounded peaks, separated by a narrow saddle....
 and East Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill

Cemetery Hill is a key terrain feature in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the northernmost extent of Cemetery Ridge. It played prominent roles in all three days of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863....
, but both were repulsed. The Union army had occupied strong defensive positions, and Meade handled his forces well, resulting in heavy losses for both sides but leaving the disposition of forces on both sides essentially unchanged.

After attacks on both Union flanks had failed the day and night before, Lee was determined to strike the Union center on the third day. He decided to support this attack with a renewed thrust on the Union right that was supposed to start in concert with his assault on the center. However, the fighting on Culp's Hill resumed early in the morning with a Union counterattack, hours before Longstreet could begin his attack on the center. The Union troops on fortified Culp's Hill had been reinforced and the Confederates made no progress after multiple, futile assaults that lasted until noon. The infantry assault on Cemetery Ridge known as Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee against Major general George G. Meade's Union Army positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War....
 was preceded by a massive artillery bombardment at 1 p.m. that was meant to soften up the Union defense and silence its artillery, but it was largely ineffective. Approximately 12,500 men in nine infantry brigades advanced over open fields for three quarters of a mile under heavy Union artillery and rifle fire. Although some Confederates were able to breach the low stone wall that shielded many of the Union defenders, they could not maintain their hold and were repulsed with over 50% casualties.

During and after Pickett's Charge on the third day, two significant cavalry battles also occurred: one approximately three miles (5 km) to the east, in the area known today as East Cavalry Field, the other southwest of the [Big] Round Top
Big Round Top

Big Round Top is the dominating terrain feature on the southern part of the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. It is adjacent to a smaller hill, Little Round Top, the scene of furious combat during the Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg....
 mountain (sometimes called South Cavalry Field). The East Cavalry Field fighting was an attempt by Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....
's Confederate cavalry to get into the Federal rear and exploit any success that Pickett's Charge may have generated. Union cavalry under Brig. Gens. David McM. Gregg and George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. At the start of the Civil War, Custer was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and his class's graduation was accelerated so that they could enter the war....
 repulsed the Confederate advances. In South Cavalry Field, after Pickett's Charge had been defeated, reckless cavalry charges against the right flank of the Confederate Army, ordered by Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, were easily repulsed.

Lee's retreat to Virginia

Following Pickett's Charge, the Confederates returned to their positions on Seminary Ridge
Seminary Ridge

Seminary Ridge is a geographic feature immediately to the west of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Its name derives from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg on its crest....
 and prepared fortifications to receive a counterattack. When the Union attack had not occurred by the evening of July 4, Lee realized that he could accomplish nothing more in his campaign and that he had to return his battered army to Virginia. Lee started his Army of Northern Virginia in motion late the evening of July 4 towards Fairfield and Chambersburg. Cavalry under Brig. Gen. John D. Imboden
John D. Imboden

John Daniel Imboden was a lawyer, teacher, Virginia state legislator. During the American Civil War, he was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer and Irregular military fighter....
 was entrusted to escort the miles-long wagon train of supplies and wounded men that Lee wanted to take back to Virginia with him, using the route through Cashtown and Hagerstown to Williamsport, Maryland
Williamsport, Maryland

Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,285 as of July 2007....
. Thousands of more seriously wounded soldiers were left behind in the Gettysburg area, along with medical personnel. However, despite casualties of over 20,000 men, including a number of senior officers, the morale of Lee's army remained high and their respect for the commanding general was not diminished by their reverses.

Unfortunately for the Confederate Army, however, once they reached the Potomac they would find it difficult to cross. Torrential rains that started on July 4 flooded the river at Williamsport, making fording impossible. Four miles downstream at Falling Waters
Falling Waters, West Virginia

Falling Waters is an unincorporated area town on the Potomac River in Berkeley County, West Virginia, West Virginia. It is located along Williamsport Pike north of Martinsburg, West Virginia....
, Union cavalry destroyed Lee's lightly guarded pontoon bridge on July 4. The only way to cross the river was a small ferry at Williamsport. The Confederates could potentially be trapped, forced to defend themselves against Meade with their backs to the river.

