Who Won the Battle of Gettysburg?

The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and the largest one ever fought on American soil, involving around 75,000 Confederate soldiers and 85,000 soldiers on the Union’s side. The battle had around 51,000 casualties and started out as a bit of a chance encounter, even though Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee planned on attacking the Union at a later stage in order to try and invade the North. The battle ended up a huge loss for the Confederates, who never attempted to go North again, which is why Gettysburg is seen as a turning point for the Civil War.

The Defeat

The battle lasted for three days before concluding in a defeat for Lee’s army, causing the Confederates to retreat. The main event that is said to have turned the battle in the Union’s favor is known as “Pickett’s Charge” an infantry assault against the Union, involving 12,500 Confederate men. The Union’s soldiers managed to repulse this charge with artillery and rifle fire, which caused many losses for the Confederate army. In the end, Lee was forced to retreat with his army, back to Virginia.

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