Final Battles of the American Civil War

1. Final Battles of the American Civil War

2. FredericksburgDecember, 1862 • "A chicken could not live on that field when we open on it.”(Porter Alexander.) • Ambrose Burnside 116,683 troops vs..... Robert E. Lee 72,564 troops. • Capture Fredericksburg and on to Richmond

3. FredericksburgDecember, 1862 • Rappahannock River (17 day delay pontoon bridges. • Union forces cross river and loot the town. • Marye’s Heights - 14 Union forces are repelled. (12,535 losses) • Burnside is replaced by Joseph Hooker.

4. ChancellorsvilleSpring, 1863 • "My plans are perfect, and when I start to carry them out, may God have mercy on Bobby Lee, for I shall have none." Joe Hooker • Joseph Hooker 70,000 men Vs. Robert E. Lee’s 40,000 men. • “Let us Cross over the River and Rest under the shade of the trees.”(Stonewall Jackson’s last words. )

5. ChancellorsvilleSpring, 1863 • Objective: Robert E. Lee is forced to divide his army in two. • Lee fakes an attack on Fredericksburg and sends Jackson to attack the Union right flank. • Stonewall Jackson attack is a success but he is wounded by his own men by mistake. • Union forces are destroyed with losses of over 17,000 men. Hooker is relieved of command.

6. GettysburgJuly 1,2,3, 1863 • "We'll fight them, sir, 'til hell freezes over, and then, sir, we will fight them on the ice.” • Up men! And to your posts! And let no man forget today, that you are from Old Virginia!

7. Gettysburg Day 1July 1st ,1863 • Union and Confederate Calvary forces engage by accident. • Confederate forces under Henry Heath are sent to capture shoes. • Union forces fall back into defensive positions outside of Gettysburg. • Both sides send large forces into the Gettysburg area and prepare to fight.

8. Gettysburg Day 2July 2nd, 1863 • They don't even need guns to defend that! All they've got to do is roll rocks down on us! • Lee orders General Ewell and Longstreet to attack the Union Flanks. • Ewell attacks Culp’s Hill and Longstreet attacks “Little Round Top” • Union holds their line at a high cost. (Lee plans to strike the Union center.)

9. Gettysburg Day 3 • Virginians! Virginians! For your land - for your homes - for your sweethearts - for your wives - for Virginia! Forward... march! • General George Pickett is ordered to attack the Union center. His army is smashed and Lee is forced to retreat.

10. VicksburgSpring, 1863 • General Grant Vs. Pemberton. • Grant cuts off Vicksburg from the East. • David Farragut sets up naval blockade. • Siege begins May 1863. • Pemberton surrenders on July 4th. • Vicksburg doesn’t celebrate the 4th until 1944.

11. PetersburgSummer, 1864 • Railroad Hub South of Richmond. • Confederates defend the city by digging trenches. • Siege begins and takes about 10 months. • Union loses 50,000 men and Lee loses 30,000 men. • Lee loses his ability to maneuver and Richmond is left open for the taking. • The Crater(200X50 feet and 30 feet deep) Disaster for the Union.

12. Sherman’s March To The SeaFall, 1864 • Sherman wages total war on the South. • Sherman takes and destroys Atlanta and Starts his March. • The March ends in the captured city of Savannah. • Sherman destroys the South’s ability to wage war and forces a quicker end to the war. • Sherman offers Savannah to Lincoln as a gift. Success Helps Lincoln get reelected.

13. Appomattox CourthouseApril, 1865 • Final battle for Robert E. Lee. • Lee retreats West after the fall of Richmond and tries to join Confederate forces in N. Carolina. • Lee launches an attack in hopes to break the Union line. (Fails) • Lee is forced to surrender. (Wilmer Mclean) • Lee’s surrender essentially ends major combat in the Civil War.