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Battle of Fort Sumter
After the Confederates had take over almost all of the forts, post offices, and other government buildings, they wanted to have Fort Sumter. This fort guarded the Charleston harbor, and three other forts. On April 11, the Confederates wanted the fort. Major Robert Anderson who was the Union commander would not give it up without an order to do so from the Union. In response to this, the Confederates shot at the fort. On April 13, Anderson surrendered. This was known as the beginning of the War. -
Battle of Bull Run
Just like the Battle of Gettysburg, they met early but this one was at Richmond. This was supposed to be a show of the Union destroying the Confederates where people form the Union came to watch their side win. This was proven wrong though because the Confederates were better that the Union thought so everybody went running home and many got killed. This showed both sides that the war was going to be longer and more difficult than they anticipated. -
Battle of Antietam
A Union officer had found General Lee's battle plans wrapped around some cigars. This was the given to General McClellan who then, 3 days later, met the Confederates at Antietam. This was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War with 23,000 people dead. There was not a definite winner of this battle but Lincoln used this battle to say that they won and he made the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This was made by Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves in the South. This made no sense though because that was what the war was about. But what this did co was spread a rumor through the slaves that they were free and so they started to do less work and more and more started to run away. Then they would join the Union army. It allowed slavery only in the places that they Union army took over. The EP helped form the Massachusetts 54th. -
Battle of Gettysburg
It happened accidentally when General Meade's troops clashed with Lee's troops. The Union was pushed back to a hill side and they used that for coverage. The battle lasted roughly three days and it ended with Pickett's charge. This was when Pickett got 15,000 men to charge at the center of the fish hook shaped formation the Union had formed. This was very unsuccessful and the Union destroyed the Confederates. This battle was known to be the beginning of the end of the war. -
General Sherman's March to the Sea
This was when he and his troops marched from Atlanta, Georgia to Savanah, Georgia. He and his troops destroyed everything in their paths to reduce the amount of help that the Confederate army had. This was devastating and they killed many innocent people. -
Lee's Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
When the day came that Richmond was took over, Lee, and his men went to the Appomattox Courthouse and they were surrounded by the Union army and they surrendered. General Grant though was nice and he only took their guns and he left their horses for them to farm. When the Union soldiers got happy and loud, Grant told his men to quiet down because it was respectful to do so.