Civil War Battles (Key Topic 4)

When was First Manassas?

July 1861

Where did First Manassas take place?

North Virginia

Who led the armies at First Manassas?

Confed army of 22,000 led by Gen Beauregard

Union army of 30,000 led by Gen McDowell

What was the significance of First Manassas

-first major battle of the civil war

-Confed soldiers came very close to a decisive defeat but managed to turn things around and win (sort of)

-although the confed army was victorious, they couldn't capitalise on the victory as they were disorganised and not well supplied enough to march on DC

-Union defeated due to poor training and skills of Jackson

-Victory for the south gave a morale boost

when was the battle of Shiloh

April 1862

Who led the armies at Shiloh?

Grant led union 40,000

Buel and Johnston for Confed

What was the significance of Shiloh?

-General Johnston was killed

-Originally a confederate victory as union troops panicked and fled but south failed to capitalise on victory so not decisive

-Davis sacks the newly appointed Beauregard almost immediately for failing to capitalise as they could have won a decisive victory

-First battle to show how large the casualties would be, more than 23,000 on both sides

When was the Battle of Antietam?

September 1862, Maryland

Who led the armies at Antietam?

Lee led 40,000 confederates

Union led by McClellan

What had Lee been hoping to achieve with Antietam?

He invaded Maryland with the hope of protecting Virginia's harvest, gaining volunteers from Virginia, demoralising the North with a decisive victory and persuading Britain to recognise the confed

Why was Antietam significant?

-it ended the Confederate invasion of Maryland in 1862 and resulted in a Union victory although not decisive as didn't follow up

-Bloodiest single day of the war

-Lincoln fires McClellan exasperated at his inability to follow up to ensure victory and replaces him with Burnside

-can be seen as turning point in the war

- Inspires emancipation proclamation

What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

A declaration that all slaves held in the confederate territory were free, 3.5 million slaves effectively free

How many people died at Antietam

Lee lost 11,000 and McClellan 12,000

when was the battle of Chancellorsville?

May 1863

who led the armies at Chancellorsville

Hooker for union led 150,000 and Lee for Confed

what is the significance of Chancellorsville

-Despite Hooker having twice as many men Lee showed himself at his most brilliant and split his army into 3 sending Jackson and another gen to attack the flanks of Hooker's army

-Hooker injured and union forces have to retreat so are defeated by an army half their size

-Jackson shot in thearm whilst inspecting battlefield by his own men and died shortly after

-Despite death of Jackson casting a long shadow, Confed morale sky high

When was battle of Gettysburg?

July 1863

Significance of the battle of Gettysburg

-This was probably the most famous battle in the Civil War.

-Only battle fought on Union soil

-Gettysburg Pennsylvania was a location of strategic importance for both sides as it was a crossroads town close to important supply routes and good roads

-Culmination of Lee's second invasion of the North, furthest he'd ever get

-Eventual union victory by the third day

-Some call the turning point of the war as Lee's myth of invincibility broken, Northern morale boosted and the Confed were never able to launch an offensive in the North again

-However, this was probs not the case as Lee wouldn't have been able to defend anything he won this far North and it wasn't a decisive victory for Union as Meade unable to follow up for full win

-50,000 missing, killed or wounded

Who led the armies at Gettysburg?

Meade for Union (replaced Hooker)

Lee for Confed

When was the capture of Vicksburg?

July 1863

What was the significance of the capture of Vicksburg?

-Grant showing military expertise, the union finally had a general to match Lee

-He uses a nearby fleet of ironclad ships to bombard the Confed controlled fort from the river

-Grant them cut inland and in 3 weeks he won several battles and was able to capture Vicksburg and 30,000 Confed troops

-It also allowed the union to capture fort Hudson which effectively split the confederacy in 2 and caused chaos

When was the wilderness campaign?

May-June 1864

What was the significance of the wilderness campaign?

-month of continuous contact