Civil War

1st Bull Run (VA) July 1861 Beauregard (CSA) v. McDowell (USA) Confederate victory First major battle of war; significant

casualties; showed neither side ready McClellan became commander of Army of

the Potomac (USA) “Stonewall” Jackson receives nickname

Naval Actions After 1st Bull Run, 1861-62 mostly naval

war; definite U.S. advantage U.S. navy tightening blockade; seizing S.

ports & gaining adv. on interior rivers Mar. ’62 – Monitor (US) v. Virginia (CSA)

- battled to a draw; Confed’s had to scuttle VA; birth of modern “ironclad” navy

Battle of Shiloh (TN) April 1862 A.S. Johnston (CSA) v. Grant (USA) Union victory 23,000 casualties – “Bloody Shiloh” A.S. Johnston killed Showed Confederates would be unable to hold on

to Ms. River Valley Both armies would need to adopt more defensive

positions when in camp

Peninsula Campaign (VA) May-July 1862 Johnston / Lee (CSA) v. McClellan (USA) Union attempt to take Richmond from east Confederate victory McClellan failed to take Richmond McClellan relieved of command – John

Pope given command of Army of Potomac

2nd Battle of Bull Run (VA) August 1862 Lee (CSA) v. Pope (USA) Confederate victory Lee goes North for first time Pope relieved and McClellan given

command of Army of Potomac again

Battle of Antietam (MD) Sept. 17, 1862 Lee (CSA) v. McClellan (USA) Bloodiest single day of the war (23,000

casualties) Battle was a technical stalemate (tie) but

strategically a Union victory (Lee retreated back South)

Emancipation Proclamation issued after this battle McClellan relieved of command

Emancipation Proclamation 1863 Reasons for hesitation:1. Slavery protected by Constitution & Fed.

Gov’t had no power over where already existed

2. Doubted most Northerners would fight to free slaves

3. Did not want to alienate border states where slavery existed (MO, KY, MD)

Emancipation ProclamationIssued: After Antietam Effective: Jan. 1, 1863

Why Lincoln Changed his mind:

1. Wanted to hurt South (war effort) as much as possible; freeing slaves would do that

(President’s role as commander in chief)

2. Wanted to prevent foreign intervention

3. Needed to clarify N.’s war aims; answer slavery question

Emancipation Proclamation Significance / importance: Basically all objectives achieved:

1. Clarified N.’s war aims – made the war a crusade for human freedom

2. Prevented foreign intervention

3. Encouraged recruitment of black volunteers into Union army (300,000)

Battle of Fredericksburg (VA) December 1862 Lee (CSA) v. Burnside (USA) Confederate victory Burnside suffered heavy losses after

repeated head-on attacks against Lee’s artillery and dug-in infantry

Burnside relieved of command – Joseph Hooker given command of A. of Potomac

Battle of Chancellorsville (VA) May 1863 Lee (CSA) v. Hooker (USA) Confederate victory – Known as Lee’s greatest

victory Stonewall Jackson shot by his own men and died Hooker relieved of command – George G. Meade

given command of A. of Potomac Lee decided to go North again – leads to the

Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg (PA) July 1-3, 1863 Lee (CSA) v. Meade (USA) 3rd day – Pickett’s Charge (13,000 men) Union victory – 51,000 casualties Lee lost 1/3 of his army Last Confederate offensive Guaranteed no European recognition for

Confederacy

Siege and Fall of Vicksburg (MS) May – July 1863 Pemberton (CSA) v. Grant (USA) Union victory City surrendered on July 4th after a long siege –

Pemberton surrendered 30,000 men Completed Union strategy of splitting

Confederacy on two (last stronghold on Miss. River)

July 1863 As Turning Point Major Confederate defeats at Gettysburg and

Vicksburg – significant casualties for Confederacy could not be replaced

Lee could never again seriously threaten Northern soil – could only fight on the defensive

Europeans finally shied away from recognition of Confederacy

Richmond began to consider peace negotiations End of war finally seemed in sight for Union

Chattanooga (TN) Nov. 1863 Bragg (CSA) v. Grant (USA) Union victory; became staging ground for Atlanta

campaign in Spring of 1864 Grant attacked Bragg’s forces and drove them out

of Chattanooga into N. Ga. Bragg relieved; Johnston given command of

Confed. forces Grant given command of all Union forces – went

East to face Lee Sherman given command of Union forces in W.

