The first shot fired at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, started the three-day battle. Citizens were in a turmoil with a growing flood of wounded men being brought into town. Between 3:30 & 4:30 pm the Union lines to the west & north of Gettysburg crumbled and soldiers converged into one blue mass moving through the town with Confederates on their heels. There was fighting in the streets, alleys & yards, as the town's people sought refuge in their cellars as the war was brought to their doorsteps. Walk the streets and alleys with a Guide and hear the stories of the civilians who lived through these violent days as the battle spilled into the town of Gettysburg.