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Fort Sumter
This was the opening battle of the American Civil War. Major Robert Anderson of the Union had 85 men. Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard of the confederate had 500 men. The Union Surrender Fort Sumter to the Confederate after two days of fighting. Low on food and ammunition to protect his men Anderson only allowed them to use the fort's lower casemated guns. -
Monitor vs. Merrimack (Battle of Hampton Roads)
Confederate forces seized the Norfolk Navy Yard and burned several ships in the yard including USS Merrimack. The engines and remains of the former Merrimack where used to build ship. Buchanan sailed the ship on March 8 to attack Union warships in Hampton Roads with workmen still on board. Hampton Roads proved a strategic victory for the Union -
Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)
Major General John Pope led 70,000 men for the union. Pope began moving southwest towards Gordonsville, VA. General Robert E. Lee was the leader for the confederate and led 55,000 men. Lee ordered Major General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson to move north to Gordonsville to head off the union forces coming up from behind them. The Second Battle of Bull Run was a victory for Confederate -
Antietam
Confederate President Jefferson Davis encouraged General Robert E. Lee to move north into Maryland with is 45,000 men to gather supplies and cutting the rail links to Washington. Union Major General George B. McClellan led 87,000 men west to cut off Lee's men in the passes through the mountains.The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day in United States history. Over 26,000 men were killed, wounded or missing on both sides. It was said to be a draw, but the battle stopped General Robert E. Lee -
Fredericksburg
The Union Army led by General Ambrose E. Burnside with 100,007 men had a horrible defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia. The confederate Army was led by General Robert E. Lee with 72,497 men. There were 13,000 casualties. The Confederates were victorious at Fredericksburg. It was one of the most one sided battles fought many died or were injured. -
Gettysburg
The Union Army under General Meade with 93,921 men defeats Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of 71,699 men at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This was one of the bloodiest battles of the war, Gettysburg was the turning point, and it was the farthest advance of the Confederate Army into northern territory. General Robert E. Lee's forces pushed Major General Oliver O. Howard's XI Corps and Major General John F. Reynolds' I Corps through town to Cemetery Hill which was a strong defensive position. -
Vicksburg
Confederates were led by Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton with about 33,000 men. General Ulysses S. Grant takes Vicksburg with 77,000 men after a long siege. Grant moved down the west bank of the river and cross below Vicksburg. The army had to leave its supply lines and swing north to attack Vicksburg from the south and east. The Union controls the entire river now separating the confederates. The victory at Vicksburg happened a day after the he victory at Gettysburg. -
Sherman’s March to the Sea
Union General Sherman begins his famous March to the Sea with Major General Oliver O. Howard's Army of Tennessee on the right and Major General Henry Slocum's Army of Georgia on the left. Sherman's army would live off the land during the march. They destroyed all manufacturing plants, agricultural, and railroads they came upon. The union destroyed the region's economic usefulness to the Confederate. Lieutenant General William J. Hardee of the Confederates had approximately 13,000 troops. -
Fall of Richmond
Richmond was the Confederates Capital city; the Union Army captured it in the final act of the Civil War. Jefferson Davis burnt all Confederate documents about the war that were in his mansion. The Confederates set the city on fire before they left.