The Battle of Gettysburg is arguably the best known and most analyzed battle of the Civil War. From July 1 to July 4, 1863, Union Major General George Meade’s 93,921 troops took on 71,699 of their counterparts under Confederate General Robert E. Lee. There would be more than 51,000 casualties, making Gettysburg the bloodiest single battle of the war. The Union victory ended Lee’s invasion of the North and, even though the war would last another two years, was instrumental in destroying the hopes of the South to become an independent nation.