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Battle of Bull Run
It was the first major land battle of the armies of Virginia. On July 16, 1861, General Irvin McDowell marched from Washington against the Confederate army. On the 21st, McDowell crossed at Sudley Ford and attacked the Confederate left flank on Matthews Hill. Fighting went on throughout the day as Confederate forces were driven back to Henry Hill. Later on, Confederate reinforcements extended and broke the Union right flank. The Federal retreat rapidly deteriorated into a rout. -
The Draft
A law passed that said all white men aged 18 to 35 could be called for 3 years of military service. A drafted man could avoid the army by paying a substitute to take his place. -
Battle of Antietam
The Army of the Potomac, under the command of George McClellan, mounted a series of powerful assaults against Robert E. Lee’s forces near Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17, 1862. Attacks swept back and forth through Miller's Cornfield and West Woods. Later, towards the center of the battlefield, Union assaults against the Sunken Road got to the confederate center after a long struggle. Later, Hill's diversion ended up driving the confederates back and gave Abraham Lincoln the victory. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued the proclamation saying that all slaves in the rebellious states shall be free. -
Fort Wagner
The most famous regiment that fought for the Union in the battle of Fort Wagner was the 54th regiment, which was one of the first African-American regiments in the war. Though some claimed blacks could not fight as well as whites, the actions of the 54th Massachusetts demonstrated once again the fallacy in that argument, as this was not the first time blacks ever fought in war or even for the United States. -
Vicksburg
It was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. The Confederate surrender following the siege at Vicksburg is sometimes considered the turning point of the war. It also cut off communication with Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department for the remainder of the war. -
Battle Of Gettysburg
Confederate General Robert E. Lee concentrated his army around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, upon the approach of Union Gen. George G. Meade’s forces. On July 1, Confederates took Union defenders through Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill. The next day Lee hit the Union flanks which resulted in severe fighting at Devil's Den, Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Peach Orchard, Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill. Fighting raged at Culp's Hill, & Lee lost a lot of men. Lee's 2nd invasion had failed. -
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln’s 273-word address would be remembered as one of the most important speeches in American history. He told about the Union and it's importance. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States, passed the Senate on April 8, 1864, and the House on January 31, 1865. On February 1, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Joint Resolution of Congress submitting the proposed amendment to the state legislatures. -
Appomattox Courthouse
This was one of the last battles of the American Civil War. Lee retreated west in hopes to join his army with the confederate forces in North Carolina. Lee launched an attack to break through the Union force to his front, When he realized that the cavalry was backed up by two corps of Union infantry, he had no choice but to surrender. -
Lincoln's Death
A 23-year-old doctor named Charles Leale was in the audience and hastened to the presidential box immediately upon hearing the shot and Mary Lincoln’s scream. He found the president slumped in his chair, paralyzed and struggling to breathe. Several soldiers carried Lincoln to a house across the street and placed him on a bed. When the surgeon general arrived at the house, he concluded that Lincoln could not be saved and would die during the night.
