Civil War Battles
By Matt Moore
Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter was on April 12, 1861. Confederate troops opened fired on Union troops around Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. These were the first shots of the Civil War. Major Anderson had occupied the Fort when SC seceded from the Union. He quickly ran out of supplies. The Confederate Army attacked, commanded by Gen. Beauregard and Maj. Anderson surrendered on April 13, 1861, after bombardment. Confederate soldiers occupied the Fort until Charleston was seized by Grant.
Civilwar.org,. 'Fort Sumter'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Antietam
The Battle of Antietam is known as the bloodiest day in American History. Over 4000 soldiers died on September 17, 1862. Confederate troops started the battle with counterattacks that swept back and forth through Miller’s Cornfield and the West Woods. The Union troops won the battle. It ended at Sharpsburg, Maryland.
NPR.org,. 'Antietam: A Savage Day In American History'. N.p., 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg took place during April and May 1863. GeneralGrant wanted to take Vicksburg because it was a major fortress on the Mississippi River. Grant surrounded the city and trapped the Confederate Army. Both sides suffered great losses of life. Grant sieged the city for 47 days until Gen. Pemberton surrendered. This was an important victory because it gave Grant control of the Mississippi.
Verduyn, Lewis. 'Steamboat Times - Civil War 1'. Steamboattimes.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was on July 1, 1863. General Robert E. Lee (Confederate)and General George G. Meade(Union) lost its ground. Lee attacked the Union center in Cemetery Ridge but was repulsed with Pickett’s Charge. Lee’s second invasion of the north failed. 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured or missing in action after Gettysburg.
History.com,. '7 Things You Should Know About The Battle Of Gettysburg'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Sherman's March to the Sea (Atlanta)
The Battle of Atlanta was July 22, 1864. General John Bell Hood ordered troops to attack Union flank outside Atlanta. General McPherson knew they were coming and stopped the attack. General Sherman had destroyed the railroads and he evacuated the city. He burned the buildings before continuing his march to the sea. The Union Army lost 3700 and the Confederate lost 5000 soldiers.
Georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu,. 'Sherman's March To The Sea'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Fort Fisher
The Battle of Fort Fisher was January 15, 1865. Fort Fisher was made of timber and sand. It was close to the Port at Wilmington, NC and kept it protected. Bombardment first began on December 24, 1864 but the Union Army failed to capture Fort. They tried again January 13, 1865. There were three days of bombardment. Then on January 15, 1864, 5000 Union soldiers attacked and took Fort Fisher. 1800 soldiers died. The Port at Wilmington was closed.
Nchistoricsites.org,. 'NC Historic Sites - Fort Fisher - Facilities'. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Appomattox Court House
On April 9, 1865, General Lee surrenders 28,000 troops to General Grant at Appomattox Court House. This ended the Civil War. Confederate soldiers were starving and had been surrounded by Union troops. There was no escape. General Grant gave full pardon to all soldiers and they were sent home with private property including their horse and weapon. Starving Confederate soldiers were given Union rations.
Marinersmuseum.org,. 'Appomattox Court House, Va. Mclean House. Taken By Timothy O'sullivan, Courtesy Of The Library Of Congress Online. | Civil War Connections'. N.p., 2015. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.