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Period: to
Civil War
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Fort Sumter
When P.T. Boeregard heard that Lincoln was sending food and supplies to Fort Sumter, he and his army demanded that Anderson surrender the fort, fearing that Lincoln was actually sending weapons and more soldiers. The Confederates shelled the fort for 34 hours, until Anderson finally surrendered. Fort Sumter had been a symbol of national unity, and by attacking it, the South made a display of publically severing that unity. As a result, Lincoln called for 75,000 troops. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
The Battle Of Bull Run was a Confederate victory. This victory gave Southerners a very large ego, believing that they could turn a battle in their favor with ease. This turned out to be false hope however. Confederate president Jefferson Davis was blamed by the South because he did not proceed to follow up on the battle with the North. Union president Abraham Lincoln replaced General McDowell with George B. McClellan. -
Hampton Roads
On March 8, 1862, the Confederate navy's ironclad Virginia obliterated a fleet of wooden Union ships. Later that evening, the Union arrived with its own ironclad ship, Monitor, and the next day the Monitor and Virginia battled it out for four and a half hours. This was the first battle ever held between two ironclad ships, thus triggering a leap into a new era of naval warfare. Both sides left the battle feeling victorious, creating waves of joy throughout both the Union and the Confederacy. -
Shiloh
The South attacked general Ulysses Grant's army in Tennessee. After success seemed evident to the Confederate army, they were pushed back by the Union, and it resulted in a Union victory. Although both sides claimed success, it was a Southern failure. Both sides lost roughly 10,000 men and were unable to fight for the next 3 weeks. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam remains the bloodiest day in the history of America, resulting in over 22,000 casualties. After a day of fighting and 10,318 Confederate soldiers dead, Lee finally retreated, making the Union feel victorious despite the high number of casualties that they also suffered. This "victory" presented Lincoln with the perfect opportunity to announce the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Fredericksburg
The battle of Fredericksburg was a horrid defeat for the Union, who fought with valor and fought well, but because of confusing orders from their general, they lost almost 13,000 soldiers. Burnside, The Union general, accepted blame for the defeat, though Lincoln was blamed. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Confederate General Robert E. Lee's greatest victory during the American Civil War came at the battle of Chancellorsville, where his brilliant battle strategies resulted in 17,278 Union casualties. Though Lee's troops were greatly outnumbered, he took a risk by dividing them into two groups, one to attack the front of the Northern troops and one to attack the back. This strategy not only gave Lee a victory, it also gave him the confidence to push north towards Gettysburg. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The first two days looked positive for the Confederacy, but Lee's plan on the third day (Pickett's Charge) backfired, resulting in the loss of two-thirds of a Confederate division led by George Pickett. With this demoralizing defeat, Lee and his men retreated. Overall, Lee lost over one-third of his army at the Battle of Gettysburg, and all his hopes of gaining the recognition of Britain and France were destroyed. -
Vicksburg
Union Forces set their sights on the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Capture of this city split the Southern Forces and proved the brilliance of Union General Ulysses S. Grant. After all the fort losses of the Confederate army, Vicksburg became the best defense the Confederates had. By capturing this city, they were able to split the Confederacy by the eastern and western states. The surrender of Vicksburg and the Battle of Gettysburg marked the turning point of the civil war. -
Chickmauga
On the first day of Confederate General Bragg's attack, the Union suffered great losses. On the second day, he attacked while Union forces were shifting troops, causing chaos among Union soldiers. Union General George Thomas was able to organize a force to make a stand, and as a result he earned the name "Rock of Chickamauga." Bragg did not pursue the Union troops the next morning, and as a result they made a successful retreat to Chattanooga. This battle was one of the costliest in the west. -
The Wilderness
The intent of Commander and Chief of all Union armies, Ulysses S. Grant, was to merely pass through the Wilderness and attack Lee's right wing, but Lee had other plans. He decided to attack the Union forces while they were in the southern Wilderness, using its familiarity as an advantage. Though the battle lasted from May 5th to May 7th, there was no conclusive winner, although both sides suffered great casualties. Nonetheless, Grant refused to retreat and continued pushing south. -
Spotsylvanina
Ulysses S. Grant decided to “fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.” The casualties were high for the Union, and it became evident that the Union had not penetrated the Confederate line. But Grant pushed them on. Eventually, they forced Lee to put his army in between the Union and the Southern Capital. -
Sherman's March
Under the command of General Sherman, Union troops took control of Atlanta, Georgia on September 2, 1864. This presented Sherman with a clear path through the South, upon which he exercised his theory of "total war," destroying all that his troops came in contact with. Doing so destroyed the Southern morale, and in April of 1865, the Confederacy surrendered. -
Petersburg
Petersburg was not an actual battle. It was a campaign. It describes the symbolism of Union forts in the South. The battle of Fort Sumter, was the main issue, because even thought it was not an important fort, it was a symbol of National union. The South immediately demanded that it be evacuated. When it was refused, they opened fire. The fort was reduced to rubble. -
Lincoln's Assassination
On April 14, 1865 while watching a theater production, Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth, who did so in a desperate attempt to save the Confederacy. Booth escaped on horseback, and Lincoln was taken to a house adjacent to the theater where Doctor Charles Leale concluded with a heavy heart that Lincoln would not survive. Sure enough, Lincoln died an 7:22 the next morning. Lincoln's Vice President Andrew Johnson is now in control of the United States of America.
