GETTYSBURG, BATTLE OF, a battle fought July 1-3, 1863, between the Union army under General Meade, and the Confederates under General Lee. During May the armies lay fronting each other upon the Rappahannock. Early in June Lee began his movement for the invasion of Pennsylvania, cross ing the Potomac on the 24th and 25th, and reaching Chambersburg, Pa., on the 27th. General Hooker, then in command of the Army of the Potomac, moved in the same general direction, but on the 28th was relieved, and the command given to Meade. In order to prevent his communications from being severed, Lee turned back toward Gettysburg to give battle. Meade had intended to give battle at a spot several miles from Gettysburg, near which was, however, a small por tion of his army. This came into colli sion a little before noon, July 1, with the advance of Lee, and was forced back, taking up a strong position on Cemetery Hill, in the rear of Gettysburg. Han cock, who had been sent forward to examine the position, reported that Gettysburg was the place at which to receive the Confederate attack, and Meade hurried his whole force to that point. The action on the second day, July 2, began about noon with an at tempt made by Lee to seize Round Top, a rocky hill from which the Union posi tion could be cDflladed. When this day's
fighting closed Lee was convinced that he had greatly the advantage, and he re solved to press it the next day. On the morning of July 3 an attempt was made upon the extreme Union right, but re pelled. The main attack on the center was preluded by a cannonade from 150 guns, which was replied to by 80, little injury being inflicted by either side. About noon the Union fire was slackened in order to coo] the guns, and Lee, think ing that the batteries were silenced launched a column of 15,000 or 18,000 against the Union lines. Some of this column actually surmounted the low works, and a brief hand-to-hand fight ensued. But the column was practically annihilated, only a small portion escap ing death or capture. The forces on each side were probably about 80,000, though all were not really engaged. No official report of the Confederate loss was ever published; the best estimates put it at about 18,000 killed and wounded, and 13,600 missing, most of them prisoners. The Union loss was 23,187, 16,543 of whom were killed and wounded.