In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States. Shortly after his election seven states seceded from the Union (United States of America) and formed a new government called the Confederate States of America. In 1861, four more states followed suit (American Civil War, n.d.). In 1861, civil war broke out between the governments of the United States (North) and the Confederate States (South). Before the war ended in 1865, over 2.4 million soldiers would wear the uniform and participate in some way in the war effort (American Civil War, n.d.). This huge number of participants would lead to many bloody days and encounters throughout the war, the bloodiest of these encounters being the Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg began in July 1863 in the town and surrounding area of ​​Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (Battle of Gettysburg, n.d.). This marked only the second time the Confederate Army crossed the Mason Dixon Line to challenge the Union Army in their backyard (the first led to the bloodiest day in American history) (Welch, 1993). On July 1, 1863, approximately 85,000 Union soldiers coming from the North encountered 75,000 Confederate soldiers coming up from the South. Washington DC was the objective destination of the Confederate Army (Gettysburg, n.d.). These two forces would fight tooth and nail with conventional direct attacks and some unconventional strategies until the defeat of the Confederates on July 3, 1863. From the beginning of the battle on July 1 until the end of the battle on July 3, both sides suffered large numbers of casualties (casualties include dead, wounded and missing). The total number of casualties for the Union Army amounted to 23,049. The total amounts to 3,155 deaths, and not... half of the paper... The Battle of Gettysburg will always be remembered as the worst part of one of the darkest periods in American history. References American Civil War. (n.d.). In history. Retrieved January 25, 2014, from http://history.com/topics/american-civil-warGettysburg. (n.d.). In the Civil War Trust. Retrieved January 25, 2014, from http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg.html?tab=factsTen facts about Gettysburg. (n.d.). In the Civil War Trust. Retrieved January 25, 2014, from http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg/assets/ten-facts-about/ten-facts-about-gettysburg.htmlThe Battle of Gettysburg. (n.d.). In the stone sentinels. Retrieved January 25, 2014, from http://www.gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/Gettysburg_Facts/Gettysburg_Facts.phpWelch, R. F. (1993, July). Battle of Gettysburg. Retrieved January 25, 2014, from http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-gettysburg