First Day's Battlefield

Located to the north and west of the town of Gettysburg, the First Day’s Battlefield is a broad, open area where the initial clash of Confederate and United States troops occurred on July 1, 1863. The First Day's Battlefield is composed of two major areas: the upper ridge area, including McPherson and Oak Ridges, punctuated by Oak Hill, and the lower valley area just north of Gettysburg. On the western edge of this area flows Willoughby Run. Bisecting and edging the bottom of the eastern slope of Oak Ridge are the tracks of the Western Maryland Railroad. The second area is the Gettysburg Plain, which is east of Oak Ridge, north of the town, and bordered on the east by Rock Creek. This lower valley area includes Barlow Knoll, which is surrounded by agricultural fields.