The Turning Point of the American Civil War: Gettysburg and Vicksburg

1. Chapter 9, Section 4 The Turning Point Editor’s note: Casualties # of dead, wounded, missing, or captured (specific # of dead)

2. Road to Gettysburg • McClellan slow after Antietam Lee recovered & blocked Union advance on Richmond • Lincoln = OUTRAGED • Lincoln wanted a General not intimidated by Lee • Gave Ambrose Burnside command of Army of the Potomac • Two battles before Gettysburg prove disastrous for Union • Fredericksburg • Chancellorsville

3. Fredericksburg • Date: December 11-15, 1862 (VA) • Union Command: Burnside (100,007) • Conf Command: Lee (72,497) • Why Burnside wants to crush Lee’s army by maneuvering against his southern flank; Union troops attempt to assault fortified Confederate position on top of Marye’s Heights • Result–HEAVY losses for Union; Confederate victory; Burnside replaced by Hooker six weeks later • Casualties=Union 13,353 (1,284) Conf 4,576(608)

8. Chancellorsville • Date: April 30-May 6, 1863 (VA) • Union Command: Hooker (97,382) • Confederate Command: Lee (57,353) • Why Hooker planned to circle behind Rebels to attack; Lee knows the plan & tricks Union by leaving a small force in Fredericksburg; Lee then attacks Hooker’s advancing troops in the dense woods of town • Result–Rebel victory considered Lee’s greatest; Jackson is mortally wounded by own men after night scouting; Lee decides to invade North again • Casualties=Union 17,200(1,606) Conf 12,700(1,665)

11. Gettysburg • Dates: July 1-3, 1863 (PA) • Why- Lee wanted to invade North, again • Collect supplies from Pennsylvania farmland • Take fighting away from war-ravaged Virginia • Threaten northern cities/weaken desire to fight • Win a major battle to strengthen peace movement in the North • Hooker failed to stop Lee from advancing into Pennsylvania • Lincoln replaces him w/ George Meade

12. Battle of Gettysburg • Union Command: Meade • 93,921 men • Conf Command: Lee • 71,699 (1st major battle w/o Stonewall Jackson) • Day 1- July 1, 1863 • Parts of the 2 armies accidentally collide on July 1 outside of the town • Reinforcements sent in Rebels drive back Union forces to the hills south of town • Cemetery Hill, Culp’s Hill, & Little Round Top • Union positioned on higher ground

14. Day 2- July 2, 1863 • Union line resembles a fishhook • Enabled easy movement of troops & supplies • Confederates launch full-scale assault on Union positions at Little Round Top • If Rebels take the position, their artillery can fire down the Union line • Savage fighting and HEAVY loss of life • Union repelled attack & held positions

20. Day 3- July 3, 1863 • Lee believed Union overcompensated troops at Little Round Top • Plan attack “weakened” center of Union line at Cemetery Ridge • Lee ordered every Rebel artillery gun to bombard the Ridge before an infantry attack • Pickett’s Charge • 12,500 Rebel infantry under George Pickett & A.P. Hill • Marched ¾ mile over open field to attack Cemetery Ridge • The most daring and most deadly maneuver of war • Union artillery battered advancing Confederate line • Union troops protected by trenches & barricades drive Rebel forces back • 7,000 confederate casualties

25. Gettysburg- Results • Union Casualties: 23,049 (3,155) • Conf Casualties: 28,063 (3,903) • Winner Union: TURNING POINT OF WAR • Lee leads retreat back to Virginia • Confederacy never recovers from the loss of life • Meade does not pursue the staggering Rebels • Lincoln not happy

27. Gettysburg Address • November 19, 1863 Lincoln visited Gettysburg • Dedicated part of battlefield as cemetery for fallen Union men • Issued the Gettysburg Address • Arguably the greatest speech in American History

30. Vicksburg: Importance • Union controlled Mississippi River delta after capture of New Orleans • Union controlled Mississippi River in the northern part of the Confederacy after Shiloh • Vicksburg last Confederate stronghold on river • If Union captures Vicksburg Controlled the whole river & Confederacy is cut in 2

31. Vicksburg: Grierson’s Raid • Grant can’t attack city from the north • Land too swampy & unforgiving • Grant’s plan • March past the city on the west bank of river • Cross river onto east bank & attack from the south • Grant orders Col. Benjamin Grierson to distract Confederates while Union maneuvers troops • 1,700 cavalry raid Mississippi countryside • 600 miles in 2 weeks • Tear up railroads, burn weapon depots, & fight skirmishes

32. Vicksburg: The Campaign • Most successful Union campaign of war • Union marched 180 miles in 17 days • Fought 5 battles after crossing back over the river • 7,200 Confederate casualties • Captured Jackson, MS • Grant forced Confederates back into defenses at Vicksburg • Launched two unsuccessful assaults • City defenses too strong

33. Vicksburg: the Siege • Date: May 18-July 4, 1863 (Mississippi) • Union Command: Grant (77,000) • Conf Command: Pemberton (33,000) • Plan Grant put Vicksburg under siege for 6 weeks • Cut off food/supplies • Bombard city around the clock • Soldiers began eating horses, mules, dogs, & shoe leather • Confederate citizens shoot Confederate soldiers foraging their gardens • Soldiers suffer from dysentery, scurvy, hallucinations • Result–Pemberton finally surrenders on the day after North wins at Gettysburg; Union controls the vital Mississippi River • Casualties= Union 4,910 (806); Confederacy 32,492 (805) • Confederacy 29,620 captured or missing

36. The Battle for Tennessee • Chattanooga, TN = vital Southern railroad junction • Known as the “Gateway to the Lower South” • If Union captured city control major railroad running to Atlanta, GA • Aug. 1863 Union General William Rosencrans forced Rebels to evacuate Chattanooga w/o a fight • Confederates did not retreat far

37. Chickamauga • Date: September 18-20, 1863 (GA) • Union Command: Rosecrans (60,000) • CSA Command: Bragg, Longstreet (65,000) • Why Rebels wanted to reoccupy Chattanooga; Bragg launched surprise attack on Union when they crossed into Georgia • Result–Longstreet’s men exploit a gap in Rosecrans's line and Union retreats back into Chattanooga • Casualties=Union 16,170 (1,657) Conf 18,454(2,312)

39. Change in the West • Lincoln reinforced Rosencrans w/ some of Meades’ men from the east • 20,000 troops • Resupplies artillery, horses, & equipment • November 1863 Lincoln promoted Grant to overall Commander of the West • Rushed his men to Chattanooga • Charged & defeated Confederates on Lookout Mountain

40. Chattanooga • Date: November 23-25, 1863 (Tennessee) • Union Command: Grant(56,359) • Confederate Command: Bragg(44,010) • Plan Rebels have high position on Missionary Ridge; Grant orders Gen. Sherman to attack north end but fails to break through; Grant plans limited attack in front of Missionary Ridge as a diversion • Result- Union troops surprisingly overrun Rebel forces after charging up the Ridge; Union controls “Gateway to Lower South” • Casualties: Union 5,815 (753) Conf 6,670 (361)

44. Grant Becomes General-in-Chief • Ulysses S. Grant • Captured Vicksburg: gave Union control of Miss. River • Captured Chattanooga: gave Union eastern Tennessee • North could now invade Georgia • March 9, 1864 Grant becomes Commanding General-in-Chief of all Union forces • Lincoln believed Grant was the man to win the war • Grant promoted to rank of Lieutenant General • 1st man since George Washington