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Location/Date/Events Leading Up
Battle of Gettysburg
Confederate military leaders decided to, in 1863, invade the noth. Such a move would upset the Union’s 3 step
plan. The invasion would allow the Confederates to live off the food of the rich Northern farms while giving
war-ravaged Virginia a much-needed rest. In addition, the south’s 72,000-man army could threaten
Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, and possibly turn public opinion against the war in the North and
lead to a peace negotiation. A small breakaway group of Confederate troops approached Gettysburg
Pennsylvania (located in the central region of southern PA, just over the Maryland border) on June 30, 1863
where they noticed Union cavalry. Ignoring General Robert E. Lee’s order they decided to pick a fight with the
Union calvery. On July 1, 1863, back up for both sides arrived and the 3 day Battle of Gettysburg had begun.
Battle of Antietam
On September 17, 1862, both sides faced off near Antietam creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland, in the first battle of
the American Civil War to be fought on northern soil. Sharpsburg, located in Western Central Maryland was a
small rural town. The North has suffered a string of defeats to the south and was in a desperate need of a
victory. The south was feeling confident and went to into the north both to further boost their confidence and
more importantly because northern Virginia's farms had been stripped bare of food while Maryland’s had not.
They needed to eat.
Battle of Bull Run
By July 1861, two months after Confederate troops opened fire on Fort Sumter to begin the Civil War, the
northern press and public were eager for the Union Army to show the rebels that they couldn’t break away from
the country. The North decided that the offensive would begin with an attack on more than 20,000 Confederate
troops near Manassas Junction, Virginia (25 miles south of Washington, D.C.) along a little river known as Bull
Run. They chose the date July 21, so that they could march into and take over the capital Richmond before
the meeting of the first confederate congress scheduled for later that week.
Sherman’s March to the Sea
The March began after Sherman and his men took over and burned the city of Atlanta in November 1863 in the
Battle of Atlanta. Atlanta, located in northwestern Georgia had a significant population, but, it wasn’t stopping
southern cotton shipments which is what Sherman wanted; therefore Sherman had his eye on the
southeastern Georgia city of Savannah, a city known for its cotton exports. He believed that the Civil War
would come to an end only if the Confederacy's economic power decreased. He believed this because
running out of money would break its ability for warfare.
Battle of Vicksburg
From the spring of 1862 until July 1863, during the American Civil War, Union forces waged a campaign to
take the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, which lay on the east bank of the Mississippi River.
The union had developed a 3 step plan that included taking control of the Mississippi River to cut the
Confederacy in half and prevent shipment of goods up and down the river. The battle came to a head in two
engagements, one on May 19th, the other on May 22nd.
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville, fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in a wilderness region of Northern Central
Virginia. As part of the North’s 3 step plan, they attempted to take control of the Confederate capital,
Richmond. This battle was yet another attempt. Following the Southern defeat at Fredericksburg” (December
13, 1862), the Confederate army and the Union soldiers were forced spent the winter facing each other across
the Rappahannock River in Virginia. When the weather cleared, around May 1 both sides’ forces were massed
near Chancellorsville, in a densely forested area known as “the Wilderness.”
Major People
Battle of Gettysburg
General George Meade (U) - During the battle of Gettysburg, he was new to the command of his army, and
got used to losing. He had suffered great losses previously. Meade was able to both hold off the South’s
attacks and finally smashes the Confederate army on the third day. After the battle, the southern army was
able to retreat back into Virginia, and Meade received harsh criticism from President Lincoln for not finishing off
the Confederate Army in its weakened state. Meade offered his resignation, but it was denied, and instead, he
was promoted.
General James Longstreet (C)- The most trusted of Robert E. Lee's corps commanders, Longstreet's troops
would endure the worst of the fighting in Gettysburg. On the last day of the battle, the general was in charge of
the main Southern attack. Even though he did not believe in its success, he stuck to his plan, and failed. It was
under his command that General Pickett made his doomed charge against union lines which resulted in over
2,500 casualties. Much of the discussions surrounding the Southern defeat at Gettysburg centers on
Longstreet's poor decisions made during the battle, some which would haunt him until the last of his days.
