The document summarizes several decisive battles of the American Civil War that turned the tide in favor of the Union. The Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 was a major turning point, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides and leading to Lee's retreat. Along with Union victories at Vicksburg and Port Hudson in July 1863, this established the Union's momentum. Later in the war, General Sherman's March to the Sea and capture of Atlanta in 1864 boosted the North. Finally, Grant's siege of Petersburg and Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865 brought the war to an end.
2. THE TIDE TURNS
1862 Battle of Antietam
After this battle war began to go badly for the North
Poor leadership was the result
McClellan replaced with General Ambrose Burnside
3. CONFEDERATE VICTORIES
December 1862
Burnside marched army of 120,000 men toward Richmond
General Lee massed 75,000 men at Fredericksburg, VA to block
his path
Burnside ordered charge after charge during this battle
Union lost 13,000 men to the Confederates 5,000
Lincoln replaced Burnside with General Joseph Hooker
May 1863
Hooker marched Union army toward Richmond
Union army was smashed at the Battle of Chancellorsville by a
force half its size
Battle was costly for the South; Stonewall Jackson was shot
and wounded & later died
4. THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
After Lee’s army defeated Union forces at
Chancellorsville he gained confidence & headed north to
Pennsylvania
Union forces now under the command of General
George G. Meade meet Lee accidentally at Gettysburg
Confederates were in search of shoes desperately needed in
the South
Bloody battle marked a turning point in the war
Union troops took position on the crest of a low ridge
Confederates’ task was to dislodge them from their position
Confederate attempts failed several times, concluding with a
suicidal charge across an open field by General George
Pickett on July 3
After 3 days 23,000 Union soldiers & 28,000
Confederate soldiers had been killed or wounded
Lincoln wired Meade, “Do not let the enemy escape”
July 4, Lee retreated to Virginia & the Union army failed
to pursue him
5. GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
Both sides suffered heavy casualties at Gettysburg
Sparsely populated South could not recover from
November 19, 1863 President Lincoln visited
Gettysburg to dedicate the battlefield cemetery & to
honor the soldiers buried there
He promised, “these dead shall not have died in vain”
6. THE FALL OF VICKSBURG
July 4, 1863
Vicksburg surrendered to General grant
Was last city on the Mississippi River in Confederate hands
Grant was able to capture Vicksburg not by force, but by
surrounding the city & cutting it off from supplies
Day after day the Union bombarded Vicksburg
Residents took shelter in cellars & caves they had dug in
hillsides
They ate mules & rats to keep from starving
After 6 weeks the Confederate troops gave up
Last Confederate stronghold at Port Hudson, LA fell a
few days later
Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg along with loses at
Vicksburg & Port Hudson made July 1863 a major
turning point in the war
7. CLOSING IN ON THE CONFEDERACY
1864
Grant given command of Union forces
Decided to attack Richmond no matter how large the
Union losses
8. GRANT VS. LEE
Grant’s huge army hammered the Confederates in
several battles in northern Virginia
They were unable to break through, but continued to
attack
Grant’s army suffered 55,000 casualties in 7 weeks
of fighting; Confederates suffered 35,000
Grant knew he could count of a steady supply of men &
supplies while Lee was running low on both
Petersburg
Grant used the same tactic he used a Vicksburg of
besieging the Confederate troops
While Grant & Lee battled, Union forces under
command of William T. Sherman advanced toward
Atlanta
9. SHERMAN’S MARCH
Sherman believed in total war
All-out attacks aimed at destroying an enemy’s army, its
resources, & it’s people’s will to fight
Confederates were unable to stop Sherman’s advance
Union troops captured Atlanta, GA on September 2,
1864
Victory gave Lincoln’s reelection campaign a boost
Northerners were growing tired of the war prior to this event &
support for Lincoln was also lagging; Lincoln won election victory
over General George McClellan
November 1864
Sherman ordered Atlanta to be burned & he continued his
march to the Atlantic Ocean
Along the way Union forces set fires to buildings, seized crops &
livestock, & pulled up railroad tracks leaving a 60 mile path of
destruction
10.
11. PEACE AT LAST
March 1865
Grant’s army continued to besiege Petersburg
Grant extended his battle lines east & west
Lee knew the city would fall
Lincoln also saw end of war too
2nd inaugural address
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; …let us strive
together… to bind up the nation’s wounds”
12. SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX
April 2
Grant’s troop broke through Confederate lines
Richmond was captured by the Union
Lee retreated to Appomattox Court House
April 9, 1865
Lee surrendered
Grant offered:
Confederates to give up their weapons & leave in peace
13. THE WAR’S TERRIBLE TOLL
Bloodiest conflict U.S. ever fought
Confederates: 260,000 men died
Union: exceeded 360,000 men including 37,000 African
Americans
½ million were wounded
Many returned home disfigured for life
Key results of the war
Reunited the nation
Put an end to slavery