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Abraham Lincoln Election
First Republican President. Supported by the North, did not get on some balot votes of Southerners. Caused Carolina to succeed from the Union shortly after. Wanted to stop the spread of slavery by southerners. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter after trying to force the Union to surrender it. Opening engagement of the Civil War. The Union suffered three casualties after a cannon backfired on them. -
First Battle of Bull Run
Confederate forces won in the first major battle of the armies in Virginia. War would be a long and costly affair. Thomas Jackson earned the nickname, "Stonewall Jackson." -
Trent Affair
Captain Wilkes of the USS San Jacinto captured two british diplomats. James Mason and John Slidell were arrested. At first the unkion was okay with this, but then they realized the trouble this caused. British took this as an insult and brought the 2 countries close to war. Lincoln trying to avoid that finally released the 2 men. -
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Union won by counterattacking Confederate General Earl Van Dorn and capturing their ranking colonel. The U.S. would control Missouri for the next 2 years with the victory. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Union won by outnumbering the Confederate soldiers. Grant continued to dominate the Confederate forces in forcing them to retreat and catching General Beauregard's mistakes. -
Union Captures New Orleans
With the capture of forts Jackson and St. Philip, near the mouth of the Mississippi River the fall of New Orleans was inevitable. Union Flag-Officer David G. Farragut demaned that the city surrender and on May 1st the largest Confederate city was captured. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
Confederates won. Union General John Pope issued an attack on the Rebels which resulted in severe casualties. Confederate artillery forced the Union army to retreat. -
Battle of Antietan
Robert Lee's first invasion of the North. Bloodiest single day battle in U.S. history. More deaths than the American Revolution, War of 1812, and the Mexican-American War combined. Considered a Union victory because Lee retreated and didn't win in the North. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
One of the largest and deadliest battles of the Civil War. Fought in the streets of Fredericksburg. Confederates took a stand and one. Record amount of soldiers fighting. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Joseph Hooker's reorganized Union troops fought against Robert Lee in the thick wilderness. The Confederates fought back and their attack stunned Hooker. The Confederates ended in victory with the mortal wounding of Stonewall Jackson. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Union won by the power of Uylsses S. Grant who trapped the city of Vicksburg in fire forcing the citizens to starve until they ate their own pets and were forced to surrender. The Union now had a strong hold on Mississippi and the Confederate army was split in half. -
West Virginia Becomes a State
With the out break of the civil war and the succestion of Virginia the mountian men living in western Virginia didnt not want to secseed so they broke away and entered the Union as the 35th state. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Union won. Robert Lee's forces struck at full force against George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac. After reinforcements arrived the Confederates made one last charge known as "Pickett's Charge." The result was severe casualties and a stretch of 14 miles of wounded Confederates for Robert Lee. -
Battle of Chickamauga
The Confederates won finding a gap in the Union's army and pushing them back from the battle field. The Union retreated back to Chattanooga. -
Battle of Chattanooga
The Union troops won routing one of the Confederates two major armies. The Federals held the "Gateway to the Lower South." Ulysses S. Grant commanded the attacks. -
Battle of Spotsylvania
The battle was inconclusive. This was a two week battle along the Spotslyvania front by the Court House. Confederates suffered severe casualties and Grant disenganged to continue his advance to Richmond. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
Confederates won. Grant said it was the only attack he wish he had never ordered. He retreated when he realized Richmond was well defended. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
General Lee took one last attempt to escape early on the 9th. In the beging he was advancing ground, but with the arrival of a union infantry he found himself surroud on three sides. Le was forced to surrender to the Union General Grant. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was attenting Ford's Theatre to see the evening performance of "Our American Cousin." Wanted revenge on Lincoln for being against everything he supported in the South.