Battle of Antietam
General George McClellan (U) - In all his months as army commander, Major General George McClellan
fought just one battle, Antietam, from start to finish. As the top commander of all Union troops it was his
responsibility to effective lead. This he did not do. He used the creek as a protective moat around his
regiment, a strategy most soldiers questioned. Lincoln ends up questioning it so much he eventually demotes
McClellan and replaces him with General Grant as the top commander.
General Robert E. Lee (C) – Lee the top Confederate General, marched his force into the north. He was
outnumbered but wrote up a plan to divide the Northern troops. A copy of that plan was lost and it fell into the
hands of the northern army’s leaders. Lee presses on with his plans and is met with only marginal success.
Lee withdrew across the river in the end of the battle but still claimed victory.
Battle of Bull Run
General Irving McDowell (U) - Although McDowell knew that his troops were inexperienced and unready, and
protested that he was a supply officer, not a field commander, pressure from the Washington politicians forced
him to launch a premature offensive against Confederate forces in Northern Virginia. His strategy during the
First Battle of Bull Run was creative but complex, and his troops were not experienced enough to carry it out
effectively, resulting in an embarrassing loss.
General P. G. T. Beauregard (C)- Beauregard devised strategies to concentrate all the confederate forces
with his own, aiming not only to defend his position, but to start an offensive against McDowell and Washington
DC. At first the battle wasn’t going well for the Confederates. Beauregard rallied the troops, riding among the
men, waving confederate colors, and giving inspirational speeches. The Confederate line held.
Sherman’s March to the Sea
William T Sherman (U) - Sherman believed that the Confederacy got its strength not from its fighting forces
but from the material and moral support of Southern whites. Sherman asked Grant and Lincoln for permission
to engage in a destructive march through Georgia. He wanted to “make old and young, rich and poor, feel the
hard hand of war.” He led 62,000 men (some regiments splitting off and rejoining in places) and marked
through the state in just three weeks, meeting little resistance.
Battle of Vicksburg
Ulysses S Grant (U) - Although General Ulysses S. Grant’s first attempt to take the city failed in the winter of
1862-63, he tried again that spring. Grant marched his army down the west bank of the river opposite
Vicksburg, crossed back to Mississippi and drove toward Pemberton. Preparing for a long siege, his army
constructed 15 miles of trenches and enclosed confederate forces of 29,000 men inside the perimeter.
John C Pemberton (C)- With orders to hold the city at all costs, Pemberton expended a great deal of energy
revamping its defenses, as well as improving defenses along the Mississippi river. In spite of these efforts,
there was little Pemberton could do in the face of the impending Union attack on Vicksburg. Poor
communication and lack of coordination hurt his performance in this battle.
Battle of Chancellorsville
Joseph Hooker (U) - Hooker's failure in this battle can be attributed to a deadly encounter with a cannonball.
While standing on the porch of his headquarters, the missile struck a wooden column the general was leaning
against, knocking him senseless and putting him out of action for the rest of the day. Despite his incapacitation,
he refused requests to turn over temporary command of the army to his second-in-command. This caused
confusion in the north army’s ranks.
Stonewall Jackson (C) – Although this battle is called "Lee's perfect battle" it is more known for General
Jackson. Lee’s victory came at a high cost, however. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, one of his most trusted
generals and friends, was mortally wounded by friendly fire during the battle. Before his death he is credited
with leading a line that surged forward in an overwhelming attack that crushed the Union advance.
Important Battle Events
Battle of Gettysburg –Looking to use his advantage before more Union troops could arrive; Robert E. Lee
gave orders to attack Cemetery Hill, a hill just outside of the village of Gettysburg. The southern commander
disobeyed orders and didn’t attack because he felt that the Union’s position on top of the hill was too strong.
