Summary of MajorCivil War Battles

Western & Eastern

Campaigns

Fight for Missouri

Battle of Wilson’s Creek – Aug. 1861

• U: Nathaniel Lyon• C: Sterling Price

– Lyons outnumbered w to 1

– 1200 casualties– Southern half of Miss.

Fell to Confeds

Battle of Pea Ridge – March 1862

• U: Major Gen. Sam Curtis

• C: Earl Van Dorn– Union victory– U suffered twice

casualties as C– Decided fate of

Missouri as Union

Grants Early Victories

• Mill Springs, Jan. 1862 - Kentucky

• Battles at Ft. Henry and Donelson, Feb.6, 1862– Defensive forts erected by C along Tenn &

Cumberland Rivers– Engaged his former roomate General Simon

Buckner

• “Unconditional Surrender” Grant

The Battle of Shiloh

• April 6-7, 1862 • U: Grant, 42000• C: Albert Sidney Johnston,

Beauregard• 2 days of fighting, Union

General Buell arrived with reinforcements (@30,000)

• Nathan Bedford Forest – cavalry charge at Shiloh

• Union victory• @ 23000 casualties, a

number greater than all Americans fought in wars combined

Southwestern TennPittsburg Landing

The Battle for New Orleans

• April 25, 1862: Union officer David Farragut led the successful assault on New Orleans

• Pushed North and captured Natchez, Mississippi

• By June, only 2 major ports on Miss. River now remain in Confederate hands– Vicksburg, MS and Port Hudson, LA

Lincoln’s Generals

Winfield Scott

Irvin McDowell

George McClellan

Henry W. Halleck

John Pope

McClellan Again

Ambrose Burnside

Joseph Hooker

George Meade

Ulysses S. Grant

War in the East

The Peninsular Campaign – McClellan’s attempt to capture Richmond, VA

• Efficient military leader, but overly cautious

• Hit Richmond from Southeast

• April 1862, lay siege to Yorktown

• May 1862 Battle of Seven Pines– U: McClellan C: Joseph Johnston (Union Vic)

War in East

• The Seven Day’s Battle (June 25-July 1, 1862)– McClellan vs. Lee (Jackson)– James Jeb Stuart gatherer on info.– McClellan is pushed back from Richmond– Peninsular Campaign fails – McClellan is

sacked and Halleck takes over – U casualties: 16,000 C casualties: 20,000, but

Confed. victory

War in the East

Second Battle of Bull Run – Aug. 30, 1862- U: General Pope C: Lee, Jackson, James Longstreet- Pope encounters Lee on way to Richmond- Halleck unable to motivate McClellan to reinforce

Pope in timely manner- Pope pushed all the way back to Washington D.C

- U casualties: @13,380 C casualties: @8000

- Pope is sacked as Field Commander, Halleck is also sacked.

- McClellan reinstated!

Battle of Antietam-Sept. 17, 1862Sharpsburg, MD

• U: McClellan (Burnside, Hooker) @87,000

• C: Lee (Longstreet, Jackson) @ 40,000

• Lee’s 1st attempt to invade the North

• “Bloodiest single day of the War”• Very important battle for foreign

aid for Confederates• Dead and wounded exceed 10,000

for both sides (@ 23-26K)• A moment that alters history “the

note” – Lee had divided his army to attack Harpers Ferry

• Lee retreats (loses about 25% of his army) but McClellan fails to pursue him

The Emancipation Proclamation

• Jan. 1, 1863• Free slaves in

confederate states• Encouraged AA to

enlist in Union army (July 1862 law)

• Over 180,000 fought in Union army

• 54th Mass. Infanty

Battle of Fredericksburg, VA – Dec. 11-13, 1862

• New General – Ambrose Burnside• His strategy: march his 122,000 soldiers

straight toward Richmond• Despite numerical advantage, Union

troops are routed by Lee with severe casualties (Confeds. Had higher ground)– Great slaughter pen – Burnside ordered men

across open plain– 12,000 for Union vs. 5,000 for Confeds.

Battle of ChancellorsvilleApril 30, 1863

• Burnside transferred out west & replaced by General Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker

• Union: 134,000 troops, doubled C• Hooker’s Daring Plan: divide his large army into 3 parts

in order to cut off supply lines and attack flanks• Hooker overly hesitant as well• Lee’s Perfect battle: divided his army and attacked Union

forces from two sides (had @60,000 men)• Confederate Victory • Jackson killed by friendly fire

Dead at Chancellorsville