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In the late spring of 1863, the Civil War was into its third year. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's army had just defeated a Union force twice its size at
Chancellorsville, Virginia. Lee planned an invasion of the North, hoping to hurt the morale (confidence) of Northerners. He wanted the Northerners to be scared and
ask President Lincoln to stop the war.
Abraham Lincoln, the president of the United States, was worried about who would stop Lee. His best general, Ulysses S. Grant, was in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Grant was trying to capture the town and control the Mississippi River. No other general seemed to be able to stop Lee.
In June 1863, Lincoln received reports that Lee and his Confederate Army were crossing the Potomac River about 80 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. They
were marching through Maryland and into Pennsylvania. A separate group of Confederate cavalry (soldiers on horses) was also riding into Pennsylvania. The United
States was being invaded.
At this important time, Lincoln chose Union General George Meade as the new commander of the Union Army. Meade knew that a big battle was about to happen.
Throughout the last two weeks of June 1863 the Union Army made a forced march from Virginia to try to catch Lee. Meade's army numbered 75.000 men, about the
same size as Lee's. By the night of June 30, Union troops (soldiers) had set up their positions on the hills around Gettysburg. Holding the high ground meant that the
Union soldiers could see an attack coming and their shots would go farther.
The battle that followed from July 1-3, 1863 changed the war. It was the TURNING POINT of the Civil War. Before Gettysburg, the Union had few victories. After
Gettysburg, they were more successful and were able to win the war in April 1865.
Why did Confederate General Robert E. Lee want to invade the North?