Gettysburg Campaign Retreat
The route of the bulk of Lee's army was through Fairfield
Fairfield, Pennsylvania

Fairfield is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 486 at the United States Census 2000....
 and over Monterey Pass
Monterey pass

Monterey Pass is a mountain pass near Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, and the Mason-Dixon Line. The saddle point lies near between South Mountain #Pennsylvania and It was the site of the 1863 Fight at Monterey Gap] after the Battle of Gettysburg....
 to Hagerstown. A small but important action that occurred while Pickett's Charge was still underway, the Battle of Fairfield
Battle of Fairfield

The Battle of Fairfield was a cavalry engagement during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. It was fought July 3, 1863, near Fairfield, Pennsylvania, concurrently with the Battle of Gettysburg, although it was not a formal part of that battle....
, prevented the Union from blocking this route. Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt
Wesley Merritt

Wesley Merritt was a general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. He is noted for distinguished service in the cavalry....
's brigade departed from Emmitsburg with orders to strike the Confederate left and rear along Seminary Ridge. Merritt dispatched about 400 men from the 6th U.S. Cavalry under to seize foraging wagons that had been reported in the area. Before they were able to reach the wagons, the 7th Virginia Cavalry, leading a column under Confederate Brig. Gen. William E. "Grumble" Jones
William E. Jones

William Edmondson Jones, known as Grumble Jones, was a planter, a career United States Army officer, and a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer, killed in the American Civil War....
, intercepted the regulars, but the U.S. cavalrymen repulsed the Virginians. Jones sent in the 6th Virginia Cavalry, which successfully charged and swarmed over the Union troopers. There were 242 Union casualties, primarily prisoners, and 44 casualties among the Confederates.

Imboden's journey was one of extreme misery, conducted during the torrential rains that began on July 4, in which the 8,000 wounded men were forced to endure the weather and the rough roads in wagons without suspensions. The train was harassed throughout its march. At dawn on July 5, civilians in Greencastle
Greencastle, Pennsylvania

Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census....
 ambushed the train with axes, attacking the wheels of the wagons, until they were driven off. That afternoon at Cunningham's Cross Roads, Union cavalry attacked the column, capturing 134 wagons, 600 horses and mules, and 645 prisoners, about half of whom were wounded. These losses so angered Stuart that he demanded a court of inquiry to investigate.

Early on July 4 Meade send his cavalry to strike the enemy's rear and lines of communication so as to "harass and annoy him as much as possible in his retreat." Eight of nine cavalry brigades (except Col. John B. McIntosh's of Brig. Gen. David McM. Gregg's division) took to the field. Col. J. Irvin Gregg
John Irvin Gregg

John Irvin Gregg was a career United States Army officer. He fought in the Mexican-American War and during the American Civil War as a general officer in the Union army....
's brigade (of his cousin David Gregg's division) moved toward Cashtown via Hunterstown and the Mummasburg Road, but all of the others moved south of Gettysburg. Brig. Gen. John Buford
John Buford

John Buford, Jr. was a Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War, with a prominent role at the start of the Battle of Gettysburg....
's division went directly from Westminster
Westminster, Maryland

'Westminster' is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Carroll County, Maryland. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's population was 17,715 for a 12 month period ending 01 July 2007....
 to Frederick, where they were joined by Merritt's division on the night of July 5.

Late on July 4, Meade held a council of war in which his corps commanders agreed that the army should remain at Gettysburg until Lee acted, and that the cavalry should pursue Lee in any retreat. Meade decided to have Brig. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur K. Warren

Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent General officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is best remembered for arranging the last-minute defense of Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg and is often referred to as the "Hero of Little Round Top." His subsequent service as a corps commander an...
 take a division from Sedgwick's VI Corps to probe the Confederate line and determine Lee's intentions. By the morning of July 5, Meade learned of Lee's departure, but he hesitated to order a general pursuit until he had received the results of Warren's reconnaissance.

