Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, halting Lee's invasion of the North.
61st Georgia Volunteer Infantry
Part of the Lawton-Gordon-Evans Brigade, the 61st Georgia Volunteer Infantry was mustered in South Carolina in May 1862. Its service included the Battle of Gaines' Mill (27 June 1862), Second Manassas (29-30 August 1862), the Battle of Chancellorsville (29 April – 5 May 1863) and the Battle of Gettysburg (1-3 July 1863) among many other battles. Along with the rest of Gordon's brigade, the 61st was among the first Confederate troops to reach the Susquehanna River during the Gettysburg Campaign.