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Fort Sumter
The battle began at 4:30 a.m. on April 12th when the Governor of South Carolina became suspicious of a ship Lincoln asked to be let through the port to resupply the fort. He called for Confederate troops to attack the fort before the ship arrived. The battle lasted 34 hours, ending on April 13th when Anderson, Union general of the fort, was forced to surrender. After the battle ended, Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to be collected, and the south, viewing this as an act of war, declared war. -
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Civil War
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First Battle of Bull Run
The battle began on July 21st when the Union army attacked the Confederate army. This battle began because the Confederates were planning an attack on Washington D.C. The battle ended on July 22, 1861. The battle was a Confederate victory. After the North's loss, Licoln removed McDowell from command of the army, and replaced him with George B. McClellan. -
Hampton Roads
On March 9th, 1862, at 8 A.M. the Virginia opened fire on the Minnesota, marking the start of the first battle between warships in the Civil War. The battle's cause was from the Confederacy trying to break the Union blockade on Confederate ports. The battle lasted only 4 and one half hours, ending at 12:30 the same day, and the outcome was neutral, with both ships damaged and the blockade unaffected. However the battle did mark the end of the days of wooden navies. -
Shiloh
This was the second great battle of the Civil War that would rank up nearly 10,000 casualties from each side in only one day. The battle began on April 6th, 1862, and was a surprise attack on Ulysses S. Grant's forces that were in Tennessee at the time awaiting reinforcements. Although the Confederates had success at first, they could not hold their position, and the battle ended in a Union victory a day later on April 7th, with the North reclaiming the camp that they had lost during the battle. -
Antietam
On the first battle of the Civil War fought on Northern soil, the fighting ensued for less than a day, starting on September 17th, but within that time it became the single bloodiest day of war in American history, with over 22,000 casualties. After a string of Union losses, the win made strong ground for Lincoln to deliver his Emancipation Proclamation, changing the morals and reasons for fighting of the soldiers on the two sides. -
Fredricksburg
On November 7th, newly appointed Commander Burnside took over Army of the Potomac, and moved his troops into Virginia, advancing towards the capitol of, Richmond. His plan was to cross the Rappahannock River, but while waiting for pontoon bridges to arrive, the Confederate army was able to gain a strong position on the other side. Once the Union army crossed the river, they met defeat due to poor commanding, and the Union suffered a brutal loss, causing the removal of current Secretary of State. -
Chancellorsville
The battle began on April 30th, 1863, when Union General Hooker marched his army behind the smaller army of Confederate General Lee. Although his army was outnumbered, Lee used smart, and risky battle tactics to weaken and eventually defeat Hooker's troops, who had the advantage of numbers. Hooker retreated on May 6th, 1863; back over the river he had crossed his army to attack the Confederates. However the battle cost Lee the loss of one of his most trusted generals, Stonewall Jackson. -
Gettysburg
On June 28, President Lincoln named a new general to the Union Army, Major General George Gordon Meade. Meade immediately moved his troops to pursue Lee's army that now resided in Southern Pennsylvania. The total combined loss of the battle would total over 35,000 casualties in only 2 days, and the battle itself would result in a Union victory, due to poor commanding done by Lee leading off of the success from his Chancellorsville victory. On July 4th, Lee marched his army back towards Virginia. -
Vicksburg
After the spring of 1862 the Confederate lost control of Fort Henry, and Donelson. They also lost control of Memphis and New Orleans, which left Vicksburg their only defense of the Mississippi River. Grant and his men took control of the city by using methodical siege tactics against Pemberton. On July 4th Pemberton surrendered his army. -
Chickamauga
The battle started in the morning on September 19,1863 when the two armies met on the banks of Chickamauga Creek. On September 20th the Confederates made an advance on the Union army which sent the Union army running. In October, Thomas received command of the Union and reversed the resluts of the battle causing the Union to win. -
Wilderness
The battle startes on May 5th when Ewell clashes with the Union near the Orange Turnpike. The battle took place in the woods which made it hard to move in an orderly fashion. The Union army was lead by Hancock and the Confederate army was lead by Longstreet. The Union army was able to hold their ground against his army. Grant didn't reatreat and the battle was stalled for two weeks. -
Spotsylvania
The battle started on May 8, 1864. It started when the Union attacked the Confederate army. The battle was said to have been the bloodiest of the Civil War. The Union was lead by Grant and the Confederates were lead by Lee. The battle of Spotsylvania never had a real winner because they continued to fight for so many days. -
Sherman's March
On September 2, 1864 General Sherman and his Union army took control of the city of Atlanta. After the Confederates lost control of Atlanta they went west and attacked Union supply lines. Sherman and his troops went after the Confederates to try and winn the war. In April the Confederate army surrendered and the war was over -
Petersburg
The battle started on June 9th 1864 in Petersburg, Virginia. The battle lasted for nine months. Unlike most siges they didn't surround the city and cut off their supplies.Grant lead this attack against Lee and lead the Union to a victory. -
Lincoln's Assassination
John Wilkes Booth killed President Abraham Lincoln on April 15th but had shot him the day before. His first plan was to kidnap the president but he wasn't in the rght place. His second plan was to kill the president, vice president, and secretary of state. On April 14th 1865 John slipped into the box and shot Lincoln in the back of the head. He was later found and killed.
