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Period: to
Civil war
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Battle of Fort Sumter
Forty hours of continuous shelling before the fort fell to the South. By this time one-fifth of the fort was on fire. The Southern commander gave permission for all the Union troops to leave safely and the Southern troops took over the fort. -
Confederate Capitol
Richmond, Virginia was choosen for the Confederate Capital. -
First Battle of Bull Run
This was the first great battle of the Civil War. The battle was fought at Manassas Junction near Bull Run Creek, only 30 miles south of Washington, D. C. Many Congressmen and their wives watched from behind the battle lines. The North was defeated and retreated to the capital. President Lincoln asked for more volunteers. -
Fighting on the Mississippi (Fort Henry)
After capturing Fort Henry along the Tennessee River the Union army with 15,000 men led by Ulysses S. Grant attacked Fort Donelson, a Confederate fort on the Cumberland River. At Fort Donelson Grant sent the message, "No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." The North had six gunboats. The fighting lasted three days. Grant took 12,000 Confederate prisoners and 40 cannons from Fort Donelson. This cut off the Confederat -
Fighting on the Mississippi (Fort Donelson)
supply line from the western teratories. -
Ironclad Ships Battle
For the first time in history two ironclad ships battled. The battle lasted for hours. Neither side won the battle. The Confederate ironclad was an old wooden ship called the Merrimac which had been rebuilt with iron all around the boat. The Merrimac had sunk several Union ships in the past months. The North decided to build an ironclad ship to fight it. The Northern ship was called the Monitor. -
Shiloh
After Grant had captured several forts in Tennessee his armies moved south toward Mississippi. The Confederate army met Grant at Shiloh, Tennessee. Grant had not expected the attack. At first he seemed to be losing. Then more Northern troops arrived and Grant defeated the Southerners. -
New Orleans
Farragut attacked and captured New Orleans. -
Yorktown
McClellan's Union troops occupied Yorktown, Virginia and advanced on Richmond. -
Lincoln Frees all the Slaves
President issued a proclamation freeing all the slaves in the South. Lincoln's document called the Emancipation Proclamation because in emancipated the slaves.