By dusk, a Union regiment had arrived and extended the defensive line along another hill known as Little
Round Top; three more Union corps arrived overnight to strengthen its defenses. As the next day dawned, the
Union Army had established strong positions on these hills. The Confederates ordered to lead an attack on the
Union’s left side. Over the next several hours, bloody fighting raged. Thanks to fierce fighting by one
Minnesota regiment, the Yankees were able to hold their position. Early on the morning of the third day of
fighting, Union forces pushed back a Confederate attack against Culp’s Hill (another hill outside Gettysburg)
after a seven-hour firefight. Believing his men had been on the brink of victory the day before; Robert E. Lee
decided to send three divisions of troops against the Union on Cemetery Hill. Fewer than 15,000 troops, led by
a division under George Pickett, would be tasked with marching some three-quarters of a mile across open
fields to attack dug-in, well protected Union position. Despite some southern generals’ protests, Lee was
determined, and the attack–later known as “Pickett’s Charge”–went forward around 3 pm, after an artillery
bombardment by some 150 Confederate guns. Union infantry opened fire on the advancing rebels from behind
stone walls, while regiments from Vermont, New York and Ohio all fired on the enemy. Caught from all sides,
Pickett’s division lost two-thirds of its men. As the survivors stumbled back to their opening position, Lee knew
it was time to retreat from the three day battle.
Battle of Antietam – General Lee chose a difficult location to start the battle.
They took a position with
their backs to the Potomac River. The first four hours of fighting, much of it across a cornfield, were indecisive
(meaning neither side was winning). Next there was a series of bloody head-on attacks against the
confederacy’s center line that finally overran the area. The last action of the day was against the right side of
the Confederate line, where Union troops penetrated the line but were stopped by late-arriving Confederate
reinforcements. The battle is generally considered a stalemate. When one side advanced, it was later pushed
back, when the other side advance, it too would also be pushed back.
Battle of Bull Run - Union forces struck first, firing on the enemy across Bull Run while more troops crossed
the river in an attempt to hit the Confederate army’s lines. Over two hours, 10,000 Yankees gradually pushed
back 4,500 rebels. Reporters, congressmen and other onlookers who had traveled from Washington DC and
were watching the battle from the nearby countryside prematurely celebrated a Union victory, but
reinforcements from Confederate armies soon arrived on the battlefield to rally the southern troops. In the
afternoon, both sides traded attacks and counterattacks. Throughout the day more and more Confederate
reinforcements arrived, even as the Northerners struggled with coordinating attacks. By four o’clock in the
afternoon, both sides had an equal number of men on the field of battle (about 18,000 on each side were
engaged at Bull Run), and Beauregard (southern General) ordered a strong counterattack against the Northern
lines. Screaming as they advanced (the “rebel yell” as it became known) the Confederates managed to break
the Union line, partly because of the intimidation factor from the screams. As Union troops retreated chaotically
across Bull Run, they ran headlong into hundreds of Washington civilians who had been watching the battle
while picnicking on the fields east of the river, now making their own speedy retreat.
Sherman’s March to the Sea - Sherman’s Union troops marched southeast toward Savannah from
Atlanta in two wings, about 30 miles apart. 3,500 Confederate cavalry started a skirmish with the Union
soldiers at one point, but that ended badly–650 Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded, compared to just
62 Yankee casualties–after that, Southern troops initiated no more battles. Union troops raided farms and
plantations, stealing and slaughtering cows, chickens, turkeys, sheep and hogs and taking as much other
food–especially bread and potatoes–as they could carry. The Yankees needed the supplies, but they also
wanted to teach Georgians a lesson: “it isn’t so sweet to secede as [they] thought it would be” ,” one soldier
wrote in a letter home. They burned bridges and ripped up railroad tracks to destroy Georgia’s infrastructure.
They even went as far as bending railroad ties around trees to ensure they will never again be reuse.
Sherman’s troops arrived in Savannah on December 21, 1864, about three weeks after they left Atlanta. The
city was undefended when they got there. (The 10,000 Confederates who were supposed to be guarding it had
already fled.) Sherman presented the city of Savannah and its 25,000 bales of cotton to President Lincoln as a
Christmas gift.
Battle of Vicksburg - Grant made some attacks after surrounding Vicksburg but found the Confederates
well fixed in their positions. Preparing for a long siege, his army constructed 15 miles of trenches and enclosed
the rebels’ force of 29,000 men inside the perimeter. In other word, the Union surrounded the Confederates.
