Timeline of the Civil War

By emb2602
  • South Carolina secedes

    After many years of threatening to leave the Union, on December 20 they finally carry out there threat and is the first of eleven states to leave the Union.
  • Lincoln's Inaugeral

    After being elected as President, Lincoln is inaugerated a few weeks after Jefferson Davis. He gives his Inaugeral day speach stating that he does not have plans to end slavery and that he does not accept secesion.
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    Battle of Fort Sumter

    The Union trying to deliever supplies to one of its forts, asks the Confederacy for permission to send the supplies. The South believes that it is a trick and refused the request, attacking Fort Sumter a few days later.
  • West Virginia is formed

    In the western part of Virginia people did not want to secede from the Union so they seperated from Virginia and became West Virginia on June 20.
  • Battle of Bull Run 1

    Also called the First Manassas, the battle was started when the North tried to march against the Confederate capital to try and end the war. The Union lost the batlle.
  • Battle of Montor and Merrimac

    This was the first naval battle between two ironclad ships. The Confederacy sunk two wooden warships and the Union fought till both ships were exausted.
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    The Peninsular Campaign

    Under General McCellan led troops fighting to gain control of Richmond. They captured Yorktown and moved to capture Fair Oaks but accidently ran into Confederate soldiers and thus ending the campaign.
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    Battle of Shiloh

    Confederate attacks the Union. After fighting for an entire day reinforcements arrive for the Union. The Confederate forces retreated, but both sides had thousands of casualties.
  • Battle of Antietam

    Confederate forces under General Lee were marching to attack D.C. The battle had no clear winner because Lee withdrew and escaped back to Virginia.This battle convinced England and France to not reconize the Confederacy.
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    Battle of Frederickburg

    Lincoln, unhappy with McCellan, replaced him with General Burnside. The battle that Burnside won at Fredericksburg was a deciding factor in his placement as General.
  • Emancipation Proclamation

    Lincoln passed this stating that the slaves in the south were freed. The part of the country he had no control over since they seceded.
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    Battle of Chancellorsville

    Union General Hooker attacked Lee's army. Lee reacted by seperating his army into three units and attacked Hooker from all sides. The Union was almost completely defeated.
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    Battle of Spotsvania Courthouse

    Known as one of the deadlest battles the Union and Confederacy fought but the battle ended as a tie since both sides lost so many soldiers
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    Battle of Vicksburg

    General Grant had multiple victories surrounding Vicksburg. This let the Union have control over the Mississippi River. With conrol of the Mississippi the Confederacy was split into two.
  • Battle of Gettysburg

    Lee marched his army heading for Pennsylvania but was intercepted by General Meade. The Union won with heavy losses. Meade allowed General Lee to escape.
  • Battle of Chickamauga

    On the Tennessee-Georgia boarder the two armys battled but the Confederacy was able to defeat the Union pushing them back,
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    Battle of Wildernesss

    General Grant led a violent revolt against Lee promising that he would fight all summer just to defeat Lee.
  • Abraham Lincoln re-elected

    Lincoln running against McCellan for the Presidency Lincoln is able to serve another term because of the victory in Atlanta.
  • Battle of Appromattox Courthouse

    Lee and Grant sign the treaty, ending the civil war. Lee and his men were sent home on parole.
  • Assassination of President Lincoln

    Lincoln was watching a play shortly after the end of the war when John Wilks Booth can up from behind him and shot him. Running from the government Booth was found eleven days later, cornerd in a barn, and was shot. There were nine other people involved in the assassination