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Fort Sumter
Leaders/People:
- Union: Major Robert Anderson
- Confederacy: General PGT Beauregard
Who won: Union surrendered giving the fort to the Confederates.
Imporant: It determined the start of the Civil War. Because of the lack of necessary supplies, the Union was forced to surrender to the Confederates. -
1st Battle of Bull Run
Where: Manassas, Virginia
Leaders/People:
- Union: General Irvin McDowell
- Confederacy: General PT Beauregard & Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
Who Won: Confederacy
Important: 1st battle & changed view of the war The North was taken aback by this defeat. They realized that the war was going to be longer than they originally thought. -
Battle of Shiloh
Where: Mississippi
Leaders/People:
- General Grant and Sherman
- General Beauregard
Who won: Union
Important: The Union gained control of Corinth and Memphis, TN, and it brought the Union closer to gaining control of the Mississippi River. This battle ended with a death count of about 24,000 soldiers. -
Fall of New Orleans
Where: Louisiana - Mississippi River (Naval Battle)
Leaders/People:
- Union: Captain David Farragut
Who won: Union
Important: It gave the Union control of Mississippi River which meant the South couldn’t use the port or river to carry goods to sea. The Union carried out the "Anaconda Plan" perfectly by taking over the Mississippi River and by blocking off the Southern ports. -
Battle of Antietam
Where: Maryland
Leaders/People:
- Union: General McClellan
- Confederacy: General Lee
Who won: Neither side
Important: The Union was able to prevent Lee's troops from moving the war into Northern lands. This battle caused the Emancipation Proclamation. It is considered the “Bloodiest Day in American History” because of the ample amounts of deaths and wounded soldiers in a single day.
- 6,000 killed & 17,000 wounded in 1 day -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Where: Virginia
Leaders/People:
- Union: General Ambrose Burnside
- Confederacy: General Lee
Who Won: Confederacy
Important: The South continues to win battles. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Date: May 1863 (no exact date) Where: Virginia
Leaders/People:
- Union: General Joseph Hooker
- Confederacy: General Lee & General Jackson
Who Won: Confederacy
Important: It ruined the Union's plan of attacking Richmond It was a very strategic battle on the Confederacy's side. Unfortunately, due to miscommunication, General Jackson was shot by his own soldier and died a week later. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Date: July 1-4, 1863 Lasted for 4 days. Where: Pennsylvania
Leaders/People:
- Union: General Meade
- Confederacy: General Lee & General George Pickett
Who won: Union
Important: It ended the Confederaacy's hope of help from Britain and France. It's called “The Day the South Died” because it was the turning point of the war The South's aggressive plan failed resulting in a Union victory. It's known as "The Bloodiest Battle" of the Civil War because of about 50,000 total deaths. -
Vicksburg Siege
Date: Started July 4, 1863. Lasted 47 days. Where: Mississippi
Leaders/People:
- Union: General Ulysses S. Grant
- Confederacy: Everyone
Who won: Union
Important: It was a major turning point proving that the Union will be triumphant. Also, the Confederacy split in half and lost all control of the Mississippi River. By taking the Mississippi River, the Union cut off the Confederacy's supplies and access to Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. -
Wilderness Campaign
Date: Started May 5, 1864. Lasted for 6 weeks. Where: Dense forests between Washington, D.C. and Richmond
Leaders/People:
- Union: General Grant
- Confederacy: Everyone
Who won: Union overall won most of the Wilderness Campaign
Important: It consisted of the small battle which lead the Union troops to Richmond. General Grant was called "a butcher" because of all the men who died under his authority. Although many soldiers died, Lincoln still supported Grant's effort. -
Farragut at Mobile Bay
Where:
Leaders/People:
- Union: David Farragut
- Confederacy: ?
Who won: Union
Important: The Union took the last Southern port east of the Mississippi River. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Date: No exact date Where: Georgia to the Atlantic Coast
Leaders/People:
- Union: General Sherman
Who won: Not a battle, but Union is winning the war
Important: They destroyed whatever was in their path and freed thousands of slaves in the South. -
Fall of Richmond / Surrender at Appomattox
When Richmond was destroyed, President Lincoln and his son where followed by rejoiced African Americans while touring the city. Lee and Davis evacuated Richmond but ran into Grant's army. Grant forced them to surrender and discuss ending the war. Lee and Davis agreed under 4 circumstances:
- Rebel troops kept their weapons
- Rebel officers kept their horses
- No one would disturb the soldiers on their way home
- Grant gave 25,000 rations to feed Lee’s troops The Union won the Civil War.
