[Video] Today in History: July 3, 1863: The Battle of Gettysburg Ends

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Today in History: July 3, 1863: The Battle of Gettysburg Ends

On this day in 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg came to a close after three relentless days of fighting. With over 50,000 casualties, it became the bloodiest battle in American history—and a decisive turning point in the Civil War.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee had marched his army into Pennsylvania, aiming to strike a devastating blow on Northern soil and possibly force the Union into peace talks. Gettysburg lay just 80 miles from Washington, D.C.—the Union capital—and its capture could have shifted the war entirely.

But Lee made his move blind. His cavalry commander, J.E.B. Stuart, had taken an extended ride around the Union army and failed to deliver vital intelligence. Without eyes on enemy movements, Lee’s forces stumbled into a fortified Union position on the high ground. Union Generals George Meade and John Buford used the terrain to their advantage, digging in along Cemetery Ridge and repelling wave after wave of Confederate assaults.

The infamous Pickett’s Charge on the final day—an all-out frontal attack across open fields—ended in disaster for the South, with thousands cut down in minutes. Lee’s retreat back to Virginia marked the end of Confederate hopes for a quick war.

President Lincoln would later use the Union victory to rally support for the cause, culminating in his Gettysburg Address just months later. The Union’s stand at Gettysburg didn’t just stop an invasion—it marked the beginning of the Confederacy’s long, slow decline. The North had turned the tide, and the dream of a Southern victory was fading fast.