Vicksburg Gettysburg

Siege at Vicksburg The Confederates were in high spirits because of victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville The Union needed to change the tide Soon, they captured New Orleans and Memphis Battle of Vicksburg, MS – Grant tried several times to overtake it –Came up with a new plan: Attacked Jackson, Mississippi and then turned west and attacked Vicksburg from behind enemy lines (South) Meanwhile, Sherman confused Confederates by attacking from the North

Map of Vicksburg

The Siege –For 6 weeks laid a siege – a military encirclement of an enemy position in order to force it to surrender. –On July 4, 1863, the Confederates surrendered at Vicksburg  this split the Confederacy into 2 parts!

Battle of Gettysburg Lee decided to try and take the North by surprise If he succeeded in overtaking Gettysburg, he then planned to march south and capture Washington, D.C. The Battle of Gettysburg was a three day battle that was one of the most important in the war  Turning Point!

Day 1 – July 1, 1863 Battle began with the Confederate troops spotting General Buford’s Union cavalry The Union was outnumbered and managed to scramble up to Cemetery Hill The first day was seen as a Confederate advantage

Day 2 – July 2, 1863 Armies continued to add forces –75,000 Confederates, 95,000 Union The Union line on Cemetery Hill was shaped like a fishhook. –General Meade was in charge (5 th day as head of army) General Lee wanted the South to overtake the hilltops particularly Little Round Top. –At Round Top – Longstreet (C) and Chamberlain (U) If Longstreet won he could blast the Union from his position 5 times Maine was driven away and fought back. Chamberlain lost 130 out of his 386 men but defeated the men from Alabama by shooting from both sides.

Day 2 Continued Sickles (U) army was in the peach orchard and his army was massacred –Example: 1 st Minnesota started with 262 men and only 42 survived It was a bloody day – thousands of men fought and died Lee was not able to overtake the hills

Picture of the battlefield taken by Mathew Brady Battle Map of Day 2

Day 3 – July 3, 1863 Confederate Plan – blast the Union line with intense cannon fire and then attack the center of the Union troops –Cavalry led by Jeb Stuart held up – this time by George Armstrong Custer –Confederates try to take Cemetery Hill  The Confederate charge was led by Major General George E. Pickett (Pickett’s Charge) Confederate General Longstreet was against the idea of charging up the center  Argued it was an out of date tactic –The Union center was held by General Hancock. From the hill, they continued to pick off the Confederates coming up the middle. –The field was soon littered with bodies  Half of Pickett’s men were lost and he was angry!

Day 3- July 3, 1863

End of Gettysburg Plan failed – it turned into a massacre. –51,000 men died at Gettysburg either in the battle or from injuries  bloodiest battle of the war –North – 23,000 and the South – 28,000 General Lee blamed himself for the loss Lincoln disappointed because Meade did not continue down and take Richmond

Result of Gettysburg The North celebrated the 4 th of July with the victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Aftermath – The citizens of Gettysburg were faced with the daunting task of burying all of the bodies  Over 50,000 men were left dead or wounded Lincoln agreed to come and say something for the soldiers Gettysburg Address – name of the speech Lincoln delivered talking about the war and equality

More results Lee tried to resign after Gettysburg but Davis would not let him Lincoln replaced Meade with Grant –Grant used the idea of total war - destroy food, equipment, and anything else the enemy might need The war would continue to last for 2 more years!!! –The Wilderness – woods caught fire and burned thousands of soldiers –Sherman’s March to Sea – Nov. 16, 1864 Grant ordered William Tecumseh Sherman to capture Atlanta, GA and then March to the Atlantic coast His army destroyed everything and burned most of the city to the ground.