The Battle of Gettysburg: 150 Years Ago

Today marks the 150th anniversary of Pickett's Charge, the last serious effort by Confederate forces to attack Union lines during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg -- considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. The following day, July 4, 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia retreated, leaving Gettysburg for Virginia, and both sides tallied the costs of the war's bloodiest battle. At Gettysburg, more than 27,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were wounded, a further 7,800 men were killed on the battlefield. The war lasted another two years, but the tide had turned in the North's favor. Collected here are images from the battlefield 150 years ago -- some of the first war photography ever seen by the American public -- and scenes from a massive re-enactment of the events that took place over the past few days.

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • NASA

    The Beauty of Earth From Orbit

    Recent images of our home planet, seen by crew members of the International Space Station

  • JIJI Press / AFP / Getty

    Photos of the Week: Marsh Maze, Volcanic Ash, Dying Star

    Early cherry blossoms in Tokyo, heavy snowfall in California, a festival of lights in Croatia, emotional displays at the Academy Awards, a heavy frost in England, and much more

  • © Steven Zhou, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards

    Winners of the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition

    A collection of some of the winning and shortlisted photos from this year’s competition

  • Oli Scarff / AFP / Getty

    National Napping Day

    A handful of images of snoozy people and animals enjoying the benefits of napping in various locations