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The Battle of Gettysburg took place in the North, when the South invaded the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
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Ten roads led into Gettysburg, which is a main reason that the battle was fought there. It was easy to locate.
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The battle was fought July 1-July 3, 1863.
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The Confederates were confident they would win the battle because Robert E. Lee had just led his army to victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia in May.
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The Union won the Battle of Gettysburg.
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A key to the Union victory was holding off the Confederate attack of the center of the Union line at Cemetery Ridge on July 3. This was a devastating defeat for the South.
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The Union victory is considered a turning point in the Civil War because the Union forced Lee's Army of the Potomac to return to Virginia. It became apparent that the South would likely not win the war after this defeat.
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Over 50,000 soldiers on both sides fought on the first day of the battle. There were over 15,000 casualties, which is more than the Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Franklin combined.
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The biggest day of fighting was on the second day. Over 100,000 soldiers fought that day and there were over 20,000 casualties.
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Nine of the 120 generals at Gettysburg died, more than at any other battle.
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Approximately 45,515 people were wounded, died, or went missing during the battle. Both the North and the South suffered about the same number of casualties.
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Citizens of Gettysburg called for Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin to do something about the number of poorly dug graves scattered across the region. They believed that the Union men who died in the battle deserved better.
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A new national cemetery at Gettysburg was dedicated on November 19, 1863.
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Confederate soldiers who died at Gettysburg are primarily buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.
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President Abraham Lincoln was the second speaker on the day that the cemetery at Gettysburg was dedicated. His Gettysburg Address is only 272 words, but is considered one of the most important speeches in American history.
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