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.