The battle fought in and around Gettysburg, was the deadliest battle ever fought on U.S. soil. As Confederate soldiers approached Gettysburg on the first day of July, they were unaware that Union troops were already occupying the town. As opposing forces collide, a skirmish erupts almost by accident. It quickly escalates into the largest battle ever fought in the western hemisphere. Over the next three days, a total of 170,000 soldiers clashed in and around Gettysburg. Over three days of intense fighting, 50,000 men would be sacrificed. Three days that changed American history forever. Many heroic actions took place here. But according to some, it was the decision of one individual that turned the tide of the war — Joshua Chamberlain