As He plans for a retreat, General Robert E Lee found he had one days worth of ammunition to defend His retreating army. the General had them dig trenches for defense on the west side of seminary ridge. He broke his retreating army into two pieces. One column, seventeen miles long would go northwest through Cashtown and the second a smaller column would go southwest through Fairfield. Lee left men in defense of the retreating army. General Meade did not attack or pursue Lee even though President Lincoln urged him to do so. Instead, Meade rested,fed and re-supplied his army.By the afternoon of the 4th the rain began to fall heavily and Lee knew he would have to move. He did at 2pm.It wasnt until that night that Meade recieved reports that Lee was on the move.

there were small actions and skirmishes in Greencasle,Hagerstown,Williamsport and Fairfield but Meade thought it better to hold Gettysburg in strength than to folow Lee.By July 7th, Meade began a pursuit of Lee in heavy rain. On the 9th near Boosboro and Rohrsvill Maryland the Army of the Potamic was just five miles away. Meade then ordered his men to pursue Lee cautiously and threaten Lee but not engage a battle.On July 11th, Lee established a strong defensive line seven miles long on the Conococheaque Creek. From there a crossing point at FallingWaters Maryland was seen and Lee's army headed toward that point. Skirmishes continued on a constant basis,the largest at the towns of Hagerstown and Funkstown.By July 13th Lee was in position to cross the Potamic on a bridge that his engineers had built at Falling Waters(See picture at top of page)On the 11th the Army began to cross the bridge.Meade skirmished with Lee's army but not with much effect. By the time the Confederates were across the river only about 700 prisoners were taken and a few wagons.the Army of Northern Virgina had crossed thepotamic into the safety of the Shenandoah Valley.

The army of the Potamic followed Lee but by July 26 both armies were back to where they had started from before Gettysburg.After two Months of engaging,battle and retreat,the campaign of Gettysburg was over. The Union army victorious. The south would never invade northern territory again and would surrender at Appomattox less than two years later.

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