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Cicil War
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Fort Sumter
President Lincoln needed to re-supply Fort Sumter and its troops, but before the supplies arrived to the fort, the Confederates demanded immediate evacuation. Major Robert Anderson would not let the Union fort be taken away, so the Confederates began firing at the fort to force them out. After over a day, Anderson gave in and surrendered the fort. Nobody was killed during the actual battle, but the loss of the fort was a sign that the Federals’ national union was practically dead. -
First Bull Run
Lincoln ordered Gen. McDowell to attack Gen. Beauregard’s troops near Manassas and they camped at Bull Run. McDowell’s army of 35,000 began shooting across Bull Run and pushed back troops until Gen. Johnston’s reinforcements along with Beauregard’s army showed up. Later the Confederates plowed the Federals with a “rebel yell”, broke the line, and pushed them back. Fewer Confederates were killed and they were left with a victory and more confidence, while Lincoln replaced McDowell with McClellan. -
Hampton Roads
History’s first duel between ironclad warships was just part of an effort to break the Union’s blockade in Southern ports. The Virginia decimated a Union fleet of wooden ships off Newport News, Virginia, on March 8th. On May 9th after the Confederate evacuation in Norfolk, the Virginia was ruined by its crew. -
Shiloh
Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had taken control of forts on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and kept his men on the Tennessee at Pittsburgh Land so he could attack the Charleston and Memphis railroad. The Confederates attacked the Union, catching them by surprise as they tried to recover their lost territory. The battle lasted one day and the Union only recaptured what they had lost the day before. Both sides were immobilized for the next three weeks because of the heavy casualties. -
Antietam
At Antietam Creek, Gen. Lee met Gen. McClellan to have the bloodiest battle in our history. One of Lee’s strategic plans was lost to the Union, and McClellan had a major advantage with double the troops Lee had, yet he did not utilize this and had problems weakening Lee’s positioning. After many hours, McClellan finally broke through Lee's line with head-on attacks. Lee withdrew from the battle in one day and gave justification for Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Fredericksburg
This war was a Confederate victory. Casualties for this war was the union lost 13,000 men and the confederates lost 25,000 men in this war. On November 7th Lincoln removed McClellan from command and appointed burnside to his post. -
Chancellorsville
Although Union Major Gen. Joseph Hooker’s troops were twice the size of Gen. Lee’s, he split his troops and attacked from two positions in Chancellorsville, Virginia. Over a week, Lee's brilliant tactical strategies forced his enemy to retreat. The victory came at a high cost as "Stonewall" Jackson, a trusted general of Lee's, was mortally wounded during the battle. This battle was considered Lee's greatest victory during the Civil War and gave the strategic initiative for Gettysburg. -
Gettysburg
Robert E. Lee gave James Longstreet the order to lead 75,000 Confederate soldiers across the Potomac River and into Gettysburg, first attacking the Federals, led by Daniel Sickles at the Devil’s Den and Little Round Top. The next day, George Pickett and 15,000 soldiers marched through an open field at the Federals, who were behind stone walls, during “Pickett’s Charge”. The Confederacy could not win and lost 28,000 troops, while the Union lost 23,000 and turned the Civil War to their favor. -
Siege of Vicksburg
The Union wanted to take over Vicksburg, so they could have control of the Mississippi. After several failed attempts, Grant took his army to the opposite bank of the river, then crossed the river again as he neared. Although he couldn’t capture the fort, he controlled all areas around it, not allowing any supplies to arrive, so Gen. John C. Pemberton surrendered the fort on July 4th. Grant divided the Confederacy forces by taking over Vicksburg and this was a major turning point in the war. -
Spotsylvania
General Grant ordered the army of the Potomac to march south to get between Lee's army in northern Virginia and Richmond.The Union won this war and lost 18,000 men. The Confederates lost 11,000 men in this war. -
Wilderness
Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as commander of all Union armies and sent troops to Richmond to keep Confederate troops occupied so the Union could advance to Georgia. As the larger Union army marched through the Wilderness, the Confederates confronted them. On the second day, James Longstreet arrived with more troops for the Confederates but was accidentally shot by one of his own men. This allowed the Union army to reorganize and they refused to retreat. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
After the Confederates left Atlanta they headed west into Tennessee and Alabama. They attacked Union supply lines as they went.the union won this march. The Union lost 62 men and the confederates lost 650 men in this march. -
Siege of Petersburg
The seige of Petersburg was a victory for the Union.The Petersburg Campaign was a series of military operations in southern Virginia during the final months of the American Civil War that lead to the defeat of the South. On March 25, 1865 the Confederates were driven back at the Battle of Fort Stedman leaving Lee with 50,000 troops and Grant with 120,000 troops. -
Lincoln's Assassination
Abraham Lincoln was at a performance of “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater when John Wilkes Booth had shot him in the back of the head. He did it because he desperately wanted to find a way to save the confederacy. It allows Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, to become president.
