We covered the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville both won by the South. When Gen. Lee invaded the North, the armies met at Gettysburg, PA on July 1, 1863. Gen. George Meade led the Union & the battle lasted for 3 days. At first, the South held on, but the last attack, known as Pickett's Charge, proved deadly & barely 1/2 of the South's soldiers returned. Gen. Lee claimed, "It's all my fault," retreating with his troops to VA. Gen. Grant's army laid siege to Vicksburg, MS. On July 4, 1863, Vicksburg surrendered. These Union victories marked a turning point in the war, driving Lee's army to retreat and cutting the South in two. On Nov. 19. 1863, Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address at a ceremony there. The speech helped war-weary Americans look beyond war and focus on shared ideals. In Nov. 1863, Union Gen. William T. Sherman won the Battle of Lookout Mtn. in Chattanooga, TN. Lincoln named Gen. Grant commander of all Union forces. Grant sends Gen. Sherman to lead troops on a "March to the Sea" from TN through Atlanta to Savannah, GA. - total war - leaving a path of destruction behind. Grant leads the Army of the Potomac to smash Lee's troops. In Sept. 1864, David Farragut led a Union fleet into Mobile, AL, gaining control of the Gulf of Mexico and Sherman captured Atlanta. In Oct. Gen. Sheridan's forces drove the Confederate army out of much of VA. Lincoln wins the election of 1864. Richmond, VA falls on April 2, 1862. On April 4, Lincoln walked through the streets of VA where an elderly African American man approached him, bowed & tearfully said, "May God bless you." Lincoln removed his own hat and bowed in return. On April 9, 1865, Gen. Lee & his troops surrender at Appomattox Court House. We then discussed the results of the Civil War.