Gettysburg Confederate: The Army of Northern Virginia 1 July 1863 (Order…

On 1 July two Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia punched towards Gettysburg. These were the first shots of the battle that would turn the tide of the war and decide the fate of the Union. The day ended with the Army of Northern Virginia in the familiar position of having driven their foes in near rout. However, at dusk, in the failing light, the Army of the Potomac could be seen gathering itself on the forbidding heights south of Gettysburg. Senior Confederate leaders understood that the battle was not yet won.