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After capturing Fort Henry along the Tennessee River the Union army with 15,000 men led by Ulysses S. Grant attacked Fort Donelson, a Confederate fort on the Cumberland River. At Fort Donelson Grant sent the message, "No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." The North had six gunboats. The fighting lasted three days. Grant took 12,000 Confederate prisoners and 40 cannons from Fort Donelson. This cut off the Confederat
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For the first time in history two ironclad ships battled. The battle lasted for hours. Neither side won the battle. The Confederate ironclad was an old wooden ship called the Merrimac which had been rebuilt with iron all around the boat. The Merrimac had sunk several Union ships in the past months. The North decided to build an ironclad ship to fight it. The Northern ship was called the Monitor.
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After Grant had captured several forts in Tennessee his armies moved south toward Mississippi. The Confederate army met Grant at Shiloh, Tennessee. Grant had not expected the attack. At first he seemed to be losing. Then more Northern troops arrived and Grant defeated the Southerners.
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Lee took command telling the Confederate forces that he planned to carry the fight to the enemy. He crossed the Potomac River into Maryland, but was blocked from Washington, D. C. by Union troops in a bloody battle at Sharpsburg near Antietam Creek. Lee realized that his army was in a bad position to receive supplies and withdrew his troops over the Potomac to Virginia.
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Union troops under Rosecrans forced the Confederates to retreat after the Battle of Stones River.
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General Lee fought against General Joseph Hooker. Although outnumbered two to one, Lee won the battle. During the battle General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson was killed.
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In Vicksburg, Mississippi a strong fort overlooked the river. Grant surrounded the fort and began a siege. On July 4 Vicksburg surrendered. This gave the North control of the Mississippi River.
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Grant and Thomas led Union armies to victory in the Battle of Chattanooga.
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This was the first in a series of battles. The first Union attack was made in an area about 50 miles from Richmond. The Union gained little and lost much in casualties.
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Schofield's Union forces inflicted heavy losses on Hood in the Battle of Franklin.
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General Grant and General Meade's Army moved to the south of Richmond. During the winter of 1864-65 the Union army attacked many times, but could not break through. After nine months General Lee was forced to retreat toward Lynchburg giving up both Petersburg and Richmond.
