Download Introduction The First Battle of Bull Run The Battle of

Introduction
The Civil War had the highest casualty rate
of every other American war...combined.
How did this happen without and kind of
high powered firearm or explosive? The
answer is quite simple, strategy. The war
was a mix of old tactics and new
technology. How did this effect the course of
the war? Read on to find out.
Battle of Antietam
The First Battle of Bull Run
After the Civil War began at Fort Sumter the two opposing army began too stockpile
weapons and soldiers. Of course with the rush of the wars beginning their training was virtually
nonsexist. So at the beginning of the war there were two armies of thousands of men who had
no idea what they were doing. So when the confederates moved north to Washington the
Union was stunned and sent their troops to stop their advancement. Some local people
couldn't wait to see the army destroy the Confederates so many of them considered it
entertainment. The two armies faced of and then Union General McDowell called a charge
That sent the Confederates running. The battle looked like a Union victory, but then the tables
turned. One of the Confederate Generals kept his men fighting. All of the other Confederates
went to him and reorganized. The general now told the men to scream like furies. The scream
terrified the Union and the onlookers so much they ran for their lives. This massive retreat was
called the Great Skedaddle.
The Battle of the Ironclads
Most of the battles in the Civil War were fought on land, but this battle was fought at
sea. Every battle ship at that time was made of wood. So when the south created The
Virginia it was a big deal. It destroyed 5 battle ships at one after the other. The Yankees
were terrified. So they created their own iron beast, enter The Monitor. As battle ships go
these weren’t designed the best. The Virginia was very clunky and The Monitor flooded
often. Compared to the more flexible wooden ships these should’ve been inferior. The good
thing about these ironclads is that canon balls bounced of them. The battle began the
Virginia was moving north destroying all ships in their path. One ship stood in it’s way and it
looked like it would fare the same fate as the others. Then a small boat appeared behind it.
At first the crew of The Virginia thought it was a small raft...until of course it began shooting
at them. Picture two people in armor throwing bouncy balls at each other. That was what the
battle was. It seemed like know one would win. Soon the both ships needed repairs and
they were both sick of fighting and the Monitor slowly drew back. Instead of attacking the
Virginia retreated as well. It is debated who on. For now it is officially declared as a draw.
The Battle of Antietam
In 1862 a new general took command of the confederacy. He was Robert E. Lee. This new
general was a man with a knew idea. He took an offensive and marched north. This offensive
led him to Antietam Creek where he slowly advanced. General McClellan slowly advanced
because he over estimated the numbers of Lee’s army. Over at a speck of wood Stonewall
Jackson positioned some men in the wood. General Hooker opened fire with the Union
artillery. Jackson’s men returned fire. The Union force pushed forward trying to capture the
enemy artillery. Which led to the fight in the cornfield. Now this cornfield is one of the scariest
things in the war. Men were killed in the exact ranks that they were standing. Sounds of
crying and insanity rang throughout the battle field. Also another hot spot of violence was a
trench which is now known as bloody lane. The confederate troops found a trench where
they could surprise the enemy. This led to heavy Union casualties, but the worst is yet to
come. Some Yankees went to a hill and could see everything in the trench. It was an
ambush. This was the bloodiest day of the war.
The Battle of Gettysburg
Lee knew the south had to rethink it’s strategy. So he decided to do a “all or nothing” march,
which led him to Gettysburg Pennsylvania. This is the bloodiest battle in the entire war. The
battle started when some Confederate soldiers wanted some shoes. They didn't know that some
Calvary were already their. They clashed scaring every one in the town. Soon reinforcements
came. In an all out attack they pushed the Yankees back into Cemetery Hill. On day 2 Lee
wanted and early attack, but since it took so long to put the soldiers into position the attack
happened in the afternoon. The bluecoats on the hill were hit on three sides. They were pushed
back behind Peach Orchard, Devil’s Den, and finally Little Round Top. To save the hill Union
general Chamberlin Swooped charged down the hill and drove the confederates out. Lee planned
to attack the Unions core.
For more information on…
Strategy
Weapons
Bibliography
"Antietam." Encyclopedia Britannica Image Quest. Photography. 17 September 1862.
Pickett's Charge, Battle Of Gettysburg U.S. CIVIL WAR. Photography. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest.
Yancey, Diane. Strategic Battles. San Diego: Lucent Books,Inc, 2000.
—. The Cicil War Strategic Battle. San Diego California: Lucent Books inc., 2000.
Microsoft