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Period: to
Civil War
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Fort Sumter
In early 1861, seven southern states had succeeded and they demanded evacuation of the Union fort, Fort Sumter. On April 12, 1861, when this action of evacuation was refused, the South's batteries opened fire on the fort. After 34 hours of shelling, on April 14, 1861, Fort Sumter evacuated its troops. The north united, this event marked the beginning of the long Civil War. -
First Bull Run
Even though McDowell’s 35,000 Union volunteer troops were not prepared for war, Lincoln sent the army anyway, saying that the Confederate army was also unprepared. On July 21, 1861, the fighting began. It seemed that the Union would pull through victorious, but then Confederates advanced, breaking the Union line. On July 21, 1861, the Union troops retreated. The outcome sent the northerners reeling, and left eh southerners rejoicing. McDowell was removed from command. -
Hampton Roads
On May 8, 1862 the Confederate ironclad, the Virginia arrived and destroyed the Union fleet of wooden warships. Then Union ironclad Monitor arrived. The Virginia made a powerful blow against the Union ironclad and sent it running to shallow water. Concluding their enemy was disabled the Virginia headed for its navy yard and the battle was over on March 9th, 1861. Though the battle was inconclusive it began an entirely new concept of naval design and naval warfare. -
Shiloh
On April 6th, 1862, the Confederate army launched a surprise attack on the Union troops. Because they were unprepared the troops had not fortified their camp. After the Confederate army had almost succeeded, the Union troops pushed them back and the battle ended in a Union victory on April 7th, 1862. Both sides suffered heavy losses, about 10,000 men on each side, and were immobilized for the next three weeks, slowing Grant down. -
Antietam
The Battle of Antietam the First battle on Northern soil. It was also the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with a loss of around 22,000 men. The fighting began on September 17, 1862, the first four hours of fighting were indecisive, but then came a blow to Lee’s army know as Bloody Lane. Lee withdrew on September 17, 1862. This Union victory provided Lincoln with what he needed to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Gardner also brought home battlefield photos of the dead. -
Fredericksburg
Burnside wanted to advance the Confederate capital of Richmond, unfortunately when he got to Rappahannock it was too deep to cross, while he waited for pontoon bridges, the Confederates made a strong position to fight from. On December 11th, 1862 the shooting began and lasted for 5 days. By December 15th, 1862 the Union suffered a crushing defeat and Hooker replaced Burnside later in January of 1863. For the Confederates, the great victory renewed Lee’s morale. -
Chancellorsville
On April 30, 1863, Lee was facing an enemy force twice the size of his own. Using his outstanding strategic ability he split his troops in half and hit the Union army on its weak points. On May 6, 1863, General Lee was victorious. The Battle of Chancellorsville was a great factory for General E. Lee, he had proven his great ability’s to the Union once again. But unfortunately the battle ended in the death of the irreplaceable Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Lee planned to assemble his army in Gettysburg, only to find that the Union was already there waiting for him. The fighting began on July 1, 1863, the Union army, outnumbered, was driven back to Cemetery Hill, but they were determined and pushed the Confederates away. Determined, Lee tried one last blow, Pickett’s Charge, but it was unsuccessful. The fighting ended July 3, 1863, both sides suffered huge causalities, for the south, hopes for foreign recognition was lost. -
Siege of Vicksburg
If the Union could capture Vicksburg, the Confederacy would no longer be able to yield their control of the river. On May 18, 1863, Grant arrived in the back of Vicksburg. After two attacks in the middle of May failed, Grant took a different approach and controlled all of what came into the city. Vicksburg was soon short of ammunition and on the brink of starvation. On July 4, 1863, the city surrendered. The Union now controlled the Mississippi. This event marked the turning point of the war. -
Chickamauga
The fighting of the Battle of Chickamauga began on September 19th, 1863. On the second day of fighting the Confederates were able to push through the Union line. The Union troops made a chaotic retreat toward Chattanooga on September 20th, 1863. At the end of the battle ten Confederate generals had been woodened or killed. Though the Confederates won the battle, they didn’t conquer the city of Chattanooga. -
Wilderness
May 5th, 1864, the Confederate and Union forces met in the wilderness beside the Rapidan River. To the Confederates, it was familiar terrain. The tree’s and thick undergrowth made it very difficult for the cavalry and artillery, and smoke and fog made it so that the soldiers had to shoot blind. On May 7th, 1863, the outcome of the battle was indecisive, both armies had ended where they started the battle. The Union had a great deal of casualties. Grant had held his position and never retreated. -
Spotsylvania
The gruesome fighting began May 8, 1864. On May 10th, Confederates built a huge line in the shape of a mule shoe, the Union attacked nearly reaching the middle, but they were driven back. On May 12, the Union attacked again, nearly breaking it in half, but were driven back again. It became clear the Union could not break the Confederate line, Grant could not gain advantage, and he disengaged his army on May 21, 1864. The battle was inconclusive, though Grant proved how persistent he was. -
Sherman’s March to the Sea
On September 2, 1864 Sherman’s troops captured Atlanta. The Confederates, after losing Atlanta, headed west attacking Union supply lines. Sherman followed them, wreaking havoc and using total war along the way, determined to undermine southern moral. Union soldiers raided farms and plantations, stealing and slaughtering as they made their way. On December 21, 1864 the reached Savannah. Sherman’s use of “total war” was affective, it hurt southern morale and hastened the end of the war. -
Siege of Petersburg
Starting on June 9, 1864, the nine months of trench warfare began under the lead of Grant. There were numerous raids and battles in attempt to cut off railroad supplies through Petersburg, overwhelming the Confederates. When the railroad was cut off, a bigger siege was about to begin, but instead Lee retreated, leaving the city on March 25, 1865. The trench warfare used in this ware would be used affectively in later wars to come. -
Lincoln's Assassination
On April 14, 1865 Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by a .44-caliber single-shot. The killer was a man named John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was sitting in a private box above the stage with his wife Mary, Henry Rathbone, and Clara Harris, watching a performance of “Our American Cousin", at Ford's Theatre. Lincoln was shot at 10:15 and was officially pronounced dead April 14, 1865, at 7:22. People rejoicing the end of the Civil War, now mourned from Lincoln's shocking assassination.
