About a third of the soldiers who fought in Gettysburg became casualties during three pivotal days of the US Civil War.

Todd Arrington, site manager of James A. Garfield National Historic Site and a Gettysburg native, talks about the history, strategies, and people involved in the battle.

He also explains why Gettysburg became the scene of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. (It has nothing to do with shoes.)

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at our Main Branch. We’ll discuss the Siege of Atlanta. As always, the talk is free and open to all.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including: