Download Civil War

Civil War Timeline
October 16, 1859, to April 15, 1865
•From October 16th to the 18th , 1859,
John Brown attacked the federal
armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry,
Virginia. He planned to arm slaves
with the weapons, but he was
stopped by Robert E. Lee. Most of
Brown’s men were killed or captured.
•December 2, 1859, John Brown is
hanged for murder and treason.
•November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln
is elected the 16th president of the
United States. Hannibal Hamlin is his
vice-president.
•December 20, 1860, South Carolina’s
legislatures held a special
convention to vote on whether or not
to secede from the Union.
Secession Begins 1861
On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first state to
secede from the Union.
In January of 1861 Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,
and Louisiana seceded.
Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the President of the
Confederate States of America, and Texas secedes from the
Union in February
Fort Sumter, in South Carolina, was fired upon by the
Confederate forces on April 12, 1861 at 4:30 a.m. The Unions
forces surrendered, but the Civil War had begun.
Arkansas, North Carolina, and Virginia seceded in May of
1861.
Tennessee followed suit in June of 1861
Jefferson Davis
President of the
C.S.A.
The First Battle of Bull Run July 21, 1861
The first battle of the Civil War
took place at Bull Run in
Virginia. The Union Army was
so sure of a victory that people
came from all over to watch.
Women brought picnic baskets
and blankets. The whole war
was supposed to be this one
battle with a Union Victory and
it would all be over.
The Confederates almost
retreated, however one soldier
said, “Look, there stands Jackson
like a stone wall” “Lets rally
around Jackson”. The
Confederates fought and drove
the Union forces back. This was
the beginning of a long, bloody,
and costly war.
Thomas
“Stonewall”
Jackson
On April 6, 1862, Confederate Generals
Johnston and Beauregard headed to
West Tennessee. Their intent was to
surprise Union General Grant’s men by
attacking and driving the Federals west
into the swamps of Owl Creek.
General Grants men headed toward the
river instead. They held steadfast
against the Confederates.
By mid afternoon in April 7th, General
Johnston was killed by a stray bullet.
With the reinforcements of Federal
General Buell’s division fighting began
anew.
General Beauregard rallied his men, but
when all seemed hopeless he ordered a
retreat.
As a result of the Battle of Shiloh, both
sides realized this would be a very long
war.
The Battle of Shiloh
April 6-7, 1862
The Battle of Antietam September 17, 1862
Ambrose
Burnside
Confederate Leaders
Robert E. Lee
Thomas “Stonewall Jackson
Union Leaders
George McClellan
Ambrose Burnside
Joseph Hooker
This was the “single bloodiest day of the entire War.” (The American Journey p. 472)
The Confederates retreated, but McClellan did not follow Lincoln’s orders to “destroy the
rebel army” Neither side could claim victory. Lincoln replaced McClellan with Ambrose
Burnside.
Now the Federals had two reasons to fight. One to preserve the union and the
other to put an end to slavery.
"If I could save the Union
without freeing any slave, I
would do it; and if I could
save it by freeing all the
slaves, I would do it; and if I
could do it by freeing some
and leaving others alone, I
would also do that."
The Emancipation
Proclamation
January 1, 1863
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Emancipation_Proclamation.aspx ---- Public
Domain
The Battle of Chancellorsville
May 1-4, 1863
Union General: Joseph Hooker
Confederate General: Robert E. Lee
The Union forces are defeated by the smaller force
of the Confederates due to Lee’s strategies.
Unfortunately, on May 2, General Stonewall Jackson
was mortally wounded by friendly fire. He was only
39 years old. His death had a profound outcome of
the Battle of Gettysburg.
Robert E. Lee said to Jackson. “I have lost my right
arm”
Jackson’s last words …"Let us cross over the river,
and rest under the shade of the trees."
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania July 1-3 1863
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania July 1-3, 1863
This battle took place in a small town in Pennsylvania. General
Robert E. Lee met up accidentally with the Union
General George G. Meade.
It was a battle that lasted for 3 days and more men died in this
battle than any other.
If Stonewall Jackson had not died previously, the outcome may
have been different.
One civilian died in this battle. Her name was Mary Virginia
Wade, better known as Jennie. A shot went through the house
into her kitchen on July 3, 1863. The shot hit her while she was
baking bread for Union soldiers. She was only 20 years old.
Her fiancé was also killed in this battle.
This battle was considered a victory for Meade’s union forces
and is known as the turning point in the civil war.
The Gettysburg Address
The following is the address delivered by President Lincoln at the dedication of
the cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1863.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation,
conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so
conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that
war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who
here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we
should do this.
But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate--we can not consecrate--we can not hallow-this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far
above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what
we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be
dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly
advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that
from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the
last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died
in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government
of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/lincolngettysburg.htm
The Fall of Atlanta ………….August 1864
Sherman
Hood
Union General William Tecumseh Sherman left
Chattanooga and was headed toward Georgia. He
met up with Confederate General Joseph Johnston.
Even though Johnston held off Sherman’s force he was
replaced by General John Bell Hood.
John Bell Hood already had issues. He had lost the
use of one of his arms and one of his legs. He had to
be tied to his saddle to keep from falling off. He was
also very doped up on pain medicine.
After this, General Sherman’s began his 300
mile march to the sea. His troops made a
path 60 miles wide, and on the way they
destroyed bridges, railroads, and public
buildings. He ended up in Savannah,
Georgia and offered it to President Lincoln as
a Christmas present.
Lincoln’s re-election November 8, 1864
The Northern states overwhelmingly voted Lincoln president for a second
term. His opponent was democrat George B. McClellan. Even though
McClellan was a general and could organize and train an army, he couldn’t
defeat Robert E. Lee in Virginia.
This is the only known
picture of Lincoln giving a
speech. This is his 2nd
inaugural speech given on
March 4, 1865.
Robert E. Lee's Surrender at
Appomattox on April 9, 1865
Robert E. Lee realized the South
no longer had a chance at winning
this war. He and Grant sent notes
back and forth to each other on
April 8th and into the morning of
the 9th.
Grant was dressed casually and
Lee was in formal dress.
Lee surrendered to Grant and
then left to tell his men.
Lincoln’s assassination
April 14, 1865
John Wilkes Booth was an
out of work actor. His first
plan was to capture
Lincoln. Since he never
accomplished this he set
about assassinating him.
Lincoln was in Ford’s
theater watching a play
called “Our American
Cousin”. Right at a time
when the play when Booth
knew everyone would
laugh he shot Lincoln in
the back of the head.
Lincoln was taken to
Peterson’s boarding house
across the street from the
theatre and was
pronounced dead at 7:22
a.m. on April 15, 1865
Lincoln
Remembered
Abraham Lincoln’s vice president,
Andrew Johnson, became the president
upon Lincoln’s death.
Lincoln is remembered as “The Great
Emancipator”. There is a statue of him
in Washington D.C. One wall is
inscribed with the Gettysburg address
and on the opposite wall is his inaugural
Speech. He is also known as the
president who saved the Union.
There have been 15 presidents before
Lincoln and there will be many after
him, but none will be remembered as
well.