The Turning Point: Gettysburg

After Antietam, Lee was a little disappointed that they did not gain land into the north. Even so, he decided to try again to invade the Union territory to gain external support. Although Vicksburg, a supply hub and the only city along the Mississippi still in Confederate control, had just been captured by the Union, Lee knew nothing of it, or he may have changed his mind. As they began their march, many things must have been going through Lee's mind. Problems for the Confederacy such as: the economy was in desperate shape, the slaves were in rebellion against their owners, and that the soldiers did not have enough supplies to survive, so they left to go to the Union. (The last problem was due to the Union blockade) As General Lee's army reached Pennsylvania, they came across a Union camp in the small town of Gettysburg,. They surprised them, some even getting their sandwiches shot out of their hands, and killed a decent amount of people before the Union soldiers began to fire back. After a long few days of battle, the Union army forced the retreat of Lee's army. There were about 50,000 casualties in the battle. This would be the last time Lee would try to invade the north.