The Battle of Gettysburg erupted in Pennsylvania as Union and Confederate forces clashed in what would become a defining moment of the Civil War. Over three grueling days, tens of thousands of brave Americans fought amid smoke and fire for the soul of the nation. July 1 marked the opening of this brutal contest, with Union troops trying desperately to hold the high ground against General Lee’s aggressive advance.

As the sun rose on that first day, soldiers from both sides poured into the countryside, turning peaceful fields into a battlefield soaked in valor and blood. The fighting around McPherson Ridge and Seminary Ridge was fierce, with Union forces ultimately forced back through the town of Gettysburg by nightfall. Yet even in retreat, their courage never wavered. What began as a skirmish quickly escalated into a full-scale showdown—one that would decide far more than who held the hills of Pennsylvania.