The Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point of the Civil War Was the Battle of Gettysburg a sufficient victory to actually turn the tide of the Civil War? Was three days of fighting enough to have such a large impact on a war that lasted another two years after this famous battle? Well, this is what I will talk about in this article. I will examine each day of the battle and how they ultimately led to Union victory and a turning point in the Civil War. The first day, July 1, 1863, was the beginning of what some would consider simply another battle in this long war, but it proved to be a stepping stone to Union victory. Confederate and Union forces clashed on the first day on the outskirts of Gettysburg. Union forces wanted to stop the Confederate advance through Gettysburg, but were only able to hold the line for a time before the larger Southern force was able to push the Union back. The Northern Army returned to the south side of the city and entrenched itself in a defensive position on Cemetery Hill. Trueman (2000) stated that Lee recognized the strategic importance of moving entrenched Union troops there. He ordered General Ewell to attack Cemetery Hill if possible. Ewell decided that an attack was impractical and gave the Union forces on Cemetery Hill much more time to entrench themselves and strengthen their defenses. It was a decision that would have major repercussions two days later (Trueman, 2000). July 2, 1863, the second day of the battle, began with Union forces entrenched on Cemetery Hill after the Confederates decided not to continue the attack on the first day. General George Meade, decided that a defensive approach on that day would be the best strategy to use to inflict much to... mid-paper... decision meant a Union victory. The Union victory was an impressive and morale booster. But like all good things, there were downsides for both sides. The Confederates lost nearly 30,000 soldiers in these three days of battle alone, while the Union lost just over 20,000 soldiers, making this one of the worst and bloodiest battles in history. The Union victory at Gettysburg changed the war in several ways, abruptly halting the Confederate advance in the North and forcing the Southern army to fall back into Virginia. So Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War. Hawks (2007) stated, “for the remainder of the war, Lee remained on the strategic defensive, forced into the war of attrition he feared, and ultimately cornered in an unwinnable siege around Richmond” (Hawks, 2007). The Battle of Gettysburg was bloody and crucial and will be remembered forever.