Lee suffered his first vicious defeat but the North seemed dazed and failed to take the advantage during the Battle of Gettysburg.

        The Union commander was General George G. Meade with 85,000 soldiers and the Confederate commander was General Robert E. Lee with 65,000 soldiers.

        Lee’s army swung up the Shenandoah Valley into Pennsylvania and both Meade and Lee moved toward Gettysburg.  A Confederate brigade ran into a union Calvary searching for shoes and the shooting started.

        On the first day of fighting the two armies maneuvered for position.  By the end of the day the Northern troops had been pushed from the west and north of Gettysburg to the south.  The Union army settled into a strong defensive location that resembled a fishhook. Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill formed the barb of the hook.  The front end was about 3 miles long and ran along Cemetery Ridge and ended at Little Round Top and Round Top- two hills.  The Confederate forces now occupied Gettysburg.

        On the second day of fighting Lee tried to crack the Union flanks and roll up Cemetery Ridge.  Lee aimed the main assault at the left flank and managed to crush a Northern Corp.  The union troops held on to the most important points in the Union line, Little Round Top and Cemetery Ridge.  Lee’s attack on Culp and Cemetery Hill came to late to take affect.

        On the third day day of fighting Lee decided to attack the Union center.  After a fierce artillery duel, Lee ordered General George E. Pickett to prepare 13,000 men to charge the Union lines.  The men, marching in perfect parade, swept across an open field and up the slope of Cemetery Ridge while ignoring enemy fire.  Few reached the top where they were quickly shot or captured.  Only half the soldiers involved in the assault returned to Lee.  Lee took complete fault for the failure of the attack.  Lee then withdrew the shabby army to Virginia after the battle and Meade made little effort to pursue the army.