Transcript Major Battles of the Civil War

10 Major
Battles of the
Civil War
Notes to add in the margin
The Civil War was fought on 3
fronts, corresponding to the 3
parts of the Union strategy –
– Eastern Front – attempt to capture Richmond and
defend Washington, DC
– Western Front – attempt to capture the
Mississippi River to divide the South and western
railroads to limit communication and troop/supply
movement
– Blockade of southern coast to prevent them from
receiving help from overseas
Battle Names
Most battles had 2 names
– North named battles after nearest river or
stream (Bull Run, Antietam creek)
– South named battles after nearest town
(Manassas, Sharpsburg)
First Bull Run /First Manassas
 State: Virginia
Date: July 21, 1861
Southern Leader:
Beauregard
Northern Leader:
McDowell
Winner:
South
Union: Irvin
McDowell
Confederate:
Pierre G. T.
Beauregard
http://www.civilwarhome.com/beaubio.htm
http://nps-vip.net/history/portraits/mcdowell_irvin.htm
Many people came from
Washington, DC to watch this
battle for control the railroad
at Manassas Junction.
Confederates were losing
until reinforcements arrived.
Union troops panicked and
retreated toward Washington,
DC, along with the sightseers
who clogged the roads.
Confederates were too weary
and disorganized to follow.
It was at this battle that
southern General Thomas
Jackson earned the nickname
“Stonewall Jackson” because
he and his troops refused to
retreat even under heavy fire.
He would become one of
Lee’s most valuable
lieutenants.
Results of this battle:
1. Both sides adopted new
uniforms.(Confederate:
gray; Union: blue )
2. The Confederacy adopted
a new and easily
distinguishable flag.
3. Both sides realized that the
war would not soon be over.
Shiloh/Pittsburg Landing
State:
Tennessee
Western front
Dates: April 6-7, 1862
Winner: North
Shiloh Church
Union: Ulysses Confederate:
S. Grant
Beauregard
http://www.cr.nps.gov/logcabin/html/usg.html
http://www.civilwarhome.com/beaubio.htm
In this battle, 80% of the
troops were kids who had
never heard a gun fired in
anger. Many did not even
know how to work rifles.
One general told his troops,
“It’s just like shooting
squirrels, except these
squirrels have guns.”
After two days of fighting,the
Confederates retreated. The
victory was costly, however,
The Union lost 13,000, and
the Confederates lost
10,000.
This battle earned the
name, “Bloody Shiloh.”
2nd Bull Run/2nd Manassas
State: Virginia
Date:
August 30, 1862
Winner: South
Eastern front
goal – railroad line
Union:
John Pope
http://www.civilwarhome.com/popebio.htm
Confederate:
Robert E. Lee
http://www.nps.gov/arho/history.htm
The Union army was once
again pushed back to
Washington, DC, by the
Confederates.
Union casualties: 32,000
missing wounded or dead.
Southern casualties: 9,000.
It was a great victory for the
Confederacy and a crushing
defeat for the Union.
Antietam (Sharpsburg)
State:
Maryland
Date: September 17,
1862
Winner: *claimed by
Lincoln for North
Union: George Confederate:
Robert E. Lee
McClellan
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/31
/hh31b.htm
http://www.nps.gov/arho/history.htm
Lee had good reasons for
invading the North. (1) He
hoped to bring Maryland
into the Confederacy and (2)
from there attack Washington,
DC, Philadelphia, and (3) the
rich farmland that would give
his army supplies of food. He
brought 50,000 dirty, ragged,
and hungry troops into
Maryland.
It was doomed from the
beginning. The people of the
state did not welcome
troops as heroes but as
invaders.
Another blow happened
when a Union private found
an envelope containing
Lee’s plans.
Because more than 24,000
men had been killed or
wounded in the fighting, the
battle of Antietam has been
called the “the bloodiest
single day of the war.”
Even though both sides just
stopped fighting, Lincoln
claimed this battle as a
victory for the North.
