-
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is about a dignified slave named Uncle Tom. While Tom was transported by boat for an auction, he saved Little Eva. Because of this, Eva’s father bought Tom. Eva, being very sick, asked her father to free all of his slaves while on her deathbed. The father planned to do so but got killed by Simon Legree. The slaves were able to escape, but Tom got captured. Simon whipped Tom to reveal where the other slaves were but ended up killing Tom because of his refusal. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is the place where the first shots of the Civil War took place. U.S. Major Robert Garrison occupied this fort when it was unfinished after South Carolina initiated a standoff with the Union. When Abraham Lincoln went to resupply the fort, it was bombarded by Confederate General P.G.T. This artillery fight lasted 34 hours until Anderson surrendered the fort. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run occurred on July 21, 1861. Abraham Lincoln sent troops led by Irvin McDowell to attack Confederate troops led by P.G.T. Beauregard, near Manassas Junction, Virginia. After two hours of fighting, the Union was able to push back the Confederates up the Henry House Hill. However, Beauregard ordered a counterattack. The Confederates broke the Union lines, forcing McDowell to retreat. Because of their loss, Abraham Lincoln replaced McDowell with George B. McClellan. -
Battle of Wilson’s Creek
The Battle of Wilson’s Creek happened on August 10, 1861. Union Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon had sent an attack on the Confederate army commanded by General Sterling Price and General Benjamin McCulloch. The attack had lasted for 5 hours, leaving both sides with a total of 2,300 casualties, as well as Lyon. Because of Lyon’s death, Major Samuel Sturgis instructed a Union retreat. Because of the Union’s retreat, the Confederates took Southwestern Missouri. -
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson lasted from February 11 to February 16, 1862. Only a week after capturing Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, Grant sent his troops to attack Fort Donelson. After five days of fighting with Confederate General Gideon Pillow’s army, the Confederacy had to give up the fort, after their failed attempt at breaking through the Union’s lines. By winning, this ensured that Kentucky would remain in the Union and allowed easier advance into Tennessee. -
Battle of the Ironclads
On March 9, 1862, The Battle of the Ironclads occurred. On March 8, Merrimack had sunk U.S.S. Cumberland in the Elizabeth River. To protect the other ships there, on March 9th, U.S.S. Monitor had gone into the Chesapeake Bay to fight back. The two ships had fired guns at each other, but the cannonballs did nothing to the iron. Eventually, both ships decided to leave each other. Because of this day, both sides had sent 70 ironclad warships at each other by the end of the Civil War. -
Shiloh
From April 6 to April 7, 1862, the Battle of Shiloh took place. The Confederates created a surprise attack against the Union forces in southern Tennessee. After a while, the Confederates weren’t able to hold their positions, making them retreat, having the Union win this battle. In the end, there were approximately 13,000 troops either killed, wounded, or missing. -
Battle of Gaines' Mill
On June 27, 1862, Robert E. Lee's troops attacked Brigadier General Fitz John Porter’s troops, who had formed a defensive line behind Boatswain’s Swamp. Throughout the day, Porter’s troops faced unending assaults by the Confederates, leading to their retreat after the sunrise. The Union had 6,800 dead, missing, wounded, or captured troops, while the Confederacy suffered 8,700 casualties. After this loss, McClellan withdrew his plans of seizing Richmond. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
From August 29-30, 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run occurred. Abraham Lincoln sent John Pope to join with McClellan as a combined offensive against Richmond. Knowing this would be dangerous, Lee sent Stonewall Jackson to strike Pope's army. After a stalemate between them, Pope prepared his army overnight. Thinking that Jackson would retreat, Pope sent divisions to attack Confederate positions. However, Jackson’s men were able to hold their positions and force Union soldiers to be withdrawn. -
Antietam
The battle of Antietam was on September 17, 1862, at the Antietam Creek. Union troops, lead by McClellan, exceeded the amount that the Confederates possessed, so the Confederates went on the offensive to not back down. After 12 hours, there were about 23,000 casualties. In the end, the Union won, but McClellan decided to not kill Lee, resulting in him being removed from command. -
