Simplify the following text for a Grade 7 native English-speaking person.
Original: From July 1 â `` 3 , 1863 , 172,000 American soldiers clashed in the Battle of Gettysburg , in what would prove to be a turning point of the Civil War .
Simplified: About 172,000 American soldiers fought in the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1 -- 3 , 1863 .