THE CIVIL WAR
1. Battle of Bull Run
Where: Manassas, Virginia When: July 21, 1861
Union General(s): Gen. Irvin McDowell Confederate General(s): Gen. Beauregard & Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
Important Info: This was the first major land battle of the Civil War. Both were inexperienced leading to chaotic combat. The Confederates' reinforcements changed the battle in their favor.
Outcome: Confederate victory
2. Forts Henry and Donelson
Where: Tennessee When: February 6–16, 1862
Union General(s): Gen. Ulysses S. Grant Confederate General(s): Gen. Lloyd Tilghman (Fort Henry) and Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner
Important Info: Grant's victories here secured strategic rivers for the Union and opened the way into the South.
Outcome: Union victories
3. Shiloh
Where: Southwestern Tennessee When: April 6–7, 1862
Union General(s): Gen. Ulysses S. Grant & Gen. Don Carlos Buell Confederate General(s): Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston & Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard
Important Info: One of the bloodiest battles at that point, it demonstrated the war's potential for massive casualties. Johnston was killed during the battle.
Outcome: Union victory
4. New Orleans
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana When: April 25 – May 1, 1862
Union General(s): Officer David G. Farragut and Gen. Benjamin Butler Confederate General(s): Gen. Mansfield Lovell
Important Info: The Union's capture of New Orleans, a vital port city, was a significant strategic victory, severely impacting the Confederacy's economy.
Outcome: Union victory
5. Merrimack v. Monitor
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana When: April 25 – May 1, 1862
Union General(s): Officer David G. Farragut and Gen. Benjamin Butler Confederate General(s): Gen. Mansfield Lovell
Important Info: This was the first meeting in combat of ironclad warships, signaling a revolution in naval warfare.
Outcome: Inconclusive; both sides claimed victory
6. Second Battle of Bull Run
Where: Manassas, Virginia When: August 28–30, 1862
Union General(s): Gen. John Pope Confederate General(s): Gen. Robert E. Lee, Maj. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and Maj. Gen. James Longstreet
Important Info: A decisive victory for the Confederates, solidifying Lee's reputation as a brilliant tactician and paving the way for the Confederate invasion of the North.
Outcome: Confederate victory
7. Antietam
Where: Sharpsburg, Maryland When: September 17, 1862
Union General(s): Gen. George B. McClellan Confederate General(s): Gen. Robert E. Lee
Important Info: The bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with approximately 22,717 casualties. The Union's tactical victory provided President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation
Outcome: Tactical draw; strategic Union victory
8. Chancellorsville
Where: Spotsylvania County, Virginia When: April 30 – May 6, 1863
Union General(s): Gen. Joseph Hooker Confederate General(s): Gen. Robert E. Lee and Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Important Info: Despite being outnumbered, Lee's audacious tactics led to a significant Confederate victory. However, the Confederacy suffered a severe loss with the mortal wounding of Stonewall Jackson.
Outcome: Confederate victory
9. Gettysburg
Where: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania When: July 1–3, 1863
Union General(s): Gen. George G. Meade Confederate General(s): Gen. Robert E. Lee
Day One: Confederates pushed Union forces back, taking control of the town
Day Two: Heavy fighting at Little Round Top, Cemetery Hill, and the Wheatfield; Union forces held key positions.
Day Three: Pickett’s Charge, a failed Confederate assault on Union lines, resulted in massive casualties.
Important Info: The turning point of the war; Lee’s invasion of the North was repelled.
Outcome: Union victory
10. Vicksburg
Where: Vicksburg, Mississippi When: May 18 – July 4, 1863
Union General(s): Gen. Ulysses S. Grant Confederate General(s): Gen. John C. Pemberton
Important Info: The Union gained full control of the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy.
Outcome: Union victory
11. Appomattox Court House
Where: Appomattox Court House, Virginia When: April 9, 1865
Union General(s): Gen. Ulysses S. Grant Confederate General(s): Gen. Robert E. Lee
Important Info: Lee surrendered to Grant, effectively ending the Civil War.
Outcome: Union victory
People:
12. Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson
Confederate general known for his tactics and leadership at Bull Run, Antietam, and Chancellorsville.
13. George McClellan
Union general who organized the Army of the Potomac but was criticized for his cautiousness.
14. Ulysses S. Grant
Union general who led successful campaigns in the West and later commanded all Union forces.
15. David G. Farragut
Union naval officer who captured New Orleans and helped secure the Mississippi River.
16. Robert E. Lee
Confederate general and commander of the Army of Northern Virginia.
17. Clara Barton
Founder of the American Red Cross, provided medical aid to soldiers.
18. William Tecumseh Sherman
Union general known for his "March to the Sea," employing total war tactics.
New Weapons:
19. Ironclads
Armored steam-powered warships that revolutionized naval warfare
20. rifle
More accurate and had a longer range than muskets.
21. Minié ball
Conical bullet that increased rifle accuracy and lethality.
22. other new (but primitive) weapons
Hand grenades, land mines, and early forms of machine guns.
23. how soldiers protected themselves
Dug trenches and built earthworks for cover.
Britain’s Neutrality:
24. The Trent Affair
Diplomatic crisis where a Union ship captured Confederate envoys from a British ship, nearly causing war with Britain.
25. Britain’s decision:
Britain remained neutral, unwilling to recognize the Confederacy.
26. Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by Lincoln after Antietam, it freed enslaved people in Confederate-held territory.
27. Lincoln, Davis and habeas corpus
Lincoln suspended habeas corpus to detain suspected Confederate sympathizers; Jefferson Davis also used similar powers in the South
28. Copperheads
Northern Democrats who opposed the war and wanted peace with the Confederacy.
29. Conscription
North: Allowed people to pay for substitutes or buy exemptions.
South: Required more men to serve, with exemptions for slaveholders.
30. Draft Riots
Violent protests, particularly in New York City, against the Union draft.
31. African American soldiers
Fought for the Union, including the famous 54th Massachusetts Regiment.
32. Fort Pillow
Massacre of surrendered African American Union troops by Confederate forces.
33. Slave Resistance in Confederacy
Slaves slowed work, sabotaged supplies, and escaped to Union lines.
34. Southern Shortages
The Union blockade caused food and supply shortages in the Confederacy.
35. Northern Economic Growth
Industrial production and railroad expansion increased in the North.
36. Income tax
Introduced in the Union to help fund the war effort.
37. Medicine
Primitive by modern standards; many died from infections and disease rather than battle wounds.
38. Prisons
Overcrowded and unsanitary; prisoners faced extreme starvation and disease.
39. Andersonville
A notorious Confederate prison camp where thousands of Union prisoners died.
40. Gettysburg Address
Lincoln’s speech redefining the war’s purpose as a fight for democracy and equality.
41. Confederate Morale
Declined due to losses, economic hardship, and desertions.
42. Fighting in Virginia
Grant’s relentless Overland Campaign against Lee exhausted the Confederates.
43. Sherman’s March
Devastating Union campaign through Georgia, destroying Southern infrastructure and morale.
44. Election of 1864
Lincoln defeated George McClellan, ensuring the continuation of the Union war effort.