In 1863, the war raged on with no end in sight. Then in July, two decisive battles turn the tide of the war in favor of the north, the Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg.
The Confederate Army, led by General Robert E Lee tried to invade the north for a second time in the summer of 1863. Lee and the Confederates had just won a decisive victory in Virginia and thought the time was right to go on the offensive. Lee hoped that if the Confederate Army could win a battle on Union soil, Northerners might begin to lose support for the war.
The two sides met in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Union Army secured their position on high ground, while the Confederate army spread out at a lower elevation. As the Confederates charged forward, union forces used their superior position to drive them back.
The Battle of Gettysburg lasted from July 1 to July 3, 1863. On the third day of battle, Union forces defeated Lee’s Confederate Army. The event signaled the end of the Confederate hopes for invading the north. It was also the deadliest three days of the Civil War.