The famous Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1-3, 1863 in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle proved to be the one with the highest number of casualties of the entire war and ended in a crushing defeat for the Confederates. The Battle of Gettysburg is generally considered the turning point of the American Civil War. This article will demonstrate the various reasons why the Confederates, led by General Robert E. Lee, were unsuccessful at the Battle of Gettysburg during their invasion of the North. General Lee's overconfidence, the disorganization and lack of coordination of the Confederate army, and intelligence shifting all contributed to the crushing defeat of the Confederates at Gettysburg. After his “flawless” battle at Chancellorsville, General Lee was instilled with absolute confidence in his men and failed to see any deficiency in his army's offensive capabilities. Lee was not only overconfident, but he also knew less than his opponent during the most crucial stages of the battle. The final factor contributing to the Confederate defeat was Alexander's failure to provide an effective artillery bombardment and his failure to advise General Pickett not to charge after the ineffective bombardment. The Battle of Gettysburg lasted three days in the summer of 1863. On July 1, the Confederates drove the Union defenders back to Cemetery Hill. The next day Lee attacked the flanks of the Union line which resulted in brutal fighting at Devil's Den, Little Round Top, Wheatfield, Peach Orchard, Culp's Hill, and East Cemetery Hill. Although the Confederates gained ground on July 2, they failed to dislodge the Union army from many of their positions. The third day of the battle,......middle of paper......as the turning point of the American Civil War. The battle proved to be the deadliest of any battle during the war and ended in a crushing and demoralizing defeat for the Confederates. At the end of his "perfect battle", Lee's overconfidence proved to be his undoing as his expectations for his men far exceeded the reality of his army. In addition to this, his disorganization and lack of coordination led to numerous disjointed attacks that failed and in turn exhausted his men. Finally, Lee ultimately knew less than his opponent during the entire battle, which was a huge change from previous encounters between the two sides. He was forced to fight arguably the most important battle of the Civil War with insufficient information about the enemy, his positions, and his intentions. All of these factors are what caused the Confederates to fail at Gettysburg.