#3132

General Joseph Hooker

Nicknamed 'Fighting Joe' for his aggressive tactics, reorganized the Army of the Potomac.

Chancellorsville

A battle where Hooker's overconfidence and failure to respond to Lee's flanking maneuver led to his removal.

General George Meade

Took command days before Gettysburg and successfully defended against Lee, but failed to pursue the retreating army.

Stonewall Jackson

Earned his nickname at the First Battle of Bull Run; his maneuver at Chancellorsville crushed the Union army.

Ulysses S. Grant

Used total war tactics targeting Confederate armies, marking a major turning point at Vicksburg.

Battle of Chancellorsville

Lee's most brilliant victory in May 1863, despite being outnumbered by the Union nearly 2 to 1.

Battle of Gettysburg

A significant battle from July 1–3, 1863, marking Lee's second and last invasion of the North.

Pickett's Charge

Lee’s biggest mistake on July 3, 1863, resulting in massive Confederate losses.

Siege of Vicksburg

Grant's army surrounded the city for six weeks, resulting in Union control of the Mississippi River.

Battle of the Wilderness

Took place in dense forests in May 1864, known for chaotic combat and fires that burned wounded soldiers.

Battle of Cold Harbor

Grant’s worst mistake in June 1864, resulting in thousands of Union deaths from frontal assaults.

War of Attrition

Grant’s strategy to wear down Lee’s army through constant fighting for Union victory.

Smoothbore Muskets

Had short range and poor accuracy, leading soldiers to rely on bayonets.

Rifles

More accurate with a range of ~400 yards, utilized Minié balls that caused massive wounds.

Grapeshot

Cannon ammunition containing small iron balls, effective against advancing infantry.

U.S. Sanitary Commission

Created in 1861 to improve hygiene and medical care in Union camps, raising millions to support soldiers.

Elizabeth Blackwell

First woman in the U.S. to earn a medical degree; helped start training for female nurses.

Dorothea Dix

Superintendent of Army Nurses who recruited thousands of women for medical service.

Clara Barton

'Angel of the Battlefield' who founded the American Red Cross after risking her life for soldiers.

Copperhead Democrats

Northern Democrats advocating for peace with the Confederacy and opposing Lincoln's policies.

General George B. McClellan

Removed for being cautious, he campaigned on negotiating peace in the 1864 election.

General William T. Sherman

Famous for his 'March to the Sea,' using total war tactics to devastate the South.

Sherman's March to the Sea

A military campaign from Atlanta to Savannah aimed at destroying Southern resources.

Battle of Atlanta

A significant Union victory on July 22, 1864, which boosted Northern morale.

Admiral David Farragut

Union naval officer who captured New Orleans and Mobile Bay, famously said 'Damn the torpedoes!'.

Election of 1864

Lincoln won against McClellan, boosted by Union victories and Sherman capturing Atlanta.

Andersonville

A Confederate prison camp known for horrific conditions, where nearly 13,000 Union prisoners died.

Savannah

Captured by Sherman in December 1864, spared from destruction as a gift to Lincoln.

Richmond

The capital of the Confederacy that fell to Union forces in April 1865 after Lee's army retreated.

Appomattox

April 9, 1865, marked the surrender of Lee to Grant, ending the Civil War.

Thirteenth Amendment

Passed in January 1865, abolished slavery in the United States.

Reconstruction

Period after the Civil War (1865–1877) focused on rebuilding the South and protecting rights of freed slaves.

John Wilkes Booth

Assassinated Lincoln on April 14, 1865, influencing harsh Reconstruction policies.