The Battle of Monterey Pass began as Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick's cavalry division easily brushed aside Brig. Gen. Beverly Robertson
Beverly Robertson

Beverly Holcombe Robertson was a cavalry officer in the United States Army on the Western frontier and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War....
's pickets and encountered a detachment of 20 men from the Confederate 1st Maryland Cavalry Battalion, under Capt. G. M. Emack, that was guarding the road to Monterey Pass. Aided by a detachment of the 4th North Carolina Cavalry and a single cannon, the Marylanders delayed the advance of 4,500 Union cavalrymen until well after midnight. Kilpatrick ordered Brig. Gen. George A. Custer to charge the Confederates with the 6th Michigan Cavalry, which broke the deadlock and allowed Kilpatrick's men to reach and attack the wagon train. They captured or destroyed numerous wagons and captured 1,360 prisoners—primarily wounded men in ambulances—and a large number of horses and mules.

As Meade's infantry began to march in earnest in pursuit of Lee on the morning of July 7, Buford's division departed from Frederick to destroy Imboden's train before it could cross the Potomac. At 5 p.m. on July 7 his men reached within a half-mile of the parked trains, but Imboden's command repulsed their advance. Buford heard Kilpatrick's artillery in the vicinity and requested support on his right. Kilpatrick's men had moved toward Hagerstown and pushed out the two small brigades of Chambliss and Robertson. However, infantry commanded by Brig. Gen. Alfred Iverson
Alfred Iverson, Jr.

Alfred Iverson, Jr. was a lawyer and a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War. He is best known for a disastrous infantry assault at the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg....
 drove Kilpatrick's men through the streets of town. Stuart's remaining brigades came up and were reinforced by two brigades of Hood's Division and Hagerstown was recaptured by the Confederates. Kilpatrick chose to respond to Buford's request for assistance and join the attack on Imboden at Williamsport. Stuart's men pressured Kilpatrick's rear and right flank from their position at Hagerstown and Kilpatrick's men gave way and exposed Buford's rear to the attack. Buford gave up his effort when darkness fell.

Lee's rear guard cavalry clashed with Federal cavalry in the South Mountain passes in the Battle of Boonsboro
Battle of Boonsboro

The Battle of Boonsboro took place on July 8, 1863, in Washington County, Maryland, as part of the Retreat from Gettysburg during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 on July 8, delaying Union pursuit. In the Battle of Funkstown
Battle of Funkstown

The Second Battle of Funkstown took place near Funkstown, Maryland, on July 10, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War....
 on July 10, Stuart's cavalry continued its efforts to delay Federal pursuit in an encounter near Funkstown, Maryland
Funkstown, Maryland

Funkstown is a town in Washington County, Maryland, Maryland, United States. The population was 983 at the 2000 census....
, which resulted in nearly 500 casualties on both sides. The fight also marked the first time since the Battle of Gettysburg that Union infantry engaged Confederate infantry in the same engagement. Stuart was successful in delaying Pleasonton's cavalry for another day.

By July 9 most of the Army of the Potomac was concentrated in a 5-mile line from Rohrersville
Rohrersville, Maryland

Rohrersville is a census-designated place in Washington County, Maryland, Maryland, United States. The population was 170 at the 2000 census....
 to Boonsboro. Other Union forces were in position to protect the outer flanks at Maryland Heights and at Waynesboro. By July 11 the Confederates occupied a 6-mile, highly fortified line on high ground with their right resting on the Potomac River near Downsville
Downsville, Maryland

Downsville is an unincorporated community not considered as a census-designated place in southwestern Washington County, Maryland, Maryland, United States....
 and the left about 1.5 miles southwest of Hagerstown, covering the only road from there to Williamsport.

