T C W

THE CIVIL WAR
Major Events and Battles Timeline
THE CONFEDERACY
Officially created on
February 9, 1861
 _____________________
selected as its first
President



West Point graduate
and retired military
officer
Fought against
secession in his state of
___________________,
but did believe that
states had the right
ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER

The morning of
______________

“Stars and
Stripes”
replaced by
“Stars and
Bars”
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR

United States/ Union/ North/ Yankees



21 states
______ million people
Confederate States/ Confederacy/ South/ Rebels
11 states (officially, though others were considered
part of the Confederacy at different times)
 _______million people


Apx. ____________________were slaves- no way the South is
giving them weapons!
APRIL 19, 1861

President Lincoln issues “Proclamation of
_________________________”

Restricts goods from coming in and out of the South

Hurts economy- no money, no weapons
JULY 21, 1861

First Battle of _____________________(Manassas)
Spectators show up to watch what they think will be
one of the few battles before the South surrenders
 Union troops under Irvin McDowell (right) were
defeated by General Thomas
“Stonewall” Jackson’s (bottom)
Confederate troops



Spectators run as cannon fire strays in to
the “stands”
Lincoln realizes it
will be a long war!
GENERAL GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN

July 27, 1861


Replaces McDowell as Commander of
the Army of the Potomac
November 1, 1861
Is appointed commander-in-chief over
all Union forces, replacing the resigned
General Winfield Scott“Old Fuss and Feathers”

DAWNING OF A NEW ERA

March 8-9, 1862
Wooden ships are made obsolete as the first battle of
“ironclad” ships shows that old wooden ones are no
match for the new technology
 Confederate _____________ versus the Union ________
(shown below with damages from the battle)

SHILOH- A BLOODY DAY!
April 6-7, 1862
 Gen. __________________(Union) and his men are
caught in a surprise attack along the Tennessee
River

13,000 Union soldiers and 10,000 Confederates killed
or wounded
 More Americans killed here in 2 days than all other
wars combined to that date!


Lincoln is pressured to relieve Grant of command
(fire or demote him!), but resists, saying “…he
fights!”
________________FALLS TO THE UNION
April 24, 1862
 Flag Officer David Farragut takes New
Orleans with 17 Union ships


The South has lost its greatest port
(this will be important for Texas!)
LEE ASSUMES COMMAND
June 1, 1862
 Robert E. Lee assumes command of
the Confederate forces under
Joseph Johnson, who is replaced
after being badly wounded in battle
the previous day


Renames his troops the Army of
Northern Virginia
•At the Seven Days Battle (June 25- July1),
Lee attacks McClellan near Richmond and,
despite heavy losses on both sides, pushes
McClellan back towards Washington
•Lee has proven himself in his first
attempt!
SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN
August 29-30, 1862
 75,000 Union troops under General John Pope
defeated by 55,000 Confederate troops under
Stonewall Jackson and General James
Longstreet


Pope immediately relieved of his command by Lincoln
BLOODIEST DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY
General Lee, headed for Harper’s Ferry with
50,000 troops is met by McClellan and the Union
Army of apx. 90,000 at _____________
 September 17, 1862
 26,000 dead or missing by nightfall
 Lee withdraws to Virginia

ANTIETAM, MARYLAND
LINCOLN VISITS MCCLELLAN AT ANTIETAM
McClellan
Lincoln
MCCLELLAN REPLACED BY AMBROSE BURNSIDE

McClellan’s decision NOT to pursue Lee after his
victory angers Lincoln!


“If you don’t want to use
the army, I should like to
borrow it for a while”
Burnside suffers heavy
losses at Fredericksburg
less than a month later,
after trying to take
Marye’s Heights

He will be replaced after
only 2 months in command
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION

Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation
(takes effect on ___________________________)
Frees all slaves in rebelling states (the South)
 Encourages the enlistment (signing up) of blacks in
to the Union Army


The Civil War is now
officially about slavery!
Lincoln circa 1863.
Aged dramatically after
only 2 years of war!
DRAFT ENACTED BY CONGRESS

March 3, 1863
Can get out of draft by
paying $300 (apx.
$5000 today) or
providing a substitute
 Riots break out
 Blacks, immigrants,
and government offices
especially targeted
 Troops have to be called
back from war to
handle the riots

