The Battle of Gettysburg: Would You Lead the Fight?

By 1863, the Civil War was far from over. Confederate General Robert E. Lee led his troops to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. President Abraham Lincoln sent a large Union army, hoping he was in time to stop the Confederate army’s advance. On July 1, the battle of Gettysburg began. Thousands of men were killed, but this deadly battle was a turning point that changed the war. After the battle’s end, Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address. Author Elaine Landau helps the reader ponder the difficult questions that faced the leaders during this brutal battle.