Civil War Timeline by Jennifer Gnau

Fort Sumter-April 12, 1861

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-30 16:02:00 UTC

The rebels in Charleston bomb Fort Sumter. This was a significant attack because it marked the official beginning of the Civil war. This attack happened in Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, SC. The rebels won and the U.S Army Commander Robert Andersen surrendered Fort Sumter to rebel forces.

Battle of Shiloh- April 6-7, 1862

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-30 16:10:29 UTC

A battle in Hardin County, TN. This battle was very significant because the human toll was the greatest of any war on the American continent up to that date. The U.S army won this battle. With the loss of their commander, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston the rebel morale plummeted. After Shiloh, both sides realized the magnitude of the conflict, which would much be longer and bloodier than they could have imagined.

Antietam-September 17, 1862.

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-30 16:17:41 UTC

Antietam was the deadliest one-day battle in American military history. This battle happened in Washington County, MD and was led by rebel commander Robert E. Lee and U.S army commander, George B, McClellan. The result of this battle was inconclusive. Lee committed his entire force to battle while McClellan only sent in less than three quarters of his. If the troops were the equal, the battle might have had a more definitive outcome. This battle gave president Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of strength rather than desperation.

Battle of Fredericksburg- December 11-15, 1862

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-30 16:26:44 UTC

The Battle of Fredericksburg was one of the largest and deadliest battles of the civil war. This battle took place in Stafford and Spotsylvania, VA. This battle was significant because it held 200,000 combatants-the greatest number of combatants of any civil war engagement. Fredericksburg featured the first opposed river crossing in American military history. The rebels won this battle. The U.S army of Potomac, led by George B. Mclellan's replacement, Ambrose L. Burnside, suffered more than 12,500 casualties. With Lee's army counting approximately 6,000 losses. This was the civil war's first instance of urban combat.

Emancipation Proclamation-January 1, 1863

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-30 16:31:28 UTC

On January 1, 1863 in Washington D.C, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This proclamation granted freedom to the slaves in rebel states if the states did not return to the U.S army by January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation was significant because it added moral force to the U.S army cause and strengthened the U.S army both militarily and politically.

Gettysburg-July 1, 1863

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-31 16:07:30 UTC

Gettysburg was the bloodiest single battle of conflict. It was significant because it marked the turning point of the civil war with an estimated 50,000 casualties. This battle was fought in Adams County, PA and was won by the U.S army and the ending of Robert E. Lee's quest to invade the North. This loss for the rebels ended their hopes of becoming an independent nation. U.S army commander, George G. Meade lost an opportunity to trap Lee and force a rebel surrender.

Battle of the Wilderness-May 5-7, 1864

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-31 16:23:58 UTC

This bloody battle was fought in Spotsylvania and Orange Counties, VA. It was significant because it marked the first stage of a major U.S army offensive toward the rebel capital of Richmond. The U.S army was led by newly named U.S army general-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant. The result of this battle was inconclusive. At the end of the two-day battle, both sides were essentially where they had been at the start of the battle. The U.S army suffered nearly 17,000 casualties while the rebels had 13,000.

Battle of Atlanta-July 22, 1864

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-31 16:29:48 UTC

The Battle of Atlanta was the largest battle of the Atlanta Campaign. Fought in Fulton County, GA, this battle was significant because the U.S army's victory in this battle led to the capture of a critical rebel city and opened the door for the march to sea. Rebel Lt. Gen. John B. Hood’s attack on Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s troops at Atlanta was repulsed with heavy losses. Hood and Sherman continued to battle for the crucial rebel city throughout the summer until Hood was finally forced to abandon Atlanta to U.S army forces on September 1, 1864.

Surrender at Appomattox-April 9, 1865

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-31 16:52:18 UTC

This surrender was the most significant surrender of the civil war and marked the end of the civil war. Robert E. Lee was trapped by the Federals in a court house in Appomattox County, VA and during this, he surrendered his army to the U.S army general, Ulysses S. Grant. The Grant-Lee agreement served not only as a signal that the South had lost the war but also as a model for the rest of the surrenders that followed. This was a U.S army victory. The formal declaration of the end of the civil war was proclaimed by Andrew Jackson 16 months after Appomattox on August 20, 1866.

Assassination of Abraham Lincoln-April 14, 1865

jennifer_gnau1_1 — 2023-10-31 16:58:36 UTC

On April 14, 1865 John Wilkes booth shot and killed Abraham Lincoln in Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. Booth, a rebel sympathizer assassinated President Lincoln because he was enraged that Lincoln supported black citizenship. This happened only 5 days after Lee's surrender of the rebels and the end of the Civil War. This event was significant because it impacted the legacy of reconstruction and the future of the United States.