Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. It took place around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and is often considered the turning point of the war.

Following a series of military successes in Virginia, Confederate general Robert E. Lee took his troops up into south-central Pennsylvania in June 1863 in an invasion of the North. On July 1, elements of Lee’s army came up against Union cavalry by chance outside the town of Gettysburg, and fighting broke out. The Confederates were eventually able to push back the Federals to south of Gettysburg. During the evening and the following morning, both sides gathered the remainder of their armies, for a total of 83,000 Union troops and 75,000 Confederate.

July 2 saw bloody fighting on the Union left and center. Locations included Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil’s Den, and the Peach Orchard. But despite high casualties, the Union Army—under General George Meade—was generally able to repulse the Confederates.

On July 3, the Confederates launched an attack on the Union right, which was ultimately unsuccessful. Then, following a massive artillery bombardment, Lee attempted to attack the Union center in the ill-fated Pickett’s Charge.

On the 4th, Lee’s army withdrew back over the Potomac, leaving the Union Army as the victors of the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle resulted in 23,000 Union casualties and 28,000 Confederate.

The battlefield soon became a national cemetery, and President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address there in November 1863. It is now a national park.

Learn more about the Battle of Gettysburg through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Clippings about the Battle of Gettysburg

Maryland newspaper reports on military actions in Pennsylvania leading up to Battle of Gettysburg 29 Jun 1863, Mon The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) Newspapers.comResidents of Gettysburg area prepare for battle prior to Battle of Gettysburg Tue, Jun 30, 1863 – Page 3 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.comWashington DC newspaper breaks news of the start of the Battle of Gettysburg Thu, Jul 2, 1863 – Page 2 · Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) · Newspapers.comJuly 7, 1863: Gettysburg newspaper reports on the Battle of Gettysburg 30 Jun 1863, Tue The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.comJuly 7, 1863: Town of Gettysburg requests men, horses, and wagons to bury the dead after battle 30 Jun 1863, Tue The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.comJuly 7, 1863: Union officer captured at Gettysburg describes experiences during Confederate retreat 30 Jun 1863, Tue The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.comDescription of Gettysburg battlefield casualties and hospitals Wed, Jul 8, 1863 – 1 · The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) · Newspapers.comNorth Carolina newspaper is skeptical of word of Union victory at Gettysburg Mon, Jul 13, 1863 – Page 2 · The Daily Progress (Raleigh, North Carolina) · Newspapers.comPro-Union account of the Battle of Gettysburg Fri, Jul 17, 1863 – 2 · Delaware Gazette (Delaware, Ohio) · Newspapers.comConfederate account of Pickett's Charge, with a list of Confederate officers wounded or killed 23 Jul 1863, Thu The Hamilton Spectator (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.comPro-Confederate account of the Battle of Gettysburg Fri, Jul 24, 1863 – Page 1 · The Abingdon Virginian (Abingdon, Virginia) · Newspapers.comObituaries for two Southern soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg Wed, Jul 29, 1863 – Page 1 · Edgefield Advertiser (Edgefield, South Carolina) · Newspapers.comUnion officer gives speech about Gettysburg; calls the battle "the knell of the rebellion" 20 Aug 1863, Thu The Kingston Whig-Standard (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.comSouthern editorial criticizes negative public opinion following Battle of Gettysburg 27 Aug 1863, Thu Fayetteville Semi-Weekly Observer (Fayetteville, North Carolina) Newspapers.comPennsylvania plans ceremony to honor General George Mead after victory at Battle of Gettysburg 28 Aug 1863, Fri The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) Newspapers.comNewspaper prints letter about preparations for the dedication of Soldiers' Cemetery at Gettysburg 17 Oct 1863, Sat The Pittsburgh Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.comAccount of Gettysburg Address and dedication as covered by a Pennsylvania newspaper Fri, Nov 20, 1863 – Page 1 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com"On the Left at Gettysburg." Poem by H. L. Abbey. Published a year after the Battle of Gettysburg 02 Jun 1864, Thu The Telegraph-Courier (Kenosha, Wisconsin) Newspapers.comEditorial says the Confederate army "has never been anything like its former self since Gettysburg" 11 Jun 1864, Sat Weekly Trinity Journal (Weaverville, California) Newspapers.comGettysburg Battle-Field Memorial Association begins to acquire battlefield land for preservation 21 Jun 1864, Tue The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com1913 photo of a nurse and a veteran who served at the Battle of Gettysburg Fri, Jul 11, 1913 – Page 2 · Perrysburg Journal (Perrysburg, Ohio) · Newspapers.comPhoto: Civil War veterans at 50th anniversary of Battle of Gettysburg Wed, Jul 2, 1913 – Page 7 · Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.comMap of Battle of Gettysburg showing important key events of the battle Mon, Jul 1, 1963 – 18 · The Central New Jersey Home News (New Brunswick, New Jersey) · Newspapers.com