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Period: to
Civil War Era
This is the time span in which the Civil War took place. -
Siege on Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter, located in Charleston, VA, was attacked on April 12, 1861 and the battle ended on April 14, 1861. The Confederate forces attacked the Union occupying the fort. There was only one casualty and the battle lasted 34 hours. The Confederacy took control of the fort and convinced the border states to secede into the Confederacy as well. This battle marked the beginning of the Civil War. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
Union General McDowell met Confederate P.G.T. Beauregard at Bull Run on July 21, 1861. The Confederates managed to break the Union line and forced the Union to retreat back to Washington. Despite this, the Confederacy was too disorganized to pursue them. This battle cost the Union 3,000 troops compared to the Confederacy's 1,750. This was significant because it showed the Union that the fighting would not be quick and decisive and gave the rebels false hope of a quick defeat of the Union. -
The Battle at Hampton Roads
The Battle of Hampton Roads was the first battle fought with ironclad warships. On March 9, 1862 at 8:00 a.m., the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor faced off. The ships traded fire and eventually the Monitor's pilothouse was hit, disabling the ship. The Virginia found that they had multiple problems on the ship so they turned back for their home port. The Confederacy's success against the Monitor gave them false hope that the Union blockade might be broken and marked the end of wooden navies. -
The Battle of Shiloh
On April 6, 1862, Confederates attacked Ulysses S. Grant's forces in Tennessee. They had quick success, however, the Union was able to regroup and take back the camps that they had lost the previous day. Both sides claimed victory, but the battle was a Confederate failure. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, about 10,000 each that totalled approximately 23,000 deaths. -
Fight at Antietam
On Sep. 17, Robert E. Lee advanced his army into the north. He had a complex plan to divide up his troops and attack, but a copy of said plans fell into the hands of Union Commander George McClellan. McClellan met Lee's army on a farm near the Potomac River.The Union had a strong attack on Lee's right, causing him to withdraw his troops across the river. Confederate's suffered 10,318 casualties to the Union's 12,401. This victory allowed Lincoln to issue the original Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Union General Ambrose Burnside decided to lead a campaign into the south. He moved his force of 120,000 men down to the Rappahannock River outside of Fredericksburg. By the time the Union army got to Fredericksburg, the Confederate army had secured a position in Marye's Heights. The Union suffered a crushing defeat. Union casualties topped 13,000 while Confederates lost on 5,000. This rejuvenated the Confederate troops while causing a political firestorm for Lincoln in the north. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
This battle was fought from April 30 to April 6. It was arguably Lee's greatest victory in the war. Union General Hooker had the larger force, but didn't use this advantage and stopped his march to set up defenses. Lee broke his forces up to flank Hooker. The Union lost 17,278 to the Confederate's 12,826. The only positive thing for the Union was being able to eliminate "Stonewall" Jackson. The battle did give Lee the strategic advantage, however, which would soon lead him to Gettysburg. -
Siege of Vicksburg
From Spring of 1862 to July 1863, the Union waged war on the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg on the Mississippi River. The 1st three attempts to take the city failed, so Ulysses S. Grant attacked from the high ground in the East. He controlled all the access points to the city and methodically assaulted it until they surrendered on July 4. This battle, along with Gettysburg, marked the turning point of the war. -
Battle of Chickamauga
On September 19, Union General Rosecrans met Confederate General Bragg in the woods near Chickamauga Creek. The Union held their positions well, with heavy casualties on both sides. The next morning, the Confederates broke the Union line and sent them into a retreat. The Confederate casualties numbered around 20,000 to the Union's 16,000. Bragg's inaction turned the battle into a failure for the Confederates, allowing Rosecran to regroup with Grant. -
Battle of the Wilderness
This battle began on the morning of May 5. The Confederates and Union fought near the Orange Turnpike. The trees, shrubs, and vegetation made it difficult to mave troops and fight. After the first day of fighting, the armies remained approximately where they started. The next day, it seemed the Confederates would prevail, but Grant refused to retreat. The Union suffered about 17,500 deaths. However, on May 7 Grant marhced on and would meet Lee again at the Spotsylvania Courthouse. -
Battle of Spotsylvania
Union General Ulysses S. Grant wanted to mount an offensive campaign in the south to attack Lee's army. Their final destination was the tiny Spotsylvania Courthouse, Lee intercepted him there and stalled the union army there on May 9th. Over the next 12 days, the courthouse saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. There were heavy casualties on both sides, but the fighting saw no victor. On May 21, Grant ordered his troops to disengage and keep marching towards Richmond. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
The Union's General Sherman captured Atlanta on September 2,1864. The Confederates retreated and attacked Union supply posts in Tennesee. Sherman split his army in 2. Half went after the Confederates in Tennesee and half marched on to Charleston, waging total war along the way. The allowed the Union to march on to Savannah and Sherman presented Savannah. This demoralized the Confederates and they surrendered shortly after. -
The Petersburg Campaign
This was a series of military operations in southern VA. On June 9, 1864 the Union began an assault on Petersburg and Richmond. The Union had destroyed all of the railroads, so the Confederates were starved and exhausted. Another series of victories for Grant convinced Lee that the cities could no longer be held. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant at the Apppomattox Court House. This battle marked the end of the Civil War. -
Lincoln's Assassination
During a performance of "Our American Cousin" on April 14, 1865 at 10:15 p.m., John Wilkes Booth snuck into Lincoln's private box and shot him in the back of the head with a .44 caliber pistol. Booth then jumped on stage and escaped, breaking his leg the process. Lincoln was carried to over and laid down in a bed in a house across the street. Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. the next morning. This was significant because it shows that Lincoln was a hero in the north, but still the enemy of the south.
