Transcript Civil War Moments and Battles Part 1

Civil War Battles
Foundations of America
Mr. Blais
The First Battle
• Southern Gen. Beauregard
had camped 35,000 southern
troops on a small stream
called Bull Run.
• This position was close to
Washington D.C. so 31,000
Union troops worked to force
the Confederates out
• Initially the Union advance
was successful but then they
came across a well defended
area commanded by Gen.
Thomas Jackson
The First Battle (cont.)
• Jackson was seen standing
calmly at the head of his
brigade while under heavy
enemy fire.
• This motivated his men and
earned him the nickname
‘Stonewall’ Jackson.
• The Union was forced to
retreat and the Confederates
did not pursue due to lack of
supplies and transportation.
• The First Battle of Bull Run
proved that both armies needed
a lot of training.
New Union Leadership
• After the Union’s defeat at Bull
Run Lincoln appointed Gen.
George McClellan as head of the
Union army
• McClellan was good at training
troops but was far to cautious
during battles
• In the summer of 1862
McClellan took 100,000 Unions
troops south in an effort to
capture the Confederate capital
of Richmond, VA.
Battles of the Seven Days
• McClellan and his army got
within six miles of
Richmond Virginia but were
slowly pushed back by Gen.
Robert E. Lee’s Confederate
forces.
• After a series of
counterattacks McClellan’s
forces were 25 miles outside
of Richmond and he was
later ordered to pull out and
move north.
More Confederate Victories
• As McClellan retreated
north Lee also moved his
forces North.
• Lee then encountered and
defeated another Union
army at the Second Battle of
Bull Run.
• These victories inspired Lee
to push on and invade the
North in hopes of crushing
Northern moral.
The Battle of Antietam
• Lee’s army slipped into
Maryland in September of 1862
and McClellan met his army at
Antietam Creek.
• McClellan repeatedly attacked
the Confederate position on Sept
17th.
• This resulted in the bloodiest
day of battle in American
History.
• More than 26,000 men were
killed or wounded on this day
and Lee was forced to retreat
that night.
Fredericksburg
• After Antietam McClellan waited
six weeks to pursue Lee.
• Lincoln got fed up and replaced
McClellan with Ambrose
Burnside.
• Burnside moved on Lee’s forces
around Fredericksburg, VA.
• Lee had amassed 73,000 soldiers
and held off the Union forces for
several weeks. Admitting his
failure Burnside then resigned
Chancellorsville
• After Burnside resigned Lincoln
replaced him with Joseph
Hooker.
• The Union and Confederate
Armies met again at
Chancellorsville six months later
• Lee again outmaneuvered and
defeated the Union forces
• Unfortunately for the
Confederacy Stonewall Jackson
was killed by friendly fire at
Chancellorsville.
Gettysburg
• After his victories at
Fredericksburg and
Chancellorsville Lee invaded
the north once again.
• His army of 65,000 met the
Union army of 85,000 at the
small town of Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania.
• Prior to the battle Lincoln
appointed George Meade as
commander of the Union forces
Gettysburg (cont)
• On July 1st there were only
small skirmishes between
Confederate and Union
soldiers
• On July 2nd Lee ordered
flanking attacks on both
sides of the Union line.
• He attacked Cemetery Hill
and Culp’s Hill on one end
and Little Round Top on the
other.
Little Round Top
• On July 2nd Lee attacked Little
Round Top.
• Little Round Top was defeated
by the 20th Maine Regiment
under the command of Joshua
Chamberlain
• They held up a strong defense
and when they ran low on
ammunition they charged
down the hill forcefully
pushing the Confederates back