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On this day in 1863, the battle of Gettysburg began in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
July 1, 2022
An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on day 1 of July, repeating indefinitely
On this day in 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg began in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In the bloodiest engagement of the Civil War, tens of thousands of men were killed in battle. The battle, won by Union forces, marked a turning point in the war as the Confederacy was prevented from invading farther north. The victory also helped boost Union morale and prevented panic in the nearby northern cities of Philadelphia and New York.
Did you know? As one would imagine, the small town of Gettysburg was unprepared for the enormity of bloodshed. The town reeked of death for months after the battle and many bodies were not properly buried for years. In fact, a Confederate man’s body was unexpectedly found as recently as 1996.
A reunion of soldiers from both the North and South was held in 1913. The men, by this time most in their 70s, commemorated the fallen and peacefully reenacted Pickett’s Charge, this time culminating the event with handshakes.
Reunion of Confederate and Federal veterans at Gettysburg, International News Service, 1913