BADLY BEATEN BUT A STROKE OF LUCK?
Union Army is defeated at Battle of Chancellorsville
(May 1-4, 1863), even though they outnumbered the
Confederate Army more than 2:1!
 General _____________________, already a hero of legend
in the South, is mortally wounded and dies less than a
week later

General Lee
remarks that
“I have lost my
right arm”
SUMMER OF 1863
June 3- Lee makes another invasion in to the North, on
a path that eventually led to Gettysburg
 June 28- George __________ put in charge of the Army
of the Potomac



July1-3- Union is victorious at _______________


He is the 5th man to lead the Army in less than a year
This battle is viewed as the turning point in the war against
the Confederates
July 4- Union Army under Grant takes _______________
Last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River
 Cuts the Confederacy in half!


Frederick Douglass meets with President Lincoln,
asking for full equality of the Negro troops
GETTYSBURG
GETTYSBURG DEDICATION- NOV. 19, 1863

Months after the battle,
Lincoln dedicates the
site of the Gettysburg
battle as a national
military cemetery

“four score and seven
years ago…”
VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI
UNION COMMANDERS 1862-1863
George McClellan (11/1/61- 11/7/62)
 John Pope
 Henry Halleck
 Ambrose Burnside (11/7/62- 1/25/63)
 Joseph Hooker (1/25/63- 6/28/63)
 George Meade (6/28/63- 3/9/64)
 Ulysses S. Grant (3/9/64- end of war)

1864- A YEAR OF CHANGE
March- ____________________________
replaces
Grant as commander of the Army of the West
 May- 1st coordinated effort of the war

Sherman begins moving his 100,000 troops towards _______
 Grant takes his troops South towards Richmond


Union troops are badly defeated at Cold Harbor in
Virginia (May-June)

This is Rebels last, and most decisive, victory of the war
“ THE DICTATOR”

Fired a 200 pound shot over 2 miles!
SHERMAN’S MOVEMENTS
July 20, 1864- battle for Atlanta begins
 September 2, 1864- Atlanta surrenders to Sherman

SHELL DAMAGED HOME IN ATLANTA
ELECTION OF 1864

Lincoln defeats his former commander-in-chief
George McClellen tries to get his revenge for being fired
 Lincoln’s victory due in large part to recent success in
Atlanta

SHERMAN’S MARCH TO THE SEA

November 15, 1864- Sherman leaves Atlanta for
Savannah, on the coast

It takes just over a month and leaves a path of
destruction 300 miles long and 60 miles wide


Imagine from Denton to Galveston!
They destroy nearly everything
in their path
Railroad stations and tracks
 Crops and livestock



“I can make Georgia howl.”
- Sherman
Sherman’s march is an important
part of shutting down the South’s
ability to transport on land
UNION SOLDIERS DESTROY THE RAILROADS
1865- THE END IS NEAR

January 31- Congress approves the ______________
which will make slavery illegal


February 3- Lincoln meets with Confederate VP
Alexander Hamilton to discuss a peace, but none is
reached


The war will continue, but the only Rebels still fighting are
in VA and NC, surrounded by Grant in the North/ West
and Sherman in the South
March 25- Lee begins his final assault at Petersburg


Must be ratified (approved) by the states
A week later they evacuate Petersburg and Richmond- the
Rebels are on the run!
April 9- Lee surrenders to Grant in the parlor of a
home in ______________________________________
UNION SOLDIERS AWAIT THE ATTACK AT PETERSBURG
LEE SURRENDERED HERE
LINCOLN’S LAST PHOTO, TAKEN JUST DAYS
BEFORE HE IS ASSASSINATED
SOURCES
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


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Information and most photos:
 http://www.historyplace.com/civilwar/index.html
Shiloh Photo:
 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnsumner/phcwvets.htm
 http://battleofshiloh.50webs.com/shiloh.gif
New Orleans photo:
 http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civilwar/1862/may/new-orleans.htm
Lincoln photo:
 http://www.sonofthesouth.net/slavery/abrahamlincoln/abraham-lincoln-portrait.htm
Inflation Calculator:
 http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi
Georgia Photos
 http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/