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Battle of Bull Run/Manassas
This was the first battle, and a bit of a wake-up call for the Union. The North was winning in the morning because they had more soldiers, however by late in the day the South got reinforcements and was able to push back the union army. The South then starts their path of the offensive forcing the union to retreat. It ended the northern belief that this would be no more than a 90 day war. -
Merrimack vs. Monitor
The first battle between two iron-clad ships. The CSA Merrimack was sinking ships in Chesapeake Bay so the USA Monitor was sent to stop the attack. Cannons fired on both ends just bounced off the ships and both sides retreated. -
Battle at Richmond
George B. McClellan was in charge of the army as of now, he was a good organizer and drillmaster but had OCD and wasted time trying to perfect his attacks. Lincoln threatened to take the army if he did not do something, so he launched the Peninsula Campaign in an attempt to seize Richmond. If he had succeeded the Union would have won the war there and then, but slavery would not have been dealt with. -
Battle at Antietam
General Lee is on the offensive and decides to invade the north at Maryland. Union soldiers found a copy of Lee’s battle plans stating that Stonewall and Lee were separated. McClellan meets Lee near Antietam Creek. It was the bloodiest single day battle of the war with around 25,000 casualties. Lee retreats but McClellan fails to pursue the confederate army and is removed from command. -
Vicksburg + March to the Sea
The union is now safe with Ulysses S. Grant. Him and general Sherman take the north and south side of Vicksburg, the major import for the confederate army along the Mississippi River. They lay siege to the town for six weeks before the civilians surrendered, Grant has now successfully split the confederacy down the middle. Sherman was then ordered to march from Atlanta, after it was taken, all the way to Savannah, Georgia. He was told to burn everything in his path, and total war was ensued. -
Gettysburg + Pickett’s Charge
George Meade is leading the union at this point. The battle at Gettysburg lasted 3 days, the first and second the union was defending their high ground. The third, Lee believes that the union is almost wiped out so he sends soldiers down the middle over open fields to march the high ground. This is called Pickett’s charge, and 2/3 of the soldiers who marched died. Overall, 23,000 Union deaths and 28,000 Confederate deaths. Lee and his army would never invade the north again. -
Appomattox
This occurred after Lee had abandoned Richmond and the city burned themselves to ground so not to give anything to Grant and the northern army. Grant cornered Lee at Appomattox and provided him with generous terms to end the war. “The war is over the rebels are our countrymen again” is what he said. An agreement was made and the war ended on April 9th, but not without consequence.
