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Date
April 14,
1861
July 21,
1861
February
6, 1862
(Fort
Henry)
February
16, 1862
(Fort
Donelson)
March 9,
1862
April 6,
1862
Event Causalities Summary
Fort
0
Sumter
The Confederate States wanted to force the US Army to leave Fort Sumter.
There was forty hours of continuous shelling before the fort fell to the
South. By this time one-fifth of the fort was on fire. The Southern
commander, General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, gave permission for all the
Union troops to leave safely and the Southern troops took over the fort.
First Battle of Bull
2,900
Run
This was the first great battle of the Civil War. The battle was
fought at Manassas Junction near Bull Run Creek, only 30
miles south of Washington, D. C. Many Congressmen and
their wives watched from behind the battle lines. The Union
guns shot first attacking General Beauregard's troops.
Confederate reinforcements arrived by train wearing blue
uniforms. After confusion set in the North was defeated and
retreated to the capital. President Lincoln asked for more
volunteers.
Fighting on the
Mississippi
After capturing Fort Henry along the Tennessee River the
Union army with 15,000 men led by Ulysses S. Grant attacked
Fort Donelson, a Confederate fort on the Cumberland River.
At Fort Donelson Grant sent the message, "No terms except
unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I
propose to move immediately upon your works." The North
had six gunboats. The fighting lasted three days. Grant took
12,000 Confederate prisoners and 40 cannons from Fort
Donelson. This cut off the Confederate supply line from the
western territories.
17,398
Ironclad Ships
Battle
For the first time in history two ironclad ships battled. The
battle lasted for about 4 hours. Neither side won the battle. The
Confederate ironclad was an old wooden ship called the
Merrimac which had been rebuilt with iron all around the boat
then renamed the Virginia. The Merrimac had sunk several
Union ships in the past months. The North decided to build an
ironclad ship to fight it. The Northern ship was called the
Monitor.
Shiloh
After Grant had captured several forts in Tennessee his armies
moved south toward Mississippi. The Confederate Army lead
by General Albert Sidney Johnston, met Grant at Shiloh,
Tennessee. Grant had not expected the attack which started
while the Yankee soldiers were cooking their breakfast. At
first Grant seemed to be losing. Then more Northern troops
arrived and Grant defeated the Southerners.
(Johnston was wounded in the leg and bled to death before
medical help came. P. G. T. Beauregard took command after
Johnston was wounded.)
23,746
Union:
15,800
In a series of battles the Southern army led by Generals Joseph
E. Johnston and Robert E. Lee, the South managed to drive
June 1862 Seven Days' Battle
back the Union army. The battles ended at Malvern Hill on
Confederate July 1. Lee breaks McClellan siege of Richmond. The Union
Army returned to Washington.
20,100
August
28-30,
1862
Second Battle at
Bull Run
The Union led by General John Pope was defeated at Bull Run
Creek while trying to reach Richmond. The Union army retreat
to Washington.
22,180
J. E. B. Stuart broke into the Union headquarters and captured
a case containing more that $300,000 (worth $5 million today).
Lincoln relieved Pope of his command.)
Battle of Antietam
September
- Sharpsburg,
23,100
17, 1862
Maryland
Lee took command telling the Confederate forces that he
planned to carry the fight to the enemy. Lee gave each division
a route and job to do. One copy of Lee's plan ended up with
the Union Army. Therefore when Leee crossed the Potomac
River into Maryland, he was blocked from Washington, D. C.
by Union troops in a bloody battle at Sharpsburg near
Antietam Creek. Lee realized that his army was in a bad
position to receive supplies and withdrew his troops over the
Potomac to Virginia.
September Lincoln Frees all
22, 1862 the Slaves
President issued a proclamation freeing all the slaves in the
South. Lincoln's document called the Emancipation
Proclamation because in emancipated the slaves.
April 30
20,000
General Lee fought against General Joseph Hooker. Although
outnumbered two to one, Lee won the battle. During the battle
General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson was killed.
(Jackson was shot when returning to camp by one of his own
men.)
35,835
In Vicksburg, Mississippi a strong fort overlooked the river.
Grant surrounded the fort and began a siege. On July 4
Vicksburg surrendered. This gave the North control of the
Mississippi River.
May 18
July 1
Chancellorsville
Vicksburg
Gettysburg
51,000
Robert E. Lee invaded Pennsylvania in June 1863. He was
hoping to threaten Washington and Philadelphia, to breed
Northern morale, and to gain recognition and independence for
the Southern Confederacy. At Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Lee's
Army of Northern Virginia met the Army of the Potomac
unexpectedly. It was under the command of General George G.
Meade. This famous battle lasted three days. The Southerners
were turned back and again retreated into Virginia.
The combined casualties of Gettysburg and Vicksburg
overwhelmed the South.
September
Chickamauga
18
34,624
The Confederate Army led by General Braxton Bragg won
against the Union army at Chickamauga Creek in Tennessee.
General George Thomas commanded the Union army which
was trapped in Chattanooga. After winning Bragg decided
not to capture Chattanooga. Ten Confederate generals had
been killed or wounded.
May
Sherman's march
to the Sea
12,140 in
Atlanta
William T. Sherman left Tennessee with 100,000 troops. He
marched to Atlanta, Georgia. He ten marched from Atlanta to
the Atlantic Ocean. During this 300 mile march Sherman's
soldiers burned and destroyed everything in a width of 60
miles.
May 5 - 6
Battle of the
Wilderness
Union:
18,000
This was the first in a series of battles that took place in the
woods of near Chancellorsville, Virginia. The first Union
attack was made in an area about 50 miles from Richmond.
Confederate: Fires trapped both Confederate and Union soldiers in the
blazing woods. The Union gained little and lost much in
7,500
casualties. (Some consider battle this a draw.)
May 31
June 20
Cold Harbor
Siege of
Petersburg
September
Atlanta
2
April 9
April 14
Appomattox
Courthouse
Lincoln's
assassination
15,500
Grant kept moving toward Lee's army after Spotsylvania.
They fought the Southern army at Cold Harbor in an advance
upon Richmond. After many casualties the Union army
called off the attack.
104,000
After leaving Cold Harbor Grant headed for Petersburg, 20
miles south of Richmond, the Confederate capital. The Union
delayed attacking long enough for Lee to gather
reinforcements. This was the beginning of a nine month siege
with Grant's men surrounding Lee's army. Petersburg did not
fall until the end of the war.
12,140
Northern troops under Sherman captured Atlanta after a
forty-day siege of the city. Atlanta was an important victory
because it was one of the most important railroad junctions in
the Confederacy. Sherman burned much of the city on
November 15 before leaving to begin his march to the sea.
General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox
Courthouse, Virginia.
700
Confederate soldiers were allowed to keep their belongings
including pistols and horses and could return home.
On Good Friday, April 14 Lincoln was assassinated. He was
attending a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.
C. The assassin was and actor named John Wilkes Booth.
After twelve days of running Booth was fatally shot. He had
been part of a group of co-conspirators including Lewis
Powell, Lewis Payne, who stabbed Secretary of State Seward
that same night. Seward lived. After a manhunt for the eight
conspirators four were hanged and the four others were
imprisoned.