CIVIL WAR TIMELINE

BATTLE 1

Fort Sumter Date

• April 12-14, 1861

Fort Sumter Important People

• Robert Anderson, commander of Fort Sumter
• P.G.T. Beauregard, Confederate general leading the attack

Fort Sumter Description

• Fort Sumter was a Union fort in Charleston, South Carolina, which was Confederate land
• Confederates asked for Anderson to surrender the fort, but Anderson refused
• On April 12, Confederates opened fire
• Eventually, after 34 hours of fighting, Anderson surrendered
• Fort Sumter was a Confederate victory

Fort Sumter Importance

• Fort Sumter officially began the Civil War
• It caused Union president Abraham Lincoln and Confederacy president Jefferson Davis to begin mobilizing troops

BATTLE 2

1st Battle of Bull Run Date

• July 1861

1st Battle of Bull Run Important People

• General Irvin McDowell, Union general
• General P.G.T. Beauregard, Confederate general
• Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Confederate unit commander

1st Battle of Bull Run Description

• Abraham Lincoln ordered an attack on Richmond in July 1861
• The Confederate army marched to meet the attack
• The two armies met at Bull Run Creek, near Manassas Junction, Virginia
• Originally, the Union army drove the Confederates back, but Stonewall Jackson's unit held

1st Battle of Bull Run Description cont.

• Then, fresh southern troops arrived, driving the Union troops back to Washington, DC
• The 1st Battle of Bull Run was a Confederate victory

1st Battle of Bull Run Importance

• The Union couldn't march straight to Richmond and destroy the South at will
• The Confederates received a moral boost because they CAN beat the Union-they just did
• The Confederates drove the Union back to Washington, DC

BATTLE 3

Battle of Shiloh Date

• April 6-7, 1862

Battle of Shiloh Important People

• Ulysses S. Grant, Union general
• Albert S. Johnston, Confederate general

Battle of Shiloh Description

• On April 6, Confederates invaded a Union camp near Shiloh Creek, Tennessee
• They drove the Union troops back, but the soldiers held their ground
• During the night, Union reinforcements arrived

Battle of Shiloh Description cont.

• The Union troops drove the Confederates back
• Shiloh was a Union victory

Battle of Shiloh Importance

• Shiloh gave the Union greater control of the Mississippi River valley
• Shiloh was the Union's first major win

BATTLE 4

Seven Days' Battles Date

• June 26-July 2, 1862

Seven Days' Battles Important People

• General George B. McClellan, Union General
• General Robert E. Lee, Confederate General

Seven Days' Battles Description

• General McClellan tried to attack Confederate capital Richmond
• He was repulsed by Lee and the Confederates after seven days and five battles
• The Seven Days' Battles were a Confederate victory

Seven Days' Battles Importance

• The Union still couldn't take Richmond
• The Confederates drove the Union off again and won another battle/series of battles

BATTLE 5

2nd Battle of Bull Run Date

• August 1862

2nd Battle of Bull Run Important People

• John Pope, Union general
• Robert E. Lee, Confederate General
• Stonewall Jackson, Confederate Unit Commander

2nd Battle of Bull Run Description

• The Union, led by John Pope this time, AGAIN tried to attack Richmond
• The two armies met once again at Manassas Junction (Bull Run)
• Lee led one unit left and Jackson led another one right, and they surrounded the Union troops
• The 2nd Battle of Bull Run was a Confederate victory

2nd Battle of Bull Run Importance

• Once again, the Union had tried to take Richmond but had failed
• Now, Union troops were almost completely driven out of Virginia
• There wouldn't be any major attempt by the Union to take Richmond for a while
• Lee decided to attack the North

BATTLE 6

Battle of Antietam Date

• September 17, 1862

Battle of Antietam Important People

• George B. McClellan, Union General
• Robert E. Lee, Confederate General

Battle of Antietam Description

• Lee, ripe with success, decided to attack the North
• He hoped a victory on Union soil would convince foreign powers to help the Confederacy
• However, Union soldiers intercepted Lee's battle plans and planned a counterattack

Battle of Antietam Description cont.

