The Civil War Battles were bloodier than people could have imagined Shiloh Union: 13,000 South: 10,000

Antietam Lee invaded Maryland trying to end war. Regarded as the bloodiest day in American History There was no clear winner of the battle, but it was enough for Lincoln to call it a Union victory and issue the Emancipation Proclamation

Emancipation Proclamation Freed all slaves in South occupied territory. Some argued that it did nothing since the South wasn’t a part of the Union at the time. Officially made the war about slavery. The most unpopular act of Lincoln’s presidency (in the North and South).

54 th Massachussetts In the North, all black regiments were being formed. The 54 th Massachussetts gained military fame for leading the failed assault on Fort Wagner. Casualties were at 50%

Fredericksburg General Burnside sends Union troops across an open field at Lee and his men, who were set up behind a stone wall. The Union Army took huge losses. “General Lee, A chicken could not live on that field when we open on it” -Gen. James Longstreet before Fredericksburg

Chancellorsville Lee divided his army and snuck up behind the Union. Federal troops are taken totally by surprise, but Stonewall Jackson was mistakenly killed late in the day by his own men.

Gettysburg Lee gambles again and invades the North He hopes to bring the war to the North hoping that public support would drop and the Union would have to recognize the Confederacy. Lee’s army was short on supplies, and the North is where they would be able to raid towns for food, clothes and other necessities.

75,000 Confederates in Pennsylvania! The first shots are fired by Illinois Cavalry when a Southern raiding party was discovered coming into Gettysburg looking for shoes.

Day 2: Little Round Top Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and his Maine Regiment defend Little Round Top from repeated Confederate assaults. Out of ammo, he orders a bayonets charge to finally push back the Confederate attack.

Little Round Top after the Battle

Pickett’s Charge On the 3 rd day of the battle, Lee orders 15,000 men under Gen. George Pickett to assault the center of the Union line. They must cross a half mile of open ground to get there.

Pickett’s Charge was a massacre. Less than half of the Confederate soldiers survived. When Lee told Pickett to get his division ready for a Union counterattack, Pickett said, “General, I have no division”. The Union never counterattacked.

Casualties after 3 days at Gettysburg – Union: 23,000; Confederacy: 28,000. Gettysburg permanently turned the tide of the war for the North. From that point on Lee’s army was hurting. After Gettysburg

Ulysses S. Grant In the West, Grant’s siege of Vicksburg is successful giving the Union control of the Mississippi River. Grant was an aggressive military leader. And always wanted to push his army forward. Lincoln says of Grant “I can’t spare this man, he fights.”

Grant’s Plan Grant tells Lincoln he is going to march on Richmond, take is losses and press on until the South ran out of men, supplies or the will to fight – this tactic is called a “war of attrition”. Grant was criticized because of his willingness to take losses. Some in the North called him a “butcher”. He knew the fastest way to end the war was to use the Union’s superior numbers.

Lee Surrenders at Appamattox With his army starving and getting smaller every day, Lee eventually meets with Grant to sign terms of surrender in Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia

Lee thought Grant’s terms were generous. –The Confederate Army had to turn over its arms and provide lists of its men. –After that, all Confederate soldiers could go home. –Officers could keep their side-arms, horses and baggage.