Fredericksburg
The battle of Fredericksburg had occurred on December 13, 1862. Following the Battle of Antietam, Robert E. Lee managed to move his troops along Marye’s Heights above Fredericksburg because General Ambrose couldn't pursue him. Once he caught up, Ambrose’s army attacked the Confederate lines 14 times, but no Union soldier was able to reach the top of the wall at the top of Marye’s Heights. Because of this failure, Ambrose was replaced by Joseph Hooker as the commander of the Army of the Potomac. -
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River happened from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863. General Braxton Bragg’s army was confronted by General William S. Rosecrans’ army on Stones River near Murfreesboro. After the first day’s battle, the Union was about to retreat, but Rosecrans decided not to. On January 3, Bragg’s army had to withdraw southward. There were 12,906 Union casualties and 11,739 Confederate casualties. If Rosecrans had retreated, it would have meant a possibly significant defeat. -
Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville happened from April 30 to May 6th, 1863. Before this battle, Joseph Hooker decided to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. During the battle, Lee sent Thomas J. Jackson to lead an army to fight back against Joseph's. However, he was shot by a North Carolina regiment by accident, which led to his death. Although dead, Jackson was able to gain a victory against the Union, which allowed Lee to push back Hooker, confirming the Confederates’ victory. -
Vicksburg
The siege of Vicksburg happened from May 18 to July 4, 1863. General Ulysses S. Grant defeated a Confederate force at Jackson, and after he had gone to Vicksburg. There, he had defeated another Confederate force under General John C. Pemberton at Champion Hill. Pemberton retreated to Vicksburg, resulting in him being trapped there by the Union. There were attempts to free him, but they had all failed. On July 4, Pemberton surrendered to the Union. -
Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg had raged on from July 1 to July 3, 1863. On July 1, Lee’s troops had fought with the Union’s troops, being led by General George G. Meade, at the crossroads of Gettysburg. On July 2, the Union soldiers were surrounded by the Confederates. On July 3, Lee sent his troops at 3 p.m. as an attack known as “Pickett’s Charge”. However, the Union was able to push Lee’s troops back, forcing Lee to retreat. Lee withdrew his troops on July 4, finalizing that the Union had won. -
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga happened from September 19 to September 20, 1863. After General William Rosecrans pushed the Confederates out of Chattanooga, Braxton Bragg called for reinforcements and went for a counterattack on the banks of nearby Chickamauga Creek. After two days, the Confederates were able to win the battle. However, Bragg didn’t press his advantage after winning, which allowed the Union soldiers a safe retreat. -
Battle of The Wilderness
On May 4, Grant sent his troops to attack the Confederate capital of Richmond by going through the Wilderness. On May 5, the Battle of the Wilderness began, where Confederate Corps led by Richard Ewell fought with the Union’s 5th Corps near the Orange Turnpike. On the second day, Union 2nd Corps, led by Winfield Scott Hancock, attacked along Plank Road. The Confederates were able to fight back, leaving the Union with many losses. However, Grant refused to back down, eventually leading to a win. -
Battle of Five Forks
On April 1, 1865, the Battle of Five Forks occurred. Union troops conquered the Confederates, which forced them to retreat and abandon Petersburg. After this battle, the Confederates headed towards the last battle of the Civil War, the Battle of The Appomattox Courthouse. -
Appomattox
In the Appomattox Court House, Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 troops to Ulysses S. Grant, which ended the American Civil War. The terms of him surrendering would be to let the officers and men be pardoned, and they would be sent home with their personal property. Officers would keep their sidearms, and Lee’s men would be given rations. -
Lincoln Assassination
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was murdered by John Wilkes Booth. This event had happened only five days after Lee surrendered his troops, ending the Civil War. On that day, Abraham Lincoln had attended Laura Keene’s performance. Knowing where Lincoln would be, Booth slipped into Lincoln’s private box where he fired his pistol at the back of Lincoln’s head. Lincoln was pronounced dead on April 15, at 7.22 a.m. Booth had escaped that day but got killed on April 26.
