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Fort Sumter
April 12, 1861 to April 14, 1861
President Lincoln sends a ship the resupply the federal fort.
Believing the ship had troops and weapons, the Confederacy fired on the fort.
Due to the attacl on the fort, Lincoln calls up 750,000 troops.
Some of the border stares, such as Virginia, secede. -
First Bull Run
July 21 1861 to July 22
The northern press and public were eager for the Union Army to make an advance on Richmond.
McDowell's Union force struck on July 21, shelling the enemy across Bull Run while more troops crossed the river at Sudley Ford in an attempt to hit the Confederate left flank.
Despite their victory, Confederate troops were too disorganized to pursue the retreating Yankees..
The battle gave southeners a false hope they could win quickly. Lincolon replaced McDowell with McClellan. -
Hampton Roads
March 8-9, 1862
Efforts were made by the confederates to break the Union blockade.
The battle was the first meeting of combat between ironclad warships.
The battle lasted two days, but ended in a draw and the blockade remained in place.
This was the most important naval battle of the Civil War, opened the eyes of all naval powers to start makeing ironclad warships, -
Shiloh
April 6 1862 to April 7 1862
The Battle of Shiloh was the second great engagement in the civil war where confederates launched a surprise attack on Ulysses S. Grant's forces in Tennesse.
In return for taking Fort Henry, Johnston attacked the Union while they were recovering from recent losses.
The battle ended the next day, and although both sides claimed victory, it was a Confederate failure.
Both sides were immobilized for three weeks due to heavy casualties, about 10,000 men on both sides. -
Antietam
September 17 1862 to September 18 1862
The battle of Antietam was the first battle to be fought on northern soil.
It remains the bloodiest day in American history, with over 22,000 casualties.
General Lee had a complex plan, but it fell into union hands; although the union wasted all the advantages of it.
This battle gave the Lincoln administration enough justification to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Federicksburg
December 11 to December 13 1862
President Abraham Lincoln had offered Burnside command of the Union's Army of the Potomac due to frustration with its present commander.
Longstreet's artillery moved down ranks of Union soldiers from their position on high ground.
The Battle of Fredericksburg was a crushing defeat for the Union, whose soldiers fought \well but fell victim to mismanagement by their generals.
People pressed Lincoln to reorganize his cabinet but he had refused. -
Chancellorsville
April 30-May 6, 1863
General Hooker wanted to divide his army in three parts, cut off General Lee's supplies, and attack the Confederates from both flanks.
General Lee figured out Hooker's plans and divided his troops including Stonewall Jacksons, then sent them to outflank Hooker.
General Lee and Jackson attacked and Hooker surrendered.
Jackson was wounded and died eight days later from pneumonia.
The battle made the South seem unstoppable, and it also descreased the spirit of the North. -
Gettysburg
July 1-3, 1863
Confederates organized a raiding party under General Lee.
Union forces were positioned on high ground.
Confederates pushed the Union line back.
The next day, 15,000 Confederates were ordered to charge Union center, but only half of them made it back
Union suffered more than 23,000 and Confederates suffered more than 20,000.
This was a huge victory for the Union, but this battle failed to end the war. -
Vicksburg
May 18 to July 4 1863
The Union wanted to take control of the Mississippi River, so they had to take over Vicksburg.
After a series of seige operations, the Confederate soldiers sent a letter to their commander telling him to surrender.
Confederate General surrendered the following day.
This battle was key to the union getting full control of the Mississippi River. -
Chickamauga
September 19th to September 20th
The Battle of Chickamauga occured after the Union pushed the confederates out of a key railroad center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After the south gained reinforcements, they gained some morale that they had been lacking and started attacking on offense. On September 20th the Union had retreated, but at the same time, 10 confedarate generals had parished. -
Wilderness
May 5th to May 7th
The battle began on the morning of May 6th when the Union attacked along Plank Road. Around noon that day the confederates were able to come back with a powerful counterattack, but Grant and his troops help their ground and did not retreat. Although the Union lost around 10,000 more troops the south, they did not retreat and ended up marching south. -
Spotsylvania
May 9th to May 21st
The Battle of Spotsylvania was a battle that General Grant wanted to happen in order to attack Richmond directly. During this battle over 30,000 men had died in one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war. Although the Union yet again lost more troops, Grant's relentless attack proved beneficial for the North because they were wearing down the south quickly. -
Sherman's March
September 2nd to December 21st
After capturing Atlanta, General Sherman split his army into two while 60,000 headed to Nashville, he personally took his army south towards Savannah smashing anything in their way. On their way south they stopped at plantations and burned down crops and killed any animals. After arriving in Savannah on December 21st, Sherman and his troops sent 25,000 bales of cotton to the President as a gift. -
Petersburg
April 1st to April 2nd
Petersburg was an important rail center 23 miles south of Richmond. With the lack of animals and resources, confederate troops where deserting at every corner. After Lee realized that him and his troops couldn't defend the city, they evacuated the city that night. -
Lincoln's Assassination
April 15th
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by a man named John Wilkes Booth, who is a Maryland native born in 1838. The reason for the killing was that he wanted to throw the country into dismay. At 10:15 Booth sneaked his way into the box and fired the gun into the back of the President's head. He was able to escape Washington dispite breaking his leg when jumping onto the stage.
