[Non-Sequitur]

Had the Confederates won the Battle of Gettysburg, they could have quickly moved through Maryland and into Washington, DC around the same time Vicksburg was falling. Having laid siege to Washington, DC (with the remnants of the Army of the Potomac in his wake) Lee would probably have forced Lincoln to negotiate some form of a settlement.

What the heck, I might as well toss in my $0.02 worth as well. I respectfully disagree with you. Say that Pickett had split the Union line on the third day and sent the Army of the Potomac into retreat. Lee now has thousands of dead and tens of thousands of wounded to care for, he's shot off most of his ammunition, and he is still hundreds of miles into the Union. The Army of the Potomac is damaged but still dangerous. Washington D.C. has thousands of troops in dozens of forts defending it. Lee had no choice. He was in no position at all to proceed on to Baltimore or Philadelphia or Washington. He had to go home regardless, back to Virginia before his line of retreat was cut.

[CurlyBill]

You are probably right if you presume that Picketts charge had succeeded. If Lee had listened to Longstreet, however, and the Confederates had gone around to the right, the Confederate casualties would likely have been far fewer. Having said that, part of the spoils of this victory would have been to obtain much of the Union ordinance and weaponry...not to mention supplies (food, shoes, etc.) This is a very interesting debate, and it's great to talk about history with others who are informed and interested. Have a great 4th of July weekend!