The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July first to July third in the year of eighteen sixty-three, marked a turning point in the American Civil War. It was here General Robert E. Lee made a series of decisions that would go on to shape the outcome of the war. The battle began when Confederate forces, under the command of General Henry Heth, clashed with Union troops at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Despite the initial surprise, the Union forces managed to hold their ground. Lee had a chance to seize the high ground of Cemetery Hill on the first day. Yet, he hesitated, a decision that would prove costly in the days to come.