Battle of Fort Sumter April 12, 1861: Confederates bombard Federal fort –Union forces surrender after 2 days Early victory for the South –Any hope of compromise vanishes Virginia passes resolution favoring secession –West Virginia forms and enters Union –4 slave states (MD, DE, KY, and MI) remain in Union Robert E. Lee resigns from Union Army –Takes control of Confederate Army Both sides begin recruiting armies –Lack of volunteers will lead to conscription

Battle of Bull Run Lincoln pushes for early attack of the South July 21, 1861: Union Army advances on Richmond, VA –General “Stonewall Jackson” leads Confederates –Union forces retreat in chaos –Sign that victory would not be as easy as anticipated for North Union adopts Anaconda Plan –Blockade Southern ports –Control Mississippi River with Union naval forces –Capture Confederate capital of Richmond, VA

Battle of Shiloh April 16, 1862 General Ulysses S. Grant allows troops to rest near TN church –Wake of key victories at Ft. Henry and Ft. Donelson –Confederates launch surprise attack Grant reorganizes and counterattacks next morning Lessons learned –Needed scouts, trenches, and fortifications –The war will be bloody (1/4 of the troops here died) Appears to be a draw, BUT… –Demonstrated inability of Confederacy to hold Ohio-Kentucky frontier –Union can take the Mississippi River

Battle of Antietam September 17, 1862 Confederates purse Union capital –General McClellan’s engages them along Maryland creek Bloodiest single day battle in American history –26,000 casualties –More than War of 1812 and War with Mexico combined Union does not attempt to complete wipe out the Confederates –McClellan fired by Lincoln Enough of a victory to allow Lincoln to issue Emancipation Proclamation –Goal changes from “union” to “union and freedom”

Battle of Gettysburg July 1 – July 3, 1863 General Lee decides to move Confederate army into PA –Failure of Pickett’s Charge General George Meade leads Union Victory Bloodiest battle of the war –24,000 Northern casualties –28,000 Southern casualties Confederates unable to launch another attack into the North Turning point of the war

Sherman’s March September – October, 1864 Scorched earth policy through Georgia –Make Southerners sick of war –Burned most of Atlanta Move north to help Grant defeat Lee in North Carolina News of victory helps Lincoln win Election of 1864 –Democrats ran George McClellan (former general fired by Lincoln)

Surrender at Appomattox April 2 – 9,1865 Confederates abandon their capital –Set it on fire General Lee and General Grant meet at a VA courthouse Lincoln requires generous terms –Lee’s soldiers are paroled and sent home with possessions and rations Within 2 months, all remaining Confederate resistance ends

Ft. Sumter

Bull Run

Shiloh

Antietam

Gettysburg

Sherman’s March

Appomattox