He used it as an
opportunity to issue the
Emancipation
Proclamation, which freed
slaves only in the
seceding states.
However, this changed the
nature of the war, to include
the goal of abolishing
slavery.
Although European
intervention remained a
threat, it would now be less
likely.
Chancellorsville
State: Virginia
Dates: May 2-4, 1863
Winner: South
Union: Joseph Confederate:
Robert E. Lee
Hooker
“Fighting Joe”
http://www.ehistory.com/world/PeopleView.cfm?
PID=42
http://www.nps.gov/arho/history.htm
This battle was fought in the
Wilderness area of Virginia.
The area was called this
because it was so thick and
tangled with vines that a
soldier could only see a few
yards ahead. This resulted in
the death of Stonewall
Jackson when he was shot
by his own men who thought
he was part of a Union
cavalry charge.
Jackson had to have his
left arm amputated and
later died of pneumonia
Lee’s comment: “Jackson
has lost his left arm, but I
have lost my good right
arm.”
The loss of Jackson was
important because he
seemed to be the only
general under Lee who
could carry out his battle
plans.
Vicksburg (siege and battle)
State: Mississippi
Surrender Date: July 4,
1863
Winner: North
Western front
Goal – Mississippi River
Union: Ulysses Confederate:
John C.
S. Grant
Pemberton
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/21
/hh21b.htm
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/21/hh21b.htm
The Mississippi River was
called the “spinal cord of
America” and was very
important to both sides during
the war.
Vicksburg was in a very strong
defensive position. High,
fortified bluffs overlooked the
Mississippi River. These
fortifications could sweep the
river with cannon fire.
Grant had his men surround
the city on three sides, and
the Union navy prevented
any ships from approaching
the city from the river. For
weeks the Union troops laid
siege to the city. Finally, on
July 4, Pemberton
surrendered to Grant.
During the siege, many of the
civilians in the city lived in
caves because of the constant
bombardment. They ate rats,
tree bark , etc., to survive.
This battle is considered a
turning point because the
Union now controlled the
Mississippi River.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/21/hh21d4.htm
Gettysburg
State: Pennsylvania
Dates: July 1-3, 1863
Winner: North
*This battle is regarded
by historians as the
turning point of the Civil
War.*
Union: George Confederate:
Gordon Meade Robert E. Lee
http://www.nps.gov/gett/getttour/main-ms.htm
http://www.nps.gov/gett/getttour/main-ms.htm
The Confederate
government had committed
itself to an attack deep in
Union territory. In addition to
shocking the Union, it was
hoped that this attack might
influence England and
France to again consider
supporting the Confederacy.
It also might affect the
1864 Elections, by
shocking enough people
into voting for a peace
party candidate to oust
Lincoln.
General Lee massed his
army together and moved
on Pennsylvania. It would
be a “promised land” for the
rebel troops who were
running short of food. They
disregarded the facts that
they would surely be
outnumbered and far from
their own supply lines.
Pennsylvanians were in a
panic. They feared Lee
would capture the
ammunition stored at
Harrisburg, or that he would
turn toward Baltimore to cut
off Washington, DC
from the rest of the Union.
The battle started by
accident. On July 1, a small
group of rebel soldiers made
their way toward Gettysburg
in search of boots, which
were desperately needed by
the troops. They
accidentally met a Union
Cavalry unit on routine
patrol.
On the third day of the battle
came the most famous attack:
Pickett’s Charge. Pickett and
his men made an heroic charge
against an impossible
bombardment of cannon and
bullets up Cemetery Hill. A
handful of survivors reached
the summit of the hill and
planted the Confederate flag
before they were killed or
captured.
The Union forces at
Gettysburg had numbered
about 85,000, while the
Confederate army had
nearly 75,000. Nearly 7,500
men died on the bloody
battlefield at Gettysburg,
while almost 45,000 were
wounded or missing.
The Union had lost about
23,000 men and the
South nearly as many.
