Civil War Battles
September 1862 Great Britain was ready to formally recognize the Confederacy as an independent nation, but were waiting for a major win on Union soil. On September 4, 1862 Lee began crossing the Potomac River into Maryland. Union forces lost track of the Confederate troops for 4 days. McClellan met Lee at Antietam in MD. The Battle of Antietam raged all day and became the bloodiest single-day battle in all of U.S. military history.
Antietam cont… Casualties: 12,000 Union 13,000 Confederate The Union won, but Lincoln fired McClellan. Significance: Showed Lee could be defeated; Lincoln issued a preliminary draft of the Emancipation Proclamation.
African American Soldiers In August 1862 the first black regiments were organized in the Union army. Many of them served in the 54 th Massachusetts Infantry. They led the charge in the attack on Fort Wagner, which guarded the entrance to the Charleston Harbor. Union army did not offer them full equality; they earned half the pay of white soldiers. In 1865, Martin Delany became the 1 st African American promoted to the rank of major.
December 1862 After Antietam, Lincoln chose Ambrose Burnside to replace McClellan. In December 1862, Burnside sent Union soldiers across the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, VA Lee’s soldiers controlled the hills above the town. On December 13, as the Union crossed an open plain, the Confederate fired on them. Casualties: 12,000 Union5,000 Confederate
April 1863 Lincoln made yet another change in the Union leader, who now was Joseph Hooker. By April 30, 1863 Hooker positioned his men in a deep forest known as the Wilderness, near Chancellorsville, VA. The Confederate attacked them from 2 sides, causing Hooker to withdraw. Significance: Stonewall Jackson was accidentally shot by his own men which led to the amputation of his arm. He died 8 days later.
RIP STONEWALL JACKSON
June 1863 In June 1863 Lee crossed into Pennsylvania. Lincoln once again replaced his general, the new man: George Meade. On the 2 nd day of the Battle of Gettysburg the Confederates rushed the Union on the top of a ridge, and many were killed. This became known as Pickett’s Charge. Bad weather prevented Meade from pursuing the Confederates and Lee retreated to Virginia.
Gettysburg cont… After 3 days of fighting the casualties were: Union= 23,000 Confederate= 28,000 In November 1863 Lincoln dedicated a cemetery at the battlefield and spoke for a few minutes, delivering his famous Gettysburg Address.
July 1863 Grant knew that gaining full control of the Mississippi River required taking Vicksburg, MS Grant and Union troops trapped Confederate troops during the Siege of Vicksburg. Reinforcements were not able to help the trapped Confederate troops. On July 3, 1863 General Grant and Confederate general John Pemberton met to discuss the terms of surrender. This and another victory gave the Union total control over the MS River, which cut Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas off from the rest of the Confederacy.
September 1864 Union general William Tecumseh Sherman undertook a campaign to destroy southern railroads and industries. On September 2, 1864 Atlanta fell and the Confederates lost their last railroad link across the Appalachian Mts. Sherman’s success renewed hope that the conflict would soon end. It also boosted Lincoln’s popularity and allowed him to win the 1864 presidential election. Sherman proposed to fight a total war, meaning that to win the war the Union must strike at the enemy’s economic resources.
IN-CLASS/HOMEWORK Read Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address on pg 391 Put into your own words what Lincoln was saying Go over your notes and find out where the battles took place Label them on your map