Major Battles of the Civil War

Bull Run 1ST battle of the Civil War Union: A Union 28,000 men Confederate 33,000, led by General Thomas Jackson Union: Attempted to seize Manassas, VA Confederate forces defeated the Union

Monitor versus the Merrimack Merrimack: An abandoned Union warship used by the South Salvaged the ship, covered it with thick iron plates, iron-clad. Renamed it the Virginia North’s wooden ships could not damage Monitor: North’s Iron-clad ship Ships could not sink each other North successful in keeping the Merrimack in harbor Battle marked a new age for Naval warfare Used ships as models to build more iron-clad ships

Battle of Antietam Single bloodiest day of the entire war Both armies suffered heavy losses, neither was destroyed Lee, Confederate General, retreated allowing Union to claim victory Crucial victory for the Union British government ready to intervene as mediator if General Lee’s invasion had been successful Impact on War Lincoln used the battle to take action against slavery 5 days later Lincoln announced his plan to free all enslaved people in the Confederacy

Battle Vicksburg Vicksburg stood on high bluff above the Mississippi River Gain control of the Mississippi River was a major war goal Impact on War The Union had complete control of the Mississippi River Sealed Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas from the Confederacy Cut the South in two

Gettysburg Largest battle of the war, lasting three days Union was victorious General Lee (Confederate): The defeat forced Lee to withdraw his army toward Virginia Gettysburg Address: Lincoln beautifully addressed what the war had come to mean Helped war-weary Americans look beyond the images of the battlefield and focus on their shared ideals