Meade telegraphed to general-in-chief Henry W. Halleck on July 12 that he intended to attack the next day, "unless something intervenes to prevent it." He once again called a council of war with his subordinates on the night of July 12, which resulted in a postponement of an attack until reconnaissance of the Confederate position could be performed, which Meade conducted the next morning. By that time, Lee became frustrated waiting for Meade to attack him and was dismayed to see that the Federal troops were digging entrenchments of their own in front of his works. Confederate engineers had completed a new pontoon bridge over the Potomac, which had also subsided enough to be forded. Lee ordered a retreat to start after dark, with Longstreet's and Hill's corps and the artillery to use the pontoon bridge at Falling Waters and Ewell's corps to ford the river at Williamsport.

On the morning of July 14, advancing Union skirmishers found that the entrenchments were empty. Cavalry under Buford and Kilpatrick attacked the rearguard of Lee's army, Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
Henry Heth

Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War. He is best-remembered for precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, accomplished inadvertently while sending some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village, according to his...
's division, which was still on a ridge about a mile and a half from Falling Waters. The initial attack caught the Confederates by surprise after a long night with little sleep, and hand-to-hand fighting ensued. Kilpatrick attacked again and Buford struck them in their right and rear. Heth's and Pender's divisions lost numerous prisoners. Brig. Gen. J. Johnston Pettigrew
J. Johnston Pettigrew

James Johnston Pettigrew was an author, lawyer, linguist, diplomat, and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was a major leader in the disastrous Pickett's Charge and was killed a few days after the Battle of Gettysburg during the Confederate retreat to Virginia....
, who had survived Pickett's Charge with a minor hand wound, was mortally wounded at Falling Waters. This minor success against Heth did not make up for the extreme frustration in the Lincoln administration about allowing Lee to escape. The president was quoted as saying, "We had them within our grasp. We had only to stretch forth our hands and they were ours. And nothing I could say or do could make the Army move."

The two armies did not take up positions across from each other on the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River

The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west across the Piedmont to Chesapeake Bay south of the Potomac River....
 for almost two weeks. On July 16 the cavalry brigades of Fitzhugh Lee and Chambliss held the fords on the Potomac at Shepherdstown
Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, West Virginia, USA. Shepherdstown claims to be the oldest town in the state. In 1734, Thomas Shepherd was granted , on the south side of the "Potomack" river....
 to prevent crossing by the Federal infantry. The cavalry division under David Gregg approached the fords and the Confederates attacked them, but the Union cavalrymen held their position until dark before withdrawing.

The Army of the Potomac crossed the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry and Berlin (now named Brunswick
Brunswick, Maryland

Brunswick is a city in Frederick County, Maryland, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,894 at the United States Census 2000. The population was estimated to be at 5,230 in July 2006....
) on July 17–18. They advanced along the east side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, trying to interpose themselves between Lee's army and Richmond. On July 23, in the Battle of Manassas Gap
Battle of Manassas Gap

The Battle of Manassas Gap, also known as the Battle of Wapping Heights, took place on July 23, 1863, in Warren County, Virginia, at the conclusion of General Robert E....
, Meade ordered French's III Corps to cut off the retreating Confederate columns at Front Royal
Front Royal, Virginia

Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,589 at the United States Census, 2000. It is the county seat of Warren County, Virginia....
, by forcing passage through Manassas Gap
Manassas Gap

Manassas Gap is a Wind_gap_ of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border of Fauquier County, Virginia and Warren County, Virginia in Virginia. At an elevation of 887 feet above sea level, it is the lowest crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state....
. At first light, French began slowly pushing the Stonewall Brigade
Stonewall Brigade

The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was one of the most famous combat units in United States history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J....
 back into the gap. About 4:30 p.m., a strong Union attack drove the Confederates until they were reinforced by Maj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes
Robert E. Rodes

Robert Emmett Rodes was a railroad civil engineer and a promising young Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War, killed in battle in the Shenandoah Valley....
's division and artillery. By dusk, the poorly coordinated Union attacks were abandoned. During the night, Confederate forces withdrew into the Luray Valley. On July 24, the Union army occupied Front Royal, but Lee's army was safely beyond pursuit.

