On July 3, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg reached its climax with Pickett’s Charge, a massive Confederate assault on Union lines. Thousands of Confederate soldiers advanced across open fields under heavy artillery and rifle fire. The attack was repelled, causing devastating losses for General Robert E. Lee’s army. After three days of fighting, both sides had suffered tens of thousands of casualties. Lee withdrew his forces back to Virginia, ending his second invasion of the North. The defeat marked a major turning point that weakened Confederate offensive capacity for the rest of the war.
