Download Civil War Unit - Lesson 6 - Civil War Battles - Gallery

Fort Sumter – The Beginning of the Civil War.
When South Carolina seceded from the United States, the Union
tried really hard to hold on to their army fort called Fort Sumter, located
in Charleston South Carolina. However, on April 12, 1861, the
Confederate forces of the South opened fire on the Union troops from
the North that were protecting Fort Sumter. Lieutenant Harry S. Farley
of the Confederate army fired the first shots of the Civil War. This battle
is really important because this is where the first shots of the Civil War
were fired. Lieutenant Norman Hall was leading the Union army against
the Confederate army. After 33 hours of fighting, the Union army from
the North surrendered the fort to the Confederate army. The
Confederate army from the South won the first battle of the Civil War.
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was a battle between the Union army of
the North, and the Confederate army of the South. The battle took
place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 1 -3, 1863. The leader of the
Union army was General George Gordon Meade. The leader of the
Confederate army was Robert E. Lee. This battle is important because
until the battle, the Confederate army was moving its way up into the
North. However, the Union decided to put everything into the Battle of
Gettysburg to stop the Confederate army from going further North.
The Union army stopped the Confederate army and won the battle. It
was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. More people died in this battle
than any other battle in the war. This battle is considered to be the
turning point of the war where the Union army went from losing the war
to winning the war.
The Location of Gettysburg, Pennyslvania
The Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign took place between May and September of
1864. After the Union army of the North won a big battle against the
Confederate army of the South in Tennessee, the Union army
continued to move South towards Georgia. The leader of this army was
General George William Sherman. Sherman and his Union army
marched into Atlanta. Atlanta was important for the Confederate army
of the South because it was a key city for their supplies. Supplies such as
guns, bullets, food, and other things needed to fight the war went
through Atlanta. The Union army of the North wanted to capture
Atlanta so they would really hurt the Confederate Army. General
Sherman and his troops marched into Atlanta, and they fought in many
battles around the city. The leader of the Confederate army in Atlanta,
General Joseph E. Johnson gave a good fight, but the South lost the
battles. This battle is really important because the South was not able to
send supplies places after the war, and it was now easy for General
Sherman to head further South to Savannah, Georgia.
A Map of the Atlanta Campaign
The Union Army in Atlanta
Sherman’s March to the Sea
This event in the Civil War took place in the last months of 1864.
The Union leader of the North was General George Sherman. Sherman
led the Union troops of the North from Atlanta to the sea in Savannah,
Georgia. On his way, he destroyed a lot of the Southern supplies, land,
and things that would help the South win the war. Confederate General
John Bell of the South was fighting the Union along the way. However,
Sherman was able to beat the Confederate army of the South easily
along the way. This battle is important because it almost guaranteed the
Union victory in the Civil War. General Sherman of the North sent a
message to President Abraham Lincoln on Christmas saying, “I beg to
present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah, with one hundred
and fifty guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five
thousand bales of cotton." The Confederate Army was hurt for good.
They would not be able to win the war without Savannah.
A Map of the Sherman’s March to the Sea
General George Sherman
Appomattox Courthouse
The Appomattox Courthouse is really important because it is where
the Confederate Army of the South surrendered to the Union Army of
the North on April 9, 1865. The lead General of the Confederate army
of the South, Robert E. Lee, officially surrendered to the lead General of
the Union army of the North, Ulysses S. Grant. This event ended the
Civil War. The Appomattox Courthouse is in Appomattox County,
Virginia.
Appomattox Courthouse
Union Troops in front of Appomattox Courthouse 1865.
Robert E Lee – The Leading General of the Confederate Army
Ulysses S. Grant – The Leader of the Union Army