• The two armies met at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland
• September 17 was the bloodiest single day in American history
• General McClellan refused to pursue the Confederate troops back into Virginia, allowing for a safe retreat by Lee.
• Antietam was a Union victory

Battle of Antietam Importance

• The Union repulsed the Confederate attack and finally got a major win
• McClellan, since he didn't pursue the retreating Confederates, was fired in November of 1862.

BATTLE 7

Siege of Vicksburg Date

• May 23-July 4, 1863

Siege of Vicksburg Important People

• Ulysses S. Grant, Union general
• John C. Pemberton, Confederate commander of Vicksburg

Siege of Vicksburg Description

• Grant surrounded the fort of Vicksburg in Mississippi in late May
• The brutal siege lasted for six weeks
• On July 4, Pemberton surrendered
• Vicksburg was a Union victory

Siege of Vicksburg Imporantce

• Grant and the Union had complete control of the Mississippi River
• The Union could cut the Confederacy off from the west
• Grant won yet another battle in the West

BATTLE 8

Battle of Gettysburg Date

• July 1-4, 1863

Battle of Gettysburg Important People

• George G. Meade, Union general
• Joshua Chamberlain, Union colonel
• Robert E. Lee, Confederate general
• George Pickett, Confederate general

Battle of Gettysburg Description

• Confederate troops wanted to attack Union territory one more time
• The Rebels gathered near the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• However, they didn't know that Union troops were camped northwest of the town
• The Confederates tried to raid Gettysburg for supplies

Battle of Gettysburg Description cont.

• The raiders were attacked by the Union troops, beginning the battle
• On July 1, the Confederates pushed the Union south of the town
• The day after, the Confederates planned an attack on the Union's left flank
• They were stopped by the bold charge of Chamberlain

Battle of Gettysburg Description cont.

• After July 2, Meade strengthened his line
• On the next day, Pickett led a charge on the Union line
• The charge was a massive failure
• The Confederates retreated the next day, the 4th, and the Union troops were slowed by rain
• Gettysburg was a Union victory

Battle of Gettysburg Importance

• Like Antietam, the Union won on their own soil
• The Confederates were permanently discouraged from attacking the North
• Gettysburg was the main turning point in the war

BATTLE 9

Pickett's Charge Date

• July 3, 1863

Pickett's Charge Important People

• General George G. Meade, Union general
• General George Pickett, Confederate general

Pickett's Charge Description

• Pickett's Charge occurred in the Battle of Gettysburg
• Pickett led 14,000 men in an attack on the Union line at Cemetery Ridge
• The charge was a huge failure
• Pickett's charge was a Union victory

Pickett's Charge Importance

• Pickett's Charge ensured that the Union would win Gettysburg
• It was the turning point of that battle, and Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War

BATTLE 10

Sherman's March to the Sea Date

• Mid-November-December 10, 1864

Sherman's March to the Sea Important People

• William Tecumseh Sherman, Union general

Sherman's March to the Sea Description

• Sherman and his troops marched from Atlanta, GA to Savannah, GA
• They destroyed everything in their path for 250 miles
• That strategy was called "total war"
• Sherman's March to the Sea was, obviously, a Union victory

Sherman's March to the Sea Importance

• Sherman's March to the Sea helped discourage the South's will to fight
• The South was somewhat scared of the might of the Union

BATTLE 11

Surrender at Appomattox Date

• April 9, 1865

Surrender at Appomattox Important People

• Ulysses S. Grant, Union general
• Robert E. Lee, Confederate general

Surrender at Appomattox Description

• Grant and the Union army trapped Lee and the Confederates in the town of Appomattox Court House
• Grant demanded surrender
• On the 9th, Lee signed the surrender documents
• The Union had won the war

Surrender at Appomattox Importance

• The bloody Civil War was finally over
• Slavery was officially outlawed
• The United States regained 11 states

Works Cited

• "Civilwar.org." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 18 May 2016.
• Stuckey, Sterling, and Linda Kerrigan. Salvucci. Call to Freedom: Beginnings to 1877. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2001. Print.