Civil War Major Battles Events United States History
Civil War - Major Battles & Events United States History, Chapter 15
The first engagement of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter on April 12 and 13, 1861. After 34 hours of fighting, the Union surrendered the fort to the Confederates. From 1863 to 1865, the Confederates at Fort Sumter withstood a 22 month siege by Union forces. During this time, most of the fort was reduced to brick rubble.
Fort Sumter Charleston Harbor, South Carolina Union Commander : Major Anderson Confederate Commander: General Beauregard April 12 -14, 1861 Casualties: None Winner: Confederate
Significance: • First battle of Civil War. • Raised false hopes for a quick war. • Lincoln then asked for 100, 000 volunteers. • General Beauregard was a student of Major Anderson while at Westpoint. . . weird!!
st 1 Battle of Bull Run – Manassas, VA § 1 st Major battle of Civil War in VA, July 1861 § Union led by General Mc. Dowell – 35, 000 § Confederates led by Beauregaurd 22, 000 § Met at Bull Run Creek, Manassas § Hundreds of people from the North gathered to watch the battle and picnic
General Mc. Dowell
st 1 Battle Bull Run Continued § 10, 000 more Confederates arrive under General Thomas Jackson. § “…look there’s Jackson standing like a stonewall. ” § Became “Stonewall” Jackson § Confederates Win! § North realized war would not be easy or quick – Lincoln begins to doubt his generals
Battle of Bull Run, July 1861
Battle of Antietam – Sept. 17, 1862 – Fought in MD § § Bloodiest single day battle in U. S. History! General Mc. Clellan – North (Union) General Robert E. Lee – South (Confederates) 12, 000 Union + 13, 000 Confederate Casualties § Important victory for the Union – Stopped Lee’s advance North – UNION WINS!
Antietam - Continued § Sept 4, 1862 – Lee and 40, 000 Confederate Soldiers arrive in Maryland. § Lee issues a Proclamation urging people in MD to join the Confederates § They don’t. § Union Soldiers find Lee’s battle plans wrapped around his cigar § Soldiers take plans to Mc. Clellan. § He does nothing for 4 days (too timid)! § Armies clash at Antietam Creek (Sharpsburg) on Sept. 17, 1862
Antietam Continued § After the battle – Lincoln created the Emancipation Proclamation § War Strategy to weaken Southern war effort § Emancipation Proclamation set (Confederate only) Slaves Free § He fired General Mc. Clellan
General Mc. Clellan
Lincoln visits Antietam
Ambrose Burnside – (Sideburns) Was given command after Mc. Clellan but was crushed at the Battle of Fredericksburg, VA - He asked to be relieved!
Emancipation Proclamation § “. . . All persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free. ” ( Sept. 22 nd, 1862) § By freeing slaves in all rebellious states (the South), Freed African Americans could then be recruited into the Union Army.
President Lincoln Signs the Emancipation Proclamation with his cabinet § Went into effect January 1, 1863
What did it do? § Every slave working in a field or factory freed a white Southerner to fire a gun at Union soldiers! § Slaves in areas of rebellion are free! § Did not free slaves in border states nor Confederate areas under Union control. § Congress began to allow African Americans to volunteer as laborers in July 1862.
• War Department also gave “contrabands” (escaped slaves) the right to join the Union army in South Carolina § About 180, 00 African Americans served with the Union Army
Battle of Gettysburg July 1 -3, 1863 § § Robert E. Lee – South George Meade – North Bloodiest (worst) battle in Civil War Known for Pickett’s Charge (South) – Confederates Slaughtered § Became a Cemetery where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg - Continued § Spring 1863 – Lee split forces into 2 groups. § While riding the front lines – Stonewall Jackson is shot by his own men. Jackson dies a few days later. § Lee launches more attacks – Goal is to break the North’s will to fight.
Gettysburg - Continued § Day 1 – Confederates split into raiding parties in PA – looking for food and shoes in Gettysburg. § Union and Confederates find each other and start shooting. § Day 3 – A failed Confederate Attack up Cemetery Ridge. § Almost 75, 000 Confederate soldiers and 90, 000 Union soldiers fought in Gettysburg. § Casualties: 23, 049 Union / 28, 063 Confederate = 51, 112 Total!
Gettysburg Continued § Victory at Gettysburg was on same day as Victory in Vicksburg. § Turning Point of the War for North! § After Gettysburg – France and England refused to help / support the C. S. A.
George Meade (North)
General Meade’s HQ Gettysburg, PA
Soldiers at Gettysburg, PA
Gettysburg Address § Nov. 19, 1863 – Lincoln gives speech at Gettysburg. § Dedication speech for battlefield cemetery. § 269 words, less than a 2 minunte speech!
Gettysburg Address 11/19/1863 § 15, 000 folks came to hear Lincoln’s dedication to the memorial. § It was a 2 -minute speech about the state of the Civil War. § Here’s the audio of the speech read by Jeff Daniels: http: //www. americanrhetoric. com/speec hes/gettysburgaddress. htm
Cemetery Dedication
Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Cemetery
Siege at Vicksburg, Mississippi- ended early July 1863 § § § § General Grant (North) Pemberton (South) Goal – Split the South and take control of Mississippi River (Admiral Farragut had taken New Orleans, Baton Rouge & Natchez) Turning point of the war (North gets upper hand & control of the west) Grant seals off city and starves people out. People eat dogs, horses, rats (7 weeks) People live in caves to avoid being hit with shells.
Vicksburg Continued § Confederate Soldiers almost mutiny! § Confederates surrender on July 4 th. § Vicksburg did not celebrate the 4 th of July again for almost 80 years. § North wins!
Siege of Vicksburg
General U. S. Grant
Sherman’s March- TOTAL WAR • Lincoln needed a victory for the Union Army to help him win the election of 1864 • Sherman’s goal – Campaign to destroy the south’s infrastructure and provide Lincoln with victory – it worked!
Sherman's March to the Sea § William Tecumseh Sherman (North) § Marches 100, 000 troops from Atlanta, GA to Savannah, GA. § Goal: Destroy everything in their path (buildings, RR, homes, farms, animals) § Strategy: TOTAL WAR! § Total War – Destroying civilian and economic resources. § Left path of destruction 60 miles wide – angered the south deeply!
William Tecumseh Sherman
End of War – Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia § April 9 th – 1865 § Union (Gen. Grant) & Confederate (Lee) meet in Appomattox Courthouse (small town) § Grant assured Lee that his troops would be fed and allowed to keep horses. § They would not be tried for treason. § President Davis called for guerilla warfare- Lee declined § “The war is over, the rebels are our countrymen again. ”
Mc. Lean Home
Chickamauga § § § § Georgia September 19 -20 1863 Northern Commander: Rosecrans Southern Commander Bragg Northern Casualties: 11, 500 Southern Casualties: 17, 500 Confederates Win! Would have opened the Union’s way to Atlanta, Georgia
Shiloh § § § § Tennessee April 6 -7 1862 Northern Commanders: Thomas Southern Commanders: Hood Northern Casualties: 13, 000 Southern Casualties: 10, 500 South Won!
Effects of the War § § § About 620, 000 Americans died Slavery was ended-13 th Amendment South was in ruins Southern economy destroyed Hostility between North & South How does Lincoln re-unite Country again? He won’t have the chance
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