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The First Day - The Great Battle Begins I
Pictures taken July 3, 1998 at the 135th Reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg.


Drawn to Gettysburg by its network of roads, the Confederates marched in from the North and West looking for supplies and the whereabouts of the Union Army.

The Union Army approached Gettysburg from the South and East as they stayed between the Confederate Army and the capital, Washington DC. Finally, North faced South and on the morning of July 1, 1863 the Battle of Gettysburg began. One of the first thing armies do when they meet the enemy is "jockey" for the best ground as the terrain of the land is a major factor in deciding who will win the battle.

After an hour of fighting, the Union defeated the Confederates.
.	Racing to the front of the line

As more troops of both sides arrived, the fighting resumed in the afternoon. After several hours the Union line started to fall back.
	In the next few hours the Confederate continued to cause the Union line to fall back - all the way through the streets of Gettysburg (where they captured 3,000) to the ridge south of the town.

Here the Confederate Artillery prepares for a volley.....

.....and one after another they fire down the line.
	These fellows must have endured bumpy rides as they transported supplies over the rutted roads of the day. The sight of the team was impressive.

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