Gettysburg Day

Gettysburg Day

July 1

The Battle of Gettysburg, which began on July 1, 1863, was a turning point in the Civil War. Under the leadership of General Robert E. Lee, Confederate soldiers were advancing toward Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, when they encountered General George G. Meade's Union forces. On the third day of the battle, Lee ordered his men to attack the center of the Union line in an action that later came to be known as Pickett's Charge. But Meade had anticipated just such a strategy, and the rebels were forced to retreat to Virginia. The toll of missing, wounded, and dead was more than 23,000 for the North and 28,000 for the South.
On the 50th anniversary of the battle, Civil War veterans reenacted Pickett's Charge. There continued to be major observances at the Gettysburg battlefield on all the major anniversaries, although the 75th (in 1938) was the last in which surviving Civil War veterans actually participated. The annual observation takes place throughout the week of July 1 and includes speeches by distinguished guests, a military band concert, and a parade with floats illustrating historic events ( see Gettysburg Civil War Heritage Days).

CONTACTS:
Gettysburg National Military Park
1195 Baltimore Pike, Ste. 100
Gettysburg, PA 17325
717-334-1124; fax: 717-334-1891
www.nps.gov
Gettysburg Official Web Site
89 Steinwehr Ave.
Gettysburg, PA 17325
717-334-2100; fax: 717-334-6905
www.gettysburg.com

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 492
AnnivHol-2000, p. 111

Celebration day: Jul 1