Transcript Final Battles of the American Civil War

Final Battles of the American
Civil War
Fredericksburg
December, 1862
• "A chicken could not live
on that field when we
open on it.”(Porter
Alexander.)
• Ambrose Burnside
116,683 troops vs.....
Robert E. Lee 72,564
troops.
• Capture Fredericksburg
and on to Richmond
Fredericksburg
December, 1862
• Rappahannock River
(17 day delay pontoon
bridges.
• Union forces cross river
and loot the town.
• Marye’s Heights - 14
Union forces are
repelled. (12,535
losses)
• Burnside is replaced by
Joseph Hooker.
Chancellorsville
Spring, 1863
• "My plans are perfect, and when I
start to carry them out, may God
have mercy on Bobby Lee, for I
shall have none." Joe Hooker
• Joseph Hooker 70,000 men Vs.
Robert E. Lee’s 40,000 men.
• “Let us Cross over the River and
Rest under the shade of the
trees.”(Stonewall Jackson’s last
words. )
Chancellorsville
Spring, 1863
• Objective: Robert E. Lee is forced
to divide his army in two.
• Lee fakes an attack on
Fredericksburg and sends Jackson
to attack the Union right flank.
• Stonewall Jackson attack is a
success but he is wounded by his
own men by mistake.
• Union forces are destroyed with
losses of over 17,000 men.
Hooker is relieved of command.
Gettysburg
July 1,2,3, 1863
• "We'll fight them, sir,
'til hell freezes over,
and then, sir, we will
fight them on the
ice.”
• Up men! And to your
posts! And let no
man forget today,
that you are from
Old Virginia!
Gettysburg Day 1
July 1st ,1863
• Union and Confederate
Calvary forces engage by
accident.
• Confederate forces under
Henry Heath are sent to
capture shoes.
• Union forces fall back into
defensive positions
outside of Gettysburg.
• Both sides send large
forces into the Gettysburg
area and prepare to fight.
Gettysburg Day 2
July 2nd, 1863
• They don't even need guns to
defend that! All they've got to do is
roll rocks down on us!
• Lee orders General Ewell and
Longstreet to attack the Union
Flanks.
• Ewell attacks Culp’s Hill and
Longstreet attacks “Little Round
Top”
• Union holds their line at a high
cost. (Lee plans to strike the Union
center.)
Gettysburg Day 3
• Virginians! Virginians!
For your land - for your
homes - for your
sweethearts - for your
wives - for Virginia!
Forward... march!
• General George Pickett
is ordered to attack the
Union center. His army
is smashed and Lee is
forced to retreat.
Vicksburg
Spring, 1863
• General Grant Vs.
Pemberton.
• Grant cuts off Vicksburg from
the East.
• David Farragut sets up naval
blockade.
• Siege begins May 1863.
• Pemberton surrenders on
July 4th.
• Vicksburg doesn’t celebrate
the 4th until 1944.
Petersburg
Summer, 1864
• Railroad Hub South of Richmond.
• Confederates defend the city by
digging trenches.
• Siege begins and takes about 10
months.
• Union loses 50,000 men and Lee
loses 30,000 men.
• Lee loses his ability to maneuver
and Richmond is left open for the
taking.
• The Crater(200X50 feet and 30
feet deep) Disaster for the Union.
Sherman’s March To The Sea
Fall, 1864
• Sherman wages total war on the
South.
• Sherman takes and destroys
Atlanta and Starts his March.
• The March ends in the captured
city of Savannah.
• Sherman destroys the South’s
ability to wage war and forces a
quicker end to the war.
• Sherman offers Savannah to
Lincoln as a gift. Success Helps
Lincoln get reelected.
Appomattox Courthouse
April, 1865
• Final battle for Robert E. Lee.
• Lee retreats West after the fall of
Richmond and tries to join
Confederate forces in N. Carolina.
• Lee launches an attack in hopes to
break the Union line. (Fails)
• Lee is forced to surrender. (Wilmer
Mclean)
• Lee’s surrender essentially ends
major combat in the Civil War.