Robert E. Lee came north in the summer of 1863 looking for a decisive battle that would break Northern will. His Army of Northern Virginia had beaten everything the Union threw at it for two years. One more major victory on Northern soil might tip European diplomatic recognition or trigger peace negotiations. He found his battle at a crossroads town he hadn't planned to fight in, against a general who had commanded the Army of the Potomac for three days.

Day One: The Accidental Battle

The engagement began July 1 when Confederate troops sent to find shoes encountered Union cavalry under John Buford, who recognized the tactical importance of the high ground south of Gettysburg and held it with dismounted troopers until Union infantry arrived. The first day went badly for the Union—two corps were driven through the town in disorder. But the high ground held, and Union commanders made the decision that determined the battle: they would stand on the ridge.

Pickett's Charge

On July 3, after two days of failed flank attacks, Lee ordered a frontal assault across nearly a mile of open ground against the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. Three divisions—roughly 12,500 men—walked into massed artillery and musket fire. The charge reached the Union line at one point. It was repulsed. Confederate losses on that afternoon exceeded 6,000. Lee rode out to meet the survivors and said: 'It is all my fault.'

The River That Wasn't Crossed

After the battle, Lee's army retreated to the Potomac, which had flooded in heavy rains. For a week, his battered force was pinned against an unfordable river. Meade hesitated; by the time he advanced, Lee had crossed. The opportunity to end the war in 1863 passed.