Aftermath

The Gettysburg Campaign represented the final major offensive by Robert E. Lee in the Civil War. Afterwards, all combat operations of the Army of Northern Virginia were in reaction to Union initiatives. Lee suffered over 27,000 casualties during the campaign, a price very difficult for the Confederacy to pay. The campaign met only some of its major objectives: it had disrupted Union plans for a summer campaign in Virginia, temporarily protecting the citizens and economy of that state, and; it had allowed Lee's men to live off the bountiful Maryland and Pennsylvania countryside and collect vast amounts of food and supplies that carried back with them and would allow them to continue the war. However, the myth of Lee's invincibility had been shattered and not a single Union soldier was removed from the Vicksburg Campaign to react to Lee's invasion of the North. (Vicksburg surrendered on July 4, the day Lee ordered his retreat.) Union campaign casualties were approximately 30,100.

Meade was severely criticized for allowing Lee to escape, just as Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan

George Brinton McClellan was a Major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army....
 had done after the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
. Under pressure from Lincoln, he launched two campaigns in the fall of 1863—Bristoe
Bristoe Campaign

The Bristoe Campaign was a series of battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the American Civil War. Major General#United States George G....
 and Mine Run
Battle of Mine Run

The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run Campaign , was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War....
—that attempted to defeat Lee. Both were failures. He also suffered humiliation at the hands of his political enemies in front of the Joint Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War
United States Congress Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War

The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War was a Congress of the United States investigating committee created to handle issues surrounding the American Civil War....
, questioning his actions at Gettysburg and his failure to defeat Lee during the retreat to the Potomac.

On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln spoke at the dedication ceremonies for the national cemetery created at the Gettysburg battlefield. His Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address was a speech by President of the United States Abraham Lincoln and one of the most quoted speeches in history of the United States....
 redefined the war, named the destruction of slavery
History of slavery in the United States

Slavery in the United States began soon after British colonization of the Americas first settled Colony of Virginia in 1607 and lasted as a legal institution until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865....
 as a specific goal, and called for a "new birth of freedom" in the nation.

Further reading

  • Foote, Shelby
    Shelby Foote

    Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. was an United States novelist and a noted historian of the American Civil War, writing a massive, three-volume history of the war entitled The Civil War: A Narrative....
    , The Civil War, A Narrative: Fredericksburg to Meridian, Random House, 1958, ISBN 0-394-49517-9.
  • Gottfried, Bradley M., Brigades of Gettysburg, Da Capo Press, 2002, ISBN 0-306-81175-8.
  • Gottfried, Bradley M., The Artillery of Gettysburg, Cumberland House Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-1-58182-623-4.
  • Harman, Troy D., Lee's Real Plan at Gettysburg, Stackpole Books, 2003, ISBN 0-8117-0054-2.
  • Martin, David G., Gettysburg July 1, rev. ed., Combined Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-938289-81-0.
  • Pfanz, Harry W., Gettysburg The First Day, University of North Carolina Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8078-2624-3.
  • Pfanz, Harry W., Gettysburg The Second Day, University of North Carolina Press, 1987, ISBN 0-8078-1749-X.
  • Pfanz, Harry W., Gettysburg: Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill, University of North Carolina Press, 1993, ISBN 0-8078-2118-7.
  • Tagg, Larry, , Savas Publishing, 1998, ISBN 1-882810-30-9.
  • Trudeau, Noah Andre, Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, HarperCollins, 2002, ISBN 0-06-019363-8.
  • Tucker, Glenn, High Tide at Gettysburg, Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1958 (reprinted by Morningside House, 1983), ISBN 0-89029-715-4.
  • Wert, Jeffry D., Gettysburg: Day Three, Simon & Schuster, 2001, ISBN 0-684-85914-9.


External links