one of the most important battles of the american civil war occurred around the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from July 1 to July 3, 1863. What began as a search for shoes by the Confederate Army quickly escalated into a major battle. As the Confederate soldiers sought new shoes, they unexpectedly encountered Union cavalry stationed west of the town at Willough by Run, and the battle bagan. after much fighting and heavy casualties on both sides,the Confederates push the Union forces back through the town of Gettysburg, where they regrouped south of the town along the high ground near a cemetary