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May 1 - 4, 1863 - The Union Army of the
Potomac under General "Fighting Joe" Hooker is defeated by Lee's Army of
Northern Virginia at the Battle of Chancellorsville west of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Confederate General Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded by his own soldiers during a
night reconnaisance. Each side lost more than 10,000. Hooker withdrew to his
line north of the Rappahannock.
June 3 - Lee, with 75,000 Confederates,
slips away from the Union Army and heads northwest, launching his second invasion of the
North.June 16 - Lee's advance units enter
Maryland.
June 23 - Confederate cavalry commander
J.E.B. Stuart begins his second 'ride around the enemy'. He will be out of touch
with Lee until the second day of Gettysburg. Lee is effectively 'blind' during the
week leading to the battle.
June 24 - The Army of Northern Virginia
has crossed the Potomic west of Harpers Ferry and strikes northeast through Maryland into
Pennsylvania.
June 27 - 1 P.M. - Hooker send a telegram
to Washington resigning command of the Army of the Potomac. At 3
A.M. the 28th a courier arrives -- General George G. Meade is appointed as
commander.
June 29 - Major cities in the North such as
Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Baltimore and even New York are in an uproar over the threat of
attack from General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. The Union Army
of the Potomac is marching to intercept Lee who learns of the move from the scout
Harrison. Lee orders the army to consolidate on Cashtown, eight miles to the west of
Gettysburg.
June 30 - A Confederate infantry brigade of
A. P Hill's Corps headed toward Gettysburg, PA searching for a rumored supply of shoes.
The Confederate commander spotted a long column of Federal cavalry heading toward
the town and, mindful of his instructions not to bring on a battle until the entire army
was at hand, withdrew his brigade. Two Union Cavalry brigades under General John
Buford enter Gettysburg. Buford predicts, accurately, that "They will attack
you in the morning and they will come booming -- skirmishers three deep. You will
have to fight like the devil until supports arrive."
 Wednesday, July 1 - 8 A.M.
- Two divisions of Confederates headed back to Gettysburg. They run into Buford's Federal
cavalry west of the town at Willoughby Run and the skirmish began. Events would quickly
escalate. Lee rushed 25,000 men to the scene. The Union had less than 20,000.
Reynold's Federal I Corps begins to arrive at 10 A.M.,
just in the nick of time. Directing his men into battle, Reynolds is killed by a
rebel sniper.
July 1 - 2:30 P.M. - Lee arrives on the
battlefield just in time to witness his converging units drive the Federals to the rear.
The Federals were pushed back through Gettysburg and regrouped south of the town
along the high ground near the cemetery. At 4:30 P.M.
Lee ordered Confederate General R.S. Ewell to seize the high ground from the battle weary
Federals but Ewell hesitated to attack. The Union troops have a chance to dig in along
Cemetery Ridge and bring in more reinforcements and their artillery.
4:00 P.M. - Hancock arrives at the
battlefield to assume command of I Corps. He orders the fortification of the line
from Culp's Hill through Cemetery Ridge to Little Round Top. Little Round Top is not
occupied in any strength however -- only some signal men are on the hill for most of the
next day. There are too few Union soldiers on the battlefield and they are exausted
from the first day's fighting -- but more are arriving every hour.
5:30 P.M. - Confederate General James
Longstreet argues that Lee should move east between the Union Army and Washington and
build a defensive position. Lee overrules him. "No," he said. "The enemy is
there, and I'm going to attack him there.... They are there in position, and I am
going to whip them or they are going to whip me. "
9:30 P.M - Meade orders all Union forces
to converge on Gettysburg -- Seven corps in all, more than 80,000 troops.
July 2
July 3
Battle maps from The Battle of
Gettysburg by Brian Williams.
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