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Battle Of Fort Sumter
When South Carolina seceded from the union, United States Major Robert Anderson and his army of 85 soldiers were positioned at Fort Moultrie in the Charleston Harbor. Six days later, fearing the safety of his men, he moved his command to Fort Sumter. (An imposing fortification in the middle of that same harbor) Just after the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln, Anderson reported that he only had six weeks of supplies of food left in the fort. To solve this conflict, General Beauregard dis -
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Civil War Time Span
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First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. The engagement began when about 35,000 Union troops marched from the federal capital in Washington, D.C. to strike a Confederate force of 20,000 along a small river known as Bull Run. After fighting on the defensive for most of the day, the rebels rallied and were able to break the Union right flank, sending the Federals into a chaotic retreat towards Washington. -
Battle of Fort Henry
The Battle of Fort Henry was the first significant Union victory of the American Civil War. In an effort to gain control of rivers and supply lines west of the Appalachians, US General Ulysses S. Grant and launched an attack on the lightly defended Fort Henry in Tennessee. After a fierce naval bombardment, CSA General Lloyd Tilghman secretly evacuated the bulk of his troops to nearby Fort Donelson before surrendering to US forces. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, or also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, The battle began when the Confederates launched a surprise attack on Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant in southwestern Tennessee. After initial successes, the Confederates were unable to hold their positions and were forced back, resulting in a Union victory. Both sides suffered heavy losses, with more than 23,000 total casualties, and the level of violence shocked North and South alike. -
Congress Passes Conscription Act
During the Civil War, the U.S. Congress passes a conscription act that produces the first wartime draft of U.S. citizens in American history.The act called for registration of all males between the ages of 20 and 45, including immigrants or people wanting to become citizens, by April 1. This act led to bloody draft riots and protests in New York City. Here, protesters were angry that exemtions were effectively granted to the wealthiest U.S citizens only. -
Battle of Fredricksburg
The Battle of Fredricksburg involved nearly 200,000 combatants, the largest concetration of troops in any Civil War battle. It started when Ambrose Burside ordered his troops to cross the Rappahannock River, where they attacked Robert E Lee's strong army. -
Battle of Murfreesboro
The Battle of Murfreesboro started when CSA Major General William Rosecrans' Army planned to attack U.S Army officer Braxton Bragg and his Army. This move was delayed throughout the fall by John Morgan's cavalry, who harassed the Yankees and threatened their supply line. Finally, the day after Christmas, Rosecrans moved his force south to meet Bragg. The armies then collided on New Year's Eve Facing a larger Union force (42,000 Union soldiers to 35,000 Confederates), -
West Virginia Enters The Union
After the outbreak of the civil war, Virginia voted to secede. THe Majority of West Virginians on the other hand, opposed the secession. Delegates then got together, and on June 11, 1861, they nullified the Virginian ordinance of secession, proclaiming that West Virginia was to be "The Restored Government of Virginia". But durung the war, the West Virginian statehood was halted until June 20, 1863 when President Lincoln proclaimed the admission of West Virginia. -
Battle of the Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg started when Confederate forces (led by Hill and Richard Ewell) were able to drive the outnumbered Federal defenders back through town to Cemetery Hill, located a half mile to the south.
Seeking to press his advantage before more Union troops could arrive, then Lee gave discretionary orders to attack Cemetery Hill. With the advantage of the CSA marching up hill, the Union won the battle. -
Battle of Chickamauga
So first of all, the Battle of Chickamagua started when Union and Confederate forces were struggling over control of the key railroad center of Chattanooga, Tennessee. By mid-September, Union General William Rosecrans had pushed Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee out of Chattanooga and gathered his army of some 60,000 at Chickamauga, Georgia, located 12 miles southwest of Chattanooga. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a 273 word address that President Lincoln gave as a speech. What he did not know, was that this speech would be remembered as once of the greatest speeches in all of American history. -
Battle of Chattanooga
The Battle of Chattanooga occured when Union forces routed Confederate troops in Tennessee at the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, known collectively as the Battles for Chattanooga. The victories forced the Confederates back into Georgia, ending the siege of the vital railroad junction of Chattanooga, and paving the way for Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's Atlanta campaign and march to Savannah, Georgia, in 1864. -
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness started when the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River. CSA General Robert E. Lee determined that his Army of Northern Virginia would confront the enemy in the dense Virginia woods known as the Wilderness. Familiar terrain for the rebels, the heavy woods and dense undergrowth also negated the Union's numerical advantage--115,000 to 65,000--by making it nearly impossible for a large army to make an orderly advance. -
Sherman's March
Sherman's March started out when well, Union General William T. Sherman led 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of this “March to the Sea” was to frighten Georgian’s into abandoning the Confederate cause. Sherman’s soldiers did not destroy any of the towns in their path, but they stole food and livestock and burned the houses and barns of people who tried to fight back. -
Battle of Nashville
At Nashville, a large force of Yankees faced a rebel force estimated at around half its size, and historians have questioned why Hood even approached the strongly fortified city with the odds so stacked against him. Early in the morning of December 15, Thomas sent a force under General James Steedman against the CSA right flank. The Union troops overran the CSA trenches and drove the rebels back more than a mile. -
Appomattoxx Court House
The Appomattoxx Court House was a very important event of the Civil War. Actually, it ended the Civil War. Because on April 9, 1865, CSA General Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 troops to US General Ulysses S. Grant in the front parlor of Wilmer McLean's home in Appomattoxx Court House, Virginia.
