At the start of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union army was forced into a defensive position.
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in July 1863 in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. It marked the Union victory that stopped Confederate General Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the North. Over 50,000 men passed away during the 3-day battle, making it the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War.