One month before the Battle at Gettysburg he decided in June to take the war north. His plan was to destroy the Railroad Bridge in Harrisburg, and then "turn my attention to Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington as may seem best for our interest.".
             General George G. Meade of the Union Army commanded nearly 85,000 men. The first encounter began when two brigades of Confederate troops advanced upon a small Union cavalry brigade. Fighting defensively, the Union troops kept the Confederates at bay. During the first encounter, the Confederates outnumbered the Union troops. Union troops won the encounter because of their superior technology. The Union troops fought with breech loading carbines that allowed them eight shots per minute, opposed to the Confederates three shots perminute. The battle picked up quickly once both sides called for reinforcements. Several thousand Union troops managed to make it up to an excellent strategic lookout point know as Cemetery Ridge. By dusk, the Union troops had built a defense line 3.5 miles long. The defensive line followed strategic landmarks and resembled a large "fishhook". Having a defen
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