The Battle of Gettysburg, one of the most critical and bloodiest battles of the American Civil War, concluded on July 3, 1863, after three days of fierce combat. This battle marked a turning point in the war, with the defeat of General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army by Union forces under the command of Major General George G. Meade. The Union victory at Gettysburg halted Lee’s invasion of the North and boosted Northern morale, setting the stage for further Union successes that would eventually lead to the preservation of the United States.