The Confederate invasion of the Northern states was General Lee's last great gamble. By taking the war to the Union he hoped to force Lincoln into peace negotiations, or win support from the European powers who were watching events closely from across the Atlantic. Equally, Meade's Army of the Potomac needed to regain it's fighting credibility after the setbacks of Fredericksburg and saw this as an opportunity to redeem its honour. The clash of 150,000 soldiers from both sides would ultimately decide the fate of a nation.

Carl Smith has had a life-long fascination with many aspects of the military history of the United States. A specialist writer of many years experience, Carl has worked for several popular military magazines. He has written several volumes on the key battles of the Civil War in Osprey's Campaign series. Carl lives and works in Virginia, USA.