Gettysburg

     In June, Robert E. Lee led his troops across the Potomac until they reached Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Union army there had taken up a strong defensive position on Cemetery Ridge and Culp's Hill. Then, on July 2, General George Meade (of the Union)'s troops could not be dislodged by the Confederate troops from the higher ground they occupied. The very next day, Lee faced a decision: he could either retreat and protect his men or launch one FINAL (/desperate) attack. Going with brawn, rather than brains, Lee directed a full-out charge on the strongest section of the Union line. The results on Cemetery Ridge were disastrous, with Confederate soldiers dropping like flies under Union fire. Few made it to the top, where they were either captured or killed. Lee and his troops then retreated to the Potomac, only to find that the river was flooded and it would not be crossable, not for a few days. Meade let allowed Lee to escape, however, Grant successfully conquered Vicksburg on July 4 and Northerners celebrated the simultaneous Independence Day victories that "turned the tide of the war."