Lee had lost nearly a third
of his army. The big
problem was that Lee had
no men to replace those
who were lost.
As Lee retreated southward,
Meade followed him slowly
but did not attack. The battle
had been too costly for him
to consider renewing it.
On July 14, Lee was safely
across the Potomac River,
his own dream of victory in
the North dead forever.
Never again would the
South invade the North.
This is a turning point battle.
The defeat at Gettysburg
and the loss of Vicksburg
signaled the beginning of
the end for the Confederacy.
Chattanooga
State: Tennessee
Date: November 24,
1863
Winner: North
Western Front
Goal - railroads
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/25/hh25m.htm
Union: Ulysses Confederate:
Braxton Bragg
S. Grant
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/21
/hh21b.htm
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/25/hh25b.htm
Chattanooga was important
to the North as a railroad
point. If they could control it,
they could get supplies very
easily to other Union troops
in the South.
When the North attacked
Chattanooga, it was so
strong that Bragg could not
withstand it.
In Grant, Lincoln had finally
found a Union general to
take charge of the war.
In addition, victory here
opened the way for
Sherman’s march to the
sea.
Atlanta to Savannah
(Sherman’s March to the Sea)
State: Georgia
Dates: September 2December 22, 1864
Winner: North
Eastern Front
Goal – remove civilian
assistance and will
Union: William Confederate:
John Bell
Tecumseh
Hood
Sherman
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/25
/hh25i.htm
http://www.civilwarhome.com/hoodbio.htm
Atlanta was the main
industrial city of the South.
The fall of Atlanta would be
a crippling blow to the
South.
On September 2, Sherman
took control of Atlanta. After
burning the city virtually to
the ground, he began to tear
through the South to
Savannah.
His men burned, looted, and
destroyed the major cities of
Georgia and lived off the
land.
Sherman sent a message to
Lincoln by telegraph on
Christmas Day. It said,
“Merry Christmas, Mr.
President: I have you a
present and it is
Savannah.”
Sherman had inflicted over
one hundred million dollars
worth of damage in his
“March to the Sea.” He was
called the “Scourge of the
South.”
He was the first American
general to use the military
tactic of “Total War.”
Surrender at Appomattox
On April 9,1865, Lee had
only 30,000 troops. He
came near the small town
of Appomattox Court
House, Virginia, and
found that he was
surrounded on all sides
by Northern troops.
Confederate:
Union:
Ulysses
Surrender
at Appomattox
Robert E. Lee
S. Grant
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/hh/21
/hh21b.htm
http://www.nps.gov/gett/getttour/main-ms.htm
The Union troops waited for
the command to attack. The
Rebels with their battle flags
waving proudly prepared for
the final battle. Instead, a
single Confederate
Cavalryman rode forward,
carrying a fluttering
white flag.
Both armies stared at the
rider in silence. They
could not believe what
they were seeing! The
end had come at last!
“I must go see General
Grant,” said Lee, “and I
would rather die a
thousand deaths.”
 Palm Sunday, April 9, 1865:
Two generals faced each
other in the parlor of a
farmhouse owned by Wilmer
McLean. General Lee
arrived dressed in a new
uniform and carrying his
ceremonial sword at his
side. Grant arrived in his
muddy field uniform with no
weapon.
http://www.nps.gov/apco/mchs.htm
The two commanders faced
each other. Both wanted a
good peace. Lee knew that
the South was beaten and
would have to make the
best of whatever happened.
Grant wanted only to prove
that Northerners and
Southerners could be fellow
citizens again.
Grant’s terms were very
generous. Each rebel
soldier was to be allowed to
go home undisturbed.
Officers were to be allowed
to keep their weapons
and personal possessions .
Any man who had a horse
or mule was to be allowed to
keep it.
At four o’clock, the two men
shook hands, and it was
over.
Lee mounted his horse,
Traveller, and returned to
his men. The Union guns
began to fire victory volleys
which were halted at once
by Grant. “We will not exult
over their downfall,” he said.