50,000 People Die in Pennsylvania — Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863, is considered the most important battle of the Civil War. Over 50,000 people died in this battle from the North and South. It inspired Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” which became one of the most famous speeches in history.

The Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863, is considered the most important battle of the Civil War. After a great victory over the Union Army in Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee invaded Pennsylvania from northern Virginia in late June 1863.

On July 1, the advancing Army of Northern Virginia met the Army of the Potomac under General George G. Meade at the crossroads of Gettysburg. The next day, the South Army attacked the Federal Army on both the left and right sides, and the battle continued fiercely.

On July 3, Lee ordered an army attack of less than 15,000 in the center of the enemy on the ridge of the graveyard. The attack, known as “Pickett’s Charge,” managed to break through the Union line, but eventually failed at the expense of thousands of rebel casualties.

Lee was forced to withdraw his battered army to Virginia on July 4. The coalition won at an important turning point and prevented Lee from invading the north.