Battle of Gettysburg, (July 1–3, 1863) Major engagement in the American Civil War at Gettysburg, Pa., regarded as the war’s turning point. After defeating Union forces at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Robert E. Lee decided to invade the North with more than 71,000 troops. When he learned that the Union’s Army of the Potomac had a new commander, George Meade, he led his own troops to Gettysburg, a strategic crossroads. On the first day of battle, Meade’s advance force under John Buford held the site until reinforcements arrived. On the second day, the Confederates attacked Union lines at Little Round Top, Cemetery Hill, Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard. On the third day, Lee sent 15,000 troops to assault Cemetery Ridge, held by 10,000 Union troops under Winfield S. Hancock. A Confederate spearhead broke through the Union artillery defense but was stopped by a fierce Union counterattack on three sides. At night under cover of a heavy rain on July 4, Lee led his troops back to Virginia; Meade was later criticized for not pursuing him. Losses totaled about 23,000 casualties among nearly 94,000 Union troops and over 28,000 casualties among more than 71,000 Confederates.
