On July 1863, one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war began at Gettysburg; Pennsylvania Confederate troops led by General Robert E. Lee initially drove back General Gorge Meades. Union forces took a strong defensive position. After two days of fighting, lee was unable to break the union line. (Battles and Leaders of the Civil War).

Next, on July 1, advance units of the two armies stumbled into each other near the little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, ten miles north of the Maryland border. Both Lee and Meade realized that a battle was unavoidable. Fighting that day union troops after early revises managed to hold a strategic position on cemetery hill. The second day of July, saw confused fighting on both union flanks. (Battles and Leaders of the Civil War).

Finally, Gettysburg and Vicksburg were among the most important Union victories in more than two years of war. Strangely, they coincided with a violent out burst of disloyalty in

Secondly, Jackson crossed the Potomac into Maryland with Lee who ordered him to capture Harpers Ferry. His task was successful in September of 1862, Jackson rushed north to Antietam Creek to aid Lee, who was under attack by an over whelming union force. Jackson commanded the right wing of the confederate army at Fredericksburg in December 1862. Jackson put together an outstanding move against three union army's then destroyed Richmond. After driving back the army of general Nathaniel Prentiss Banks, which was advancing from the north. Jackson turned and defeated the army's trying to attack his rear ranks from the east to the west. Jackson took part with general Robert E. Lee, in the defeat of McClellan in the Seven days' Battle at Richmond. In August 1862. He defeated Popes army and let the confederates win the second battle of Bull Run. Jackson was in the Rappahannock Campaign in Virginia launching a surprise attack on the union army. Jackson prevented the threatened encirclement of the confederate forces by the troops of general Joseph Hooker. On the second of May he lead his forces during Chancellorsville, Jackson was accidentally shot fatally wounded by his own men coming in from the fog. (Encarta).

Next, Lee argued that an invasion of the wealthiest urban area of the north would probably lessen the pressure on confederate forces in Tennessee and at Vicksburg. Perhaps most important the fertile Cumberland Valley would provide food and clothing for less ragged and hungry army. On the third of July Lee began to move his army of northern Virginia across the Rappahannock. After that Lee sent Major General George Pickett and his troops on an infamous charge at the center on union defenses. More than three quarters of Pickett's force suffered causalities and the charge was repelled, effectually ending the battle on the night of July the Fourth the confederate army retreated to Virginia. (North with Lee and Jackson).

Secondly, the situation of Jackson's corps on the morning of May the third was a desperate one. Its front and right flank being in the presence of not far from 25,000 men with the left flank 30,000 corps. The eleventh corps formed a line of battle was withdrawn from the front and sent to the rear to reorganize and get its scattered parts together leaving one division of the second corps on the left from Motts Run to Chancellorville. At about five a.m. May the third fighting began at Chancellorsville, when the third corps began to retire to the left of the middle. Then the right flank became strongly engaged, while battle ran along the whole line. The enemy's guns on the hills to there left, were a big threat. (North with Lee and Jackson).

Finally, Pickett charged against the strong union positions on Cemetery Ridge. Three fourths of his troops were lost in the attack, which is known as Pickett's Charge. He was also noted for his precipitation in the Peninsular Campaign in the defense of Petersburg, Virginia and in the battles of Dinwiddie Court House and five forks. (http://www.us-civilwar.com/).

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Approximate Word count = 2097
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)