Today in History—July 3: The End of the Battle of Gettysburg

Gen. Robert E. Lee was probably feeling pretty good on the morning of July 1, 1863.

The American Civil War, which had begun two years earlier, had recently shifted in favor of Lee’s Confederate troops. They had spent the previous year beating back Union forces in the South and scored a smashing victory at Chancellorsville, Virginia, in May.

Lee decided to capitalize on that and invade the North, thinking a major victory on Union soil might inspire European powers to recognize the Confederate States of America. The Union’s Army of the Potomac, about 90,000 men, was looking downtrodden after the losses. Meanwhile, Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia—some 70,000 strong—was confident and eager to resupply in Pennsylvania farm country.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

It had seemed like a good way to bring the war to a swift conclusion. Instead, it would lead to the bloodiest battle of the war and more than 50,000 casualties.

The Confederates headed to Gettysburg; it was the county seat, the spot where major roads converged—and it was on the path to Washington, D.C.

Gen. George Meade had been in command of the Army of the Potomac for barely a week when Pres. Abraham Lincoln directed him to check Lee’s advance.

On July 1 the battle began. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but the outnumbered Union forces held onto high ground. On July 2 Lee divided his forces and attacked. His intel was bad, and the assaults largely failed.

Then, on July 3, Lee ordered the attack that would go down as Pickett’s Charge (unfairly, as it was not Pickett’s plan, merely Pickett’s men who were sent to their doom). Some 12,500 soldiers marched across open ground into close-range fire. Nearly half died.

It was a spectacular display of mismanagement. Lee’s cavalry commander and prime intelligence provider, Jeb Stuart, had been out of contact until late on July 2. He’d been justifiably busy—swimming his army across a swollen river and capturing Union supply wagons—but with outdated information, Lee made decisions that cost dearly.

Lee and his army retreated in the rain the next day.

The route to victory Lee envisioned was cut off, and his army was, well, routed. The Battle of Gettysburg instead became the turning point in the American Civil War.

Famous Birthdays

1796: Maria Martin—American artist known for watercolors of flora and fauna

1860: Charlotte Perkins Gilman—American feminist, lecturer, writer, and publisher

1949: Elizabeth Edwards—American attorney and author

1976: Fei-Fei Li—Chinese American computer scientist, the “Godmother of AI”