Gettysburg already bracing for big 150th crowd in 2013

(Gettysburg) -- The 150th anniversary of the decisive Civil War battle in Gettysburg is still nine months away, but the National Park Service, hotels and tourism planners are bracing for what's expected to be a huge turnout.

The Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau says many hotels in the immediate area have already sold out, and they're expecting some four million visitors over the course of the year -- or about a third more than usual.

The three-day battle in early July 1863 is considered the turning point of the war, as the Northern army was able to repel the Confederates under General Robert E. Lee.

For a typical year, the battle's anniversary draws some 5,000 re-enactors, but next July that figure could be three times higher.