Atlanta Campaign (GA) April – September 1864 Johnston (CSA) v. Sherman (USA) Sherman methodically moved toward Atlanta –

after Battle of Kennesaw Mtn. (June), Johnston relieved and Hood given command

Hood attacked Sherman 3 times trying to drive him away from Atlanta – Battle of Peachtree Creek, Battle of July 22 (Atlanta), Battle of Ezra Church – all Confederate defeats

Atlanta Falls Sherman laid siege to the city Hood ordered to withdraw and save his

forces City surrendered to Sherman in Sept. Sherman began preparations for March to

the Sea Fall of Atlanta aided Lincoln’s reelection

March to the Sea (GA) Nov-Dec. 1864 Atlanta to Savannah Sherman (USA) v. no serious resistance 60 mi. wide swath of destruction from Atl to Sav Destroyed bridges, RR’s, factories; crops,

homes; slaughtered livestock “Total War” strategy – destroy not only enemy’s

armies, but also its means of supporting armies; civilian centers became targets

Savannah surrendered Dec. 21 Boosted Union morale; lowered S. morale

Sherman in Atlanta

“Total War” in Virginia Grant kept relentless pressure on Lee beginning

in Spring of 1864 War in East became a war of attrition; Grant could

replace his losses; Lee couldn’t Almost continuous combat – Wilderness,

Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg Siege of Petersburg June ’64-April ’65 Trench warfare Lee suffered desertions during the winter

“Total War” in Shenandoah Valley Gen. Phil Sheridan; Union cavalry commander led

destruction in Shenandoah Valley Grant instructed him to shut down the Southern

source of supply…“Do all the damage to railroads and crops you can… If the war is to last another year, we want the Shenandoah Valley to remain a barren waste”

Sheridan was successful: “A crow flying over the valley would have to carry its own lunch”

How did U.S. justify “Total War”? / Impact of the “Total War” Strategy Make it as difficult as possible for the South to

continue the war effort Necessary to destroy the South’s ability to

continue fighting – wage war not only on armies, but also South’s support system

Shorten the war; save lives; end everyone’s suffering

Additional significance: changed the characteristics of modern warfare

Appomattox (VA) April 1865 Lee (CSA) v. Grant (USA) Lee abandoned trenches; fled West trying to unite

his forces with Johnston’s Richmond fell to Union forces Grant caught up with Lee near Appomattox

Courthouse; Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9th

Grant offered generous terms of surrender This is considered to mark the end of the war

Lincoln’s Assassination April 14, 1865 Killed by John Wilkes Booth Shot in the head as he watched a play at Ford’s

Theatre Carried across street to Peterson House Died early the next morning Booth was pursued and killed in a shootout His 4 co-conspirators were tried, convicted and

executed

Booth and the Presidential Box

Execution of Lincoln Conspirators

Key People in the Civil War

Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson Lee’s key “second

in command” Received nickname

at 1st Bull Run Instrumental in Lee’s

victory at Chancellorsville;

shot by his own men & died

Ulysses S. Grant Commanded Union forces in West; Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga Given supreme command of all Union armies in early 1864 Accepted Lee’s surrender in April of 1865 Later elected President

Joseph E. Johnston Commanded Confederate forces during Peninsula Campaign until wounded Commanded Army of TN during Atlanta Campaign; faced Sherman at Kennesaw Mtn. Relieved of command; replaced by John B. Hood Surrendered to Sherman in N.C. ending the war

Robert E. Lee Key Confederate General Offered command of all

Union armies; declined Defeated US forces

in Eastern Theatre “61-”63 Defeated at Gettysburg Surrendered to Grant at

Appomattox

Clara Barton Gov’t clerk Quit her job to provide

supplies and first aid

to Union soldiers on

battlefield Became known as “the angel of the battlefield” Founded the American Red Cross after the war

Dorothea Dix Mental health reformer Crusader for prison

reform Headed and organized

Union army’s nursing corps Worked to improve hospitals and sanitation

conditions in camps

William T. Sherman Served in West w/ Grant;

Shiloh, Vicksburg,

Chattanooga Became overall commander

in W. Theatre early 1864 Led Atlanta Campaign;

forced city’s surrender and

led March to the Sea

John Wilkes Booth Actor and Southern

sympathizer Conspired to kidnap

Lincoln and exchange

for prisoners of war War ended; Booth’s

plan changed to assassination Shot Lincoln April 14, 1865