Day One.�� July 1, 1863

The battle of Gettysburg took place July 1-3, 1863.� It's been called the turning point of the Civil War.� That may be debateable.� It was the biggest battle of the war and the largest ever fought in North America.� The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under Robert E. Lee, was in Pennsylvania trying to find a way to change the strategic direction of the war.� Defeat the Union Army of the Potomac on Northern soil, take pressure off war ravaged Virginia, and maybe draw resources away from U.S. Grant's army, besiegeing Vicksburg.� Whatever Lee and Jefferson Davis hoped for, what they got was a battle that neither army expected to take place where it did and certainly not the way it did.
The Army of the Potomac had a new commander; George Meade.� In fact Meade had just taken command a couple of days prior to the battle while pursuing Lee north.� What happened to bring them together at Gettysburg has been called an accident.� A Confederate Division looking for supplies in the town stumbled on a Union cavalry detatchment and it began.� The Federal cavaly under John Buford deployed along the ridges north and west of Gettysburg were able to hold off the Rebels till re-inforcements arrived.� The fighting lasted most of the day and finally the Confederates were able to overwhelm the Federals, pushing them back throught he town.� They had won a clear victory, but there was a problem.


On this page are thumbnails of pictures from the part of the battlefield where the first day's fighting took place.� Dad says if you click on the thumbnail, you should get a large, attractive picture.� I hope he's right.:)

Dad says if you'd like more information about the first day's battle the the best books are; Gettysburg July 1, by David G. Martin and, Crisis at the Crossroads, by Warren G. Hassler.� Check out the books section for more.