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Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
April 12, 1861 to April 14, 1861
President Lincoln sends a ship to resupply the federal fort. Believing the ship had troops and weapons, the Confederacy fired on the fort. Due to the attack on the fort, Lincoln calls up 75,000 troops and some of the border states, such as Virginia, secede. -
First Bull Run
First Bull Run
July 21, 1861 to July 22, 1861
Battle led by Irvin McDowell sending his Union troops to crosse Sudley Ford river in attempt to the hit the Confederate left flank and was outmaneuvered by General Joseph E. Johnston with 11,000 in Shenandoah Valley. The North's outcome was a quick decisive victory reeling, while the South's loss was blamed on Beuregard and President Davis for not attempting to pursue and crush the enemy after the battle. -
Shiloh
Shiloh
April 6, 1862 to April 7, 1862
Also known as the battle of Pittsburgh Landing, this was a surprise attack on Ulysses S. Grant forces in southwestern Tennessee. The Union fought the unexperienced battle in the woods and finally reoccupied a little more than their camp and pushed Confederates back into Mississippi. -
Hampton Roads
This battle was history's first duel between ironclad warships. The Confederacy was trying to break the Union blockade of Southern ports.
The South looked like it was going to win and they had been very thrilled about the battle, but the battle was mostly indecisive. Much bloodshed was shown and both ships were destroyed. -
Antietam
Antietam
September 17, 1862 to September 18, 1862
Battle fought between Robert E. Lee and George McClellan near Antietam creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland, in the first battle of the American Civil War to be fought on northern soil. McClellan was able to check Confederate advancement to the North, giving President Lincoln the chance to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. It was an important tactical victory. -
Fredericksburg
At the start of the battle, Lincoln removed the current commander and promoted Ambrose Burnside, who at first declined the position. The battle was very bloody, and the Union had suffered 13,000 casualties, as compared to the Confederates 5.000.
The Confederacy won this battle, and their morale was restored after Lee's unsuccessful campagin into Maryland in the fall. -
Chancellorsville
This battle is considered to be Robert E. Lee's greatest victory during the Civil War. He daringly split his army into two for a surprise attack, but he had Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson get mortally wounded.
The Confederacy won, having lost 12.826 troops to the Unions 17,278. -
Gettysburg
July 1 1863 - July 4 1863
The Confederacy was trying to push their lead in war so far by going offensive, hoping to gain recognition from Britain and France, as well as help the cause of the "Copperheads". But Lincoln, even though he was deprived of confidence, named a new general and took the battle head on.
The union won the battle, and it made Robert E. Lee want to resign, it really hurt the Confederacy's ego and turned the tide of the war. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Siege of VIcksburg
May 18, 1863 to July 4, 1863
A Union campaign waged to the stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, which lay on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The capture would divide the Confederacy and prove military genious of general Ulysses S. Grant. Grant had arrived to the rear of Vicksburg where General Pemberton's troops isolated. He controlled the all approaches to the city, causing supplies to become low. Vicksburg was surrendered and marked the turning point of the war. -
Chickamauga
Chickamauga
September 19, 1863 to September 20, 1863
Although Cofederate morale was low, reinforcements arrived, led by James Longstreet, helped shore up Braxton Bragg's weakened forces.Lonstreet then decided to go on the offense. Ten confederate generals had been killed or wounded, including fiery Texan John Bell Hood. This turned a tactical triumph for the South into a strategic defeat, allowing the Union to get safely into Chattanooga. -
Wilderness
Wilderness
May 5, 1864 to May 7, 1864
Major offensive led by Ulysses S. Grant to capture the Confedereate capital of Richmond. This called the Overland campaign. Hopefully to engage Robert E. Lee's army guarding the capital, making it impossible to send more troops. The battle ended inconclusively, with casulaties on both sides in great numbers. Grant refused to retreat and kept fighting towards Spotsylvania. -
Spotsylvania
May 9 1864 - May 19 1864
Ulysses S. Grant was just appointed general of the Union forces, and he wasted no time when it came to attacking the Confederacy. He went straight for their capital, Richmond. This battle would prove to be one of the most gruesome.
The battle was unconclusive and had no real victory, though the Confederacy was forced to maneuver around their forces as they were being pushed back. -
Sheman's March to the Sea
General Sherman captured Atlanta during his march. This was a big deal becausae Atlanta was a main railroad hub and head of the industry. This means that supplies, weapons, goods could not not be transpoted not to mention the Union gained it all. The Confederacy traveled west and attacked Union supply lines.
This lead to a "total war" in Georgia to the west in which the Union won. They hurt the southern morale and hastened the war. -
Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
June 9, 1864 to March 25, 1865
The Peterburg Campaign was a series of military operations in southern Virginia during the final months of the war that culminated the defeat of the South. Petersburg was a strategiv point for defense of Confederate captial. Robert E. Lee later informed President Davis that the two cities could not be held, and evacuation needed to be carried out. When Lee was not able to join Joseph E. Johnston, he surrendered to General Grant ending the war. -
Lincoln's Assassination
John Wilkes Booth was the killer of Abraham Lincoln. He was born in Maryland and lived in the North during the civil war, though he favored the South. He and six other people planned on kidnapping Lincoln, but it failed, thus causing Booth to kill him at the theatre.
The Union was basicly already winning the war, and the cause of Lincoln's death promoted Andrew Johnson to president, even though he was one of the least popular presidents in history.
