July 2, 1863) General Robert E. Lee came up with a plan for his Confederates to attack on both sides of the Union army in Cemetery Ridge. The result would be three hours of battle and Northern Virginia had a tactical advantage. In the confederate many soldiers were killed, wounded and missing during the fighting on July 2  6,500 soldiers died altogether . The Union lost more soldiers than he confederate and still won. Lee had reason to believe this flank-attack plan would work. He received a report that said the Round Tops and the southern end of Cemetery Ridge were unoccupied by Union troops which means there was a place to try to attack their opponent . The confederate flank attacks that were routed gave an advantage for the union at First Bull Run, Second Bull Run, and Chancellorsville, and Lee’s attacks on the flank of an army moving up the James River peninsula in 1862 started the Seven Days Battle that drove a Union army back from the gates of Richmond. The battles fought that day are some of the most famous in military history.