July 1, 1863
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The Battle of Gettysburg begins

The Battle of Gettysburg had the largest number of casualties during the American Civil War, and is often called the turning point of the war. The Union suffered 23,049 casualties and injuries while the Confederates suffered approximately 23,000 to 28,000. This image, from the Library of Congress and colorized by Mark Maritato, is entitled “Gettysburg, Pa. Bodies of Federal soldiers, killed on July 1, near the McPherson woods”. It was taken two days later on July 3, after the battle had ended.