Attempts to rescue confederate forces failed from both the east and west, and conditions for both Southern
military personnel and civilians deteriorated rapidly. They were war-torn and starving. Many residents moved
to tunnels dug from the hillsides to escape the constant bombardments. It was only a matter of time before
Grant, with 70,000 Union troops, captured Vicksburg.
Battle of Chancellorsville -
Robert E. Lee is remembered for his performance in this battle. The Union
tried to surprise the South by attacking the right side of the confederate line of troops. Lee did not cooperate
with this plan and attacked the Union’s Center line instead. The north was surprised by this unexpected bold
move. The union troops dug trenches in a wooded area hoping the south would attack again there and suffer
heavy casualties. Instead, the south took a regiment marched around the area of fight to attack the
entrenched north from the rear. The north suffered many casualties and lost the battle because of this.
Outcome
Battle of Gettysburg – The South’s hopes of a victorious invasion of the North were dashed. They waited
for a Union counterattack on July 4, but it never came. That night, in heavy rain, the Confederate general
withdrew his decimated army toward Virginia. The general rode out to meet his retreating army and
proclaimed, "All this has been my fault.” The battle was a crushing defeat for the Confederacy. Union
casualties in the battle numbered 23,000, while the Confederates had lost some 28,000 men–more than a third
of General Robert E. Lee’s army. The North rejoiced while the South mourned its hopes for foreign aid to the
Confederacy was over. Demoralized by the defeat at Gettysburg, Lee offered his resignation to President
Jefferson Davis, but it was refused. Though the great Confederate general would go on to win other victories,
the Battle of Gettysburg permanently turned the tide of the Civil War in the Union’s favor. The people of
Gettysburg spent months digging out graves for the dead. When the town was rebuilt Lincoln visited the town
and made is most famous speech, the Gettysburg Address where Lincoln spells out his post war ideals and
remembers the victims of America’s deadliest war battle.
Battle of Antietam - Lee withdrew across the river on September 18, suffering 10,318 casualties to
McClellan’s 12,401. The draw that the Union claimed as a victory provided the Lincoln administration enough
justification to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. A series of graphic battlefield photographs of
the dead, taken by Alexander Gardner, brought to the home front “the terrible earnestness of war.” The Battle
of Antietam is still to this day, the most bloody single day in American history.
Battle of Bull Run - Despite their victory, Confederate troops were far too disorganized to use their
advantage and pursue the retreating Northerners, who reached Washington DC quickly. The First Battle of Bull
Run (called First Manassas in the South) cost some 3,000 Union casualties, compared with 1,750 for the
Confederates. Its outcome sent northerners back confused because most had expected a quick, decisive
victory. It gave rejoicing southerners a false hope that they themselves could pull off a swift victory. In fact,
both sides would soon have to face the reality of a long, grueling conflict that would take an unimaginable toll
on the country and its people.
Sherman’s March to the Sea - Sherman and his men left Savannah and looted and burned their way
through South Carolina to Charleston. In April, the Confederacy surrendered and the war was over. Sherman’s
“total war” in Georgia was brutal and destructive, but it did just what it was supposed to do: it hurt Southern
morale, made it impossible for the Confederates to fight at full capacity and likely hastened the end of the war.
Battle of Vicksburg – Pemberton, the Confederate General surrendered on July 4 1863. The town of
Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for the next 81 years. Lincoln’s 3-step plan for union victory
involved taking control of the Mississippi River. Vicksburg was the last hold out to the North controlling the
whole river. Now that piece of the 3 step plan was complete and the confederacy was divided and troops and
supplies couldn’t travel with as much ease as they could prior to the battle of Vicksburg. Lincoln was said to
have been so please with Grants performance he is quoted as saying “find out what type of whiskey he drinks
and give it to all my generals.”
Battle of Chancellorsville - the North retreated, having lost 17,278 casualties compared to the South’s
12,826, including the irreplaceable Stonewall Jackson. The South now decided to use the momentum to
rethink his overall strategy, which in a few weeks would lead to him invading the north and the battle of
Gettysburg.