It was on this day, the 1st of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg began. General Robert E. Lee brought his army of Northern Virginia up north after their victory at Chancellorsville. 75,000 Confederate soldiers and about 95,000 Union soldiers met at Gettysburg on this morning in 1863. It was the largest battle in North American history. It went on for three days.
On the third day, General Lee tried to break the battle line at the center, sending a column of troops led by General George Pickett across the valley. The attack was disastrous. More than half the Confederate soldiers in the charge were killed. Over the course of the battle, the Confederates lost about 28,000 soldiers, the Union Army lost about 20,000.
After the battle, a Union general said to a captured Confederate major, "With a few more men you would have gained your independence right here."
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