Michael MaggioreMrs. BojanowskiEnglish May 22, 2014Battle of GettysburgIn 1863, a battle shocked the entire nation. This battle was the Battle of Gettysburg. “This most famous and important Civil War battle was fought over three hot days, July 1-3, 1863, around the small burg of Gettysburg” (Lamath). In the end, nearly 160,000 Americans were involved in this grueling battle. About half of the soldiers were casualties. On the Union side, there were 23,000 casualties out of 88,000. On the Confederacy side, 28,000 out of 75,000 soldiers were lost. The commanding general of the Confederacy was General Robert E. Lee. The commanding general of the Union Army was General George E. Meade. What many don't know is that the confederacy in the battle was also known as the Army of Northern Virginia. The Union was also known as the Union Army of the Potomac. These were the two main forces in the Battle of Gettysburg. Every day, each opposing general would come up with a plan that quickly involved heated battles with grand strategies from the generals. These battles took place at places like Cemetery Ridge, Little Round Top, Devil's Den, Cemetery Hill, and Culp's Hill. Some battles were so crazy on the part of the commander that the battle was named in their honor. The Battle of Gettysburg is described as one of the worst battles ever fought on the continent. It is also undoubtedly the turning point of the civil war. Until this battle, every other battle in the Civil War was won by the South, with the exception of the Battle of Antietam. In three days, approximately 51,000 soldiers lost their lives. Civil War photography was able to capture the war like never before...... middle of paper ......diers died on the Gettysburg battlefield, Gettysburg became a national park. Gettysburg has not only become a national park, but also one of the most visited in our country. It also commemorates the place where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous "Gettysburg Address." Nearly thirty-two years after the Battle of Gettysburg ended, Gettysburg National Park came into being. “Established on February 11, 1895, the 5,733-acre park includes the site where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address” (Fredriksen) The Battle of Gettysburg would remain a tourist attraction for many years and still today a field of battle because some still hear the groans of soldiers and their ghostly silhouettes parade. Even old battlefields like Little Round Top or Devil's Den will remain true to their dark past and cling to what happened so long ago that divided our once great nation...