Battle of Gettysburg
A major American Civil War battle fought in Pennsylvania from July 1 to 3, 1863, ending in a Union victory over Confederate forces.
Gettysburg campaign: The 1863 Confederate invasion of the North and the Union campaign that culminated at Gettysburg. The battle was the decisive engagement of this wider Pennsylvania campaign.
George G. Meade: The Union general who commanded the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg. His defensive choices helped preserve the Union position through three days of fighting.
Siege of Vicksburg: A Union campaign that captured Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, 1863. Its conclusion the day after Gettysburg made early July 1863 a major Union turning point.
Battle of Gettysburg, first day: The July 1, 1863, opening phase of the Battle of Gettysburg, ending with Union troops concentrated on Cemetery Hill. The fighting began as a meeting engagement and drove Union forces back through town.
Battle of Antietam: An 1862 Civil War battle in Maryland that ended Lee's first invasion of the North. Like Gettysburg, it stopped a Confederate northern invasion, but Lee's army withdrew intact afterward.
Gettysburg battlefield: The Pennsylvania landscape where Union and Confederate forces fought from July 1 to 3, 1863. Its ridges, hills, and roads shaped movement and defensive positions throughout the battle.
Robert E. Lee: The Confederate general who led the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. He directed the invasion and attacks that failed to dislodge Meade's army.
Gettysburg National Cemetery: A cemetery established for Union soldiers killed at Gettysburg and dedicated in November 1863. The battle's dead prompted its creation and Lincoln's cemetery dedication.
Battle of Gettysburg, second day: The July 2, 1863, phase of the Battle of Gettysburg, marked by attacks on both ends of the Union line. Confederate assaults at places such as Little Round Top tested the Union flanks.
Battle of Chancellorsville: A Confederate victory in Virginia in May 1863, achieved despite severe losses and Stonewall Jackson's mortal wound. Lee's success there encouraged the northern invasion that ended at Gettysburg.