The Battles of the Civil War

WARM UP Why was it important to control the Mississippi River?

The Characters: Presidents Abraham Lincoln- The President of the United States Jefferson Davis- The President of the Confederate States of America

The Characters: Generals Jackson Lee

Advantages: North- Better network of roads and railroads, which allowed for better movement of soldiers and supplies South- Since most battles were fought in the South, they had a much better understanding of the terrain. The South also had better ports

Ft. Sumter Date: April 11, 1861 Location: Fort Sumter, South Carolina Winner: The South. When the United States soldiers stationed at Fort Sumter refused to surrender to the Confederate soldiers, the Confederates fired upon Fort Sumter. The North eventually surrendered the fort and evacuated. Importance: This battle marked the first conflict between the North and South. Both sides prepare for war.

Bull Run (Manassas) Date: (2 battles) July 21, 1861 and August 28-30, 1862 Location: Prince William County, VA Winner: The South, led by Stonewall Jackson, held off the Union army and then successfully counterattacked. The second battle was also a clear victory for the South. Importance: General Lee was given the confidence to initiate his Maryland campaign.

Antietam Date: September 17, 1862 Location: Antietam, Maryland Winner: General Lee marched his troops North into Maryland. He believed that that a southern victory in Northern territory would be a blow to Northern morale. The bloody battle lasted only a day, but 23,000 soldiers were killed! Because General Lee retreated, Lincoln declared the battle a Northern victory, even though both sides lost equal numbers of men. Because Union General McClellan did not pursue General Lee, Lincoln fired him! Importance: Deadliest single day of the Civil War!

ANTIETAM

The War in Pictures

Emancipation Proclamation Date: January 1, 1863 Winner: Abraham Lincoln signs his final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. It was an executive order that declared that all slaves in the seceding states were free. Importance: Shifted the Union goals of the war from preserving the Union and containing slavery to preserving he Union and ENDING slavery

Vicksburg Date: July 4, 1863 Location: Vicksburg, Mississippi Winner: Union General Grant’s forces surrounded the city of Vicksburg. They lay siege for six weeks. Finally, the Confederate troops stationed there surrendered. Importance: Union now controls the entire Mississippi River, cutting off Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Gettysburg Date: June 30, 1863 Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Winner: Robert E. Lee believed that a second invasion of the North would be successful. The Union army learned of Lee’s plan, and positioned themselves at a place called Little Round Top. As the Southern troops charged the hill, they were met with hailing gunfire. Casualties were huge. Lee finally withdrew his exhausted forces several days later. Importance: The Union army lost 23,000 men either killed, wounded, or missing; the Confederate army lost 25,000. The bloodiest battle of the war! (or ever!)

Gettysburg

Gettysburg

Gettysburg

Gettysburg

The War in Pictures

Gettysburg Address Date: November 19, 1863 Location: Gettysburg, PA Winner: Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery at the Gettysburg battle site. Lincoln stated that all people would be free, that the country was worth fighting for, and that a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people shall be preserved” Importance: One of the greatest and most influential speeches in American history.

Sherman in the South – TOTAL WAR Date: 1864 Location: Georgia and Virginia Winner: Lincoln instructed General William Tecumseh Sherman to wage “total war” on the deep south. This meant to totally destroy everything he saw. Sherman’s troops burned down Atlanta, Spotsylvania, Petersburg, and Savannah. Importance: South was destroyed. Union victory close.

TOTAL WAR

Appomattox Courthouse Date: April 9, 1865 Location: Appomattox Court House, Virginia Winner: Realizing that the South has been conquered and destroyed, Confederate General Lee surrenders to Union General Grant. Importance: The Union (North) has won the Civil War.

Appomattox Courthouse

The Aftermath With Lee’s surrender, the bloodiest war in American history came to a close. Over 600,000 American lives were lost. All of the Confederate states would be re-admitted to the United States, but not without conditions. The war cost billions of dollars and fueled the hatred between Northerners and Southerners.