Download Chapter 15-5 Decisive Battle

Chapter 15-5
Decisive Battle
The Tides Turn
After the North's victory in the battle of Antietam in 1862 the
war again had been going bad for the Union. Once again bad
leader ship so McClellan was replaced by General Burnside. In
December 1862, Burnside led 120,000 right toward Richmond
but Lee had 75,000 block there path in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
General Burnside had ordered his men to charge the Union
suffered 13,000 casualties and the Confederates suffered about
5,000. After Lincoln had replaced Burnside with General Hooker.
In May 1863, Hookers army was destroyed by an army half it’s
size. But this victory for the South had a terrible cost during the
battle Stonewall Jackson was shot and wounded a few days later
Jackson had died.
Battle of Gettysburg
In June 1863, Lee marched his troops a crossed Maryland into Pennsylvania
and was pursued by General George Meade which was the new General of
the Union.
On July 1, Confederates encountered a part of Meade’s troops in the quiet
town of Gettysburg. Shot were fire from both sides then more troops had
joined in the fight for both sides. The Southerners had pushed the
Northerners back through Gettysburg the next day the North had over 85,000
soldiers and the South had about 75,000. The Confederates center was nearly
a mile away from the Union center with was on Cemetery Ridge. On July 3, an
all out attack on the Union army was given General George E. Pickett charged
with about 15,000 towards Cemetery Ridge. A few hundred Confederates
made it to the Union lines but they were quickly driven back about 7,500
Confederates died or were wounded. The Confederates had about 28,000
casualties and the Union had over 23,000 casualties.
Gettysburg Address
In November 1863, 15,000 people gather on the battlefield of
Gettysburg to honor the soldiers that had died. Lincoln had gave
his famous Gettysburg Address speech.
“We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died
in vain-this nation ,under God, shall have a new birth of
freedom-and the government of the people, by the people,
for the people , shall not perish from earth.”
-Abraham Lincoln
The Fall of Vicksburg
Vicksburg was one of the last cities on the Mississippi
River to belong to the South. In May 1863 General
Grant had a siege on Vicksburg. Grants man fire at
Vicksburg day after day for six weeks. The 30,000
Confederates had surrendered a couple days later the
last stronghold Port Hudson had surrendered so the
entire Mississippi was in the control of the Union. After
Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg and having control of the
Mississippi the Union finally has the upper hand.
Closing in on the Confederacy
General Grant was the kind of leader Lincoln had been looking for the entire war.
In 1864 Lincoln gave Grant control all the Union forces and Grant decided that they
need to attack Richmond. Grant’s army attacked the Confederates in many battles in
northern Virginia in the spring of 1864. Grant kept attacking even though Grant was
unable to break through Lee’s troops. In seven weeks of fighting Grant has lost 55,000
men while Lee had lost 35,000. The two armies battled in Petersburg a railroad center
south of Richmond. In June Grant had put a siege on Petersburg the same thing Grant
did to Vicksburg. When Grant was sieging Petersburg another Union General William
Sherman advanced toward Atlanta. The South couldn’t stop Sherman's troops and the
Union marched right into Atlanta in September of 1864. After capturing Atlanta
Lincoln’s reelection campaign had taken a boost . In November General Sherman
ordered Atlanta burn. Sherman troops destroyed railroads, burned buildings, took
crops, and sized livestock on their way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Peace at Last
In March 1865 Grant’s troops were still waited out side of
Petersburg. Grant’s army was extending east to west of
Petersburg it was only a matter I time till Grant’s army would
capture the city. Lincoln had said in his second Inaugural Address
“ With malice toward none; with charity for all;… let us
together…bind up the nations wounds.” Lincoln was asking
Americans to forgive and forget. On April 2, Grant’s men had
broke through the Confederates lines and Richmond was in
Union control. Lee’s army retreated to Appomattox . On April 9,
1865, Lee had been cut off by Union soldiers Grant offered that
Lee gave up there weapons and leave in peace. So Lee did as
Grant ask and rode way.
The wars terrible toll
The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict
the United states has ever fought. About
657,000 men died 260,000 being
Confederates, over 360,000 Union, and
37,000 African Americans. Half a million
men were wounded or disfigured.