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Civil War
The Civil War took five years to end, it started from January 1, 1861 to January 1, 1866 -
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is sworn as 16th president of the United States of America. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4IgXz5poqY -
Fort Sumter Attacked
At 4:30 a.m. Confederate under Gen. Pierre Beauregard open fired with 50 cannons upon Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The Civil War began. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmSP_pQ2LC4 -
Rober E. Lee
Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army. "I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home, my children." Lee then goes to Richmond, Virginia, is offered command of the military and naval forces of Virginia, and accepts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xW0s6XFJyw -
George B. McClellan
President Lincoln appoints George B. McClellan as Commander of the Department of the Potomac, replacing McDowell. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN1LYIObriY&feature=related -
Ulysses S. Grant
Victory for Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in Tennessee, capturing Fort Henry, and ten days later Fort Donelson. Grant earns the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ffBXm7kJkk -
Victory for Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Gen. James Longstreet
75,000 Federals under Gen. John Pope are defeated by 55,000 Confederates under Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Gen. James Longstreet at the second battle of Bull Run in northern Virginia. Once again the Union Army retreats to Washington. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ3BXovXFYA -
Invation to the North
Lee invades the North with 50,000 Confederates and heads for Harpers Ferry, located 50 miles northwest of Washington http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDfAa6jVQRQ -
Changing Generals
The president replaces McClellan with Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside as the new Commander of the Army of the Potomac. Lincoln had grown impatient with McClellan's slowness to follow up on the success at Antietam, even telling him, "If you don't want to use the army, I should like to borrow it for a while." -
Freeing slaves
President Lincoln issues the final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in territories held by Confederates and emphasizes the enlisting of black soldiers in the Union Army. The war to preserve the Union now becomes a revolutionary struggle for the abolition of slavery. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrJjpTCbxyo&feature=related -
Gen. Hooker is defeated
The Union Army under Gen. Hooker is decisively defeated by Lee's much smaller forces at the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia as a result of Lee's brilliant and daring tactics. Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded by his own soldiers. Hooker retreats. Union losses are 17,000 killed, wounded and missing out of 130,000. The Confederates, 13, 000 out of 60,000. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0awDV7xfz9c -
Gen. Stonewall Jackson death
The South suffers a huge blow as Stonewall Jackson dies from his wounds, his last words, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7CVaW2HhI0 -
second invasion of the north
Gen. Lee with 75,000 Confederates launches his second invasion of the North, heading into Pennsylvania in a campaign that will soon lead to Gettysburg.
