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Period: to
Civil War
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Fort Sumter
April 12, 1861 to April 14, 1861
President Lincoln sends a ship to resupply the federal fort. Believing the ship had troops and weapons, the Confederacy fired on the fort. Due to the attack on the fort, Lincoln calls up 75,000 troops and some of the border states, such as Virginia, secede. -
First Bull Run
July 21, 1861
Lincoln ordered McDowell to carry out a plan; Union troops from D.C. marched to attack a smaller Confederate force near a river called Bull Run. The South broke through the Union's right flank, and the Union troops fled back to D.C. There were about 3,000 Union casualties and 1,750 Confederate casualties. Lincoln had hoped to bring a brief end to the war, but the Confederates' victory made the North realize that perhaps their victory would not come about easily. -
Hampton Roads
March 9, 1862
It was a naval battle between warships the Monitor and the Virginia (Merrimack). The Confederates wanted to end the Union's blockade of some Southern ports. Both ships fired from guns on the ships as well as cannons, but the cannons just deflected off of the iron exteriors. The Virginia eventually retreated, but neither ship was severely damaged as a result of the battle. This battle was a revolution in naval warfare. -
Shiloh
April 6, 1862 to April 7, 1862
The Confederates under General Johnson attacked the surprised troops that were under Ulysses S. Grant in the southwest area of Tennessee. The South eventually had to retreat, therefore giving Grant and the North a major victory. The casualty rate was very high; about 10,000 men were lost on each side. Both sides were immobilized for weeks, and the high violence put both the North and the South into a shock. -
Antietam
September 17, 1852
General McClellan and General Lee battled near Sharpsburg, Maryland. McClellan strongly outnumbered Lee's army, but he failed to use this advantage to its full potential. Lee used the Potomac River as a back for his defense. Lee retreated across the Potomac on the 18th, and the Union claimed a victory. A man named Alex Gardner took pictures of the bloody event (10,318 casualties for Lee; 12,401 for McClellan) that showed the bloody battles to everyone. -
Fredericksburg
December 13, 1862
Ambrose Burnside ordered around 120,000 troops across the Rappahannock to attack the north Virginian forces under Robert E. Lee. Lee's forces beat the Union (with the help of their high position on Marye's Heights). There were about 13,000 Union casualties but less than 5,000 Confederate casualties. It was disheartening for the brave Union soldiers, and there was also a ruffling in the presidential cabinet. -
Chancellorsville
April 30, 1863 to May 6, 1863
Confederate General Lee surprised Hooker's Union troops, even though Lee was outnumbered by nearly half. Hooker had to retreat across the river. The Union lost 17,278 soldiers, but Lee lost 12,826 (including Stonewall Jackson). Becausde of the battle, Lee possessed "strategic initiative," and it is said to be one of his greatest victories. -
Gettysburg
July 1st, 1863 to July 3th, 1863
General Lee ordered his soldiers to battle at the Potomac River with the Union soldiers under General Meade. Lee eventually ordered less than 15,000 troops to attack the Union at Cemetery Ridge. This attack (Pickett's Charge) was a failure and resulted in many casualties. Lee had lost more than a third of his army, and the tables were turned in favor of the Union. He even tried to resign, and the Confederates did not gain foreign recognition as they had hoped. -
Siege of Vicksburg
May 18, 1863 to July 4, 1863.
Ulysses S. Grant was the general in charge during the Siege of Vicksburg. At this time one of the Union's major goals was to gain full control of the Mississippi River. General Grant knew that in order to take complete control of the Mississippi River he would have to take Vicksburg, Mississippi. In May, Grant created a tactical plan to take Vicksburg. He laid siege to the town for 6 weeks. The Confederates eventually surrendered on July 8, 1863. -
Chickamauga
September 19, 1863 to September 20, 1863
The Union general was William Rosecrans and the Confederate general was Braxton Bragg. George Thomas led a large Union corps. During the first day of battle Bragg's men consistently attacked the Union left. For the most part, Thomas kept his ground until James Longstreet came with Confederate reinforcements. Longstreet advanced with perfect timing, right when Rosecrans was shifting his troops. Longstreet burst through the gap; causing them to retreat. -
Battle of the Wilderness
May 5, 1864 to May 7, 1864.
The Union General was Ulysses S. Grant. The Confederate general was Robert E. Lee. The fighting started when both armies clashed near the Orange Turnpike. The fighting was chaotic due to the trees and thick undergrowth. It made it difficult for the armies to move in an orderly fashion and decreased the effect of cavalry and artillery. Troops stumbled into enemy camps and were made prisoners. The battle ended inconclusively, the Union lost 17,500 and rebels lost 7,000. -
Spotsylvania
May 8, 1846 to May 21, 1864
This battle took place at the Spotsylvania courthouse. The Confederates reached the crossroads first, which enabled them to set up defenses such as trenches and artillery emplacements. The result of the fighting was 18,000 Union casualties and 11,000 Confederate casualties. Confederates built a huge salient (mule shoe) facing the Union. A group of 12 Union regiments assaulted the salient on May 10. The battle subsided inconclusively after Grant disengaged his army. -
Sherman's March
November 22, 1864 to December 21, 1864.
The march began after Sherman captured Atlanta on Sept. 2, 1864. Sherman believed in total war and that destroying factories, farms and railroads could lead to the collapse of the Confederate war effort. On Nov. 22, a rebel skirmish against the Union ended with 650 rebel soldiers dead or injured and 62 Union casualties. Union forces wreaked havoc on the South; leaving a trail of destruction. Savannah was undefended, so they captured it easily. -
Petersburg
June 9, 1864 to April 9, 1865
Since June 9, 1864 the Union army had laid siege on two cities. With heavy Union losses by the end of August Grant had crossed the Petersburg-Weldon Railroad. The siege had greatly weakened the Confederate forces. On Mar. 25, 1865 the rebels were driven back as a result of the Battle of Fort Stedman. Grants forces now outnumbered Lee's by 70,000. Soon the rebel defends were pushed back within the Petersburg inner defenses. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865. -
Lincoln's Assassination
April 14, 1865.
Lincoln's murderer was John Wilkes Booth. Booth was a supporter of the Confederacy but lived in the North. After Richmond fell to Union forces, Booth was desperate to save the Confederacy. He came up with a plan to kill Abraham Lincoln. He learned that Lincoln was going to attend "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre. At 10:15 on Apr. 14, Booth sneaked into Lincoln's viewing box and shot him in the back of the head.
