CWP+G6

The Civil War:

The Divided Nation



I. Key Figures

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20 Key Figures of the Civil War


 * Name || Importance ||= Side ||
 * 1. Abraham Lincoln || He was president during the time of the Civil War, so the fate of the Union was up to his leadership. His strong determination to keep the Union together and the encouragement he gave led the union states to victory. His Gettysburg address gave encouragement to the soldiers who were on the verge of giving up because of the bloody Battle of Gettysburg and kept the Union from panicking. His impartial stance won universal agreement from the union side. ||= Union ||
 * 2.Ulysses S. Grant || He was General-in-Chief of the Union Army from 1864 to the end of the war. He one the most successful victories in the West. He captured Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, Memphis, and Vicksburg, and Chatanooga. The capture of Vicksburg cut the Confederate side in two chunks, and slowed Confederate transportation since Vicksburg was near the Mississippi River. ||= Union ||
 * 3. Robert E. Lee || He was commander in chief of the Confederate Army. He was a great leader and had the trust and loyalty from his troops. Consequently, he led many victories in the war including the Second Battle of Bull Run, where he crushed the Union Troops. Lee also lost some battles, one of the most costly losses being the Battle of Antietam. ||= Confed ||
 * 4. William Tecomseh Sherman || Sherman was working as a banker, lawyer, and a superintendent in Lousiana when the war broke. He was offered to join the Confederate Army, but instead he joined the Union as a colonel. Though he was defeated at the First Battle of Bull Run, he became a brigadier general for his valor and was again promoted to the rank of major general after the Battle Shiloh. Under Grant, he began the Atlanta Campaign against General Johnston and led a series of successful battles. He then rejoined Grant and got General Johnston's surrender. Because he was very destructive in his campaign, the southerners loathed Sherman. After the war, he remained in the army, oversaw the construction of the transcontinental railroad, and led campaigns against the Indians. Later, when Grant became the president, Grant appointed Sherman as the general-in-chief. ||= Union ||
 * 5. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson || Thomas Jackson was one of the most important generals for the Confederates and known as the Confederate president's "right-hand" man. He proved himself through the Mexican War and when he took charge of his home state, Virginia. His success in this position got him to a Brigadier General. With this position, he led many battles and was successful, earning him the name, "Stonewall", from one of his battles. ||= Confed ||
 * 6.Dorothea Dix || Dorothea is known as the most important nurse during the times of the Civil War. Before the war broke out, she was very influential by opening up hospitals across the nation. When the war started, she was named as the main nurse. She made sure all the nurses were working hard and that they always had enough supplies to heal the men. ||= Union ||
 * 7.John C. Calhoun || John J. Calhoun was a political leader who used his strong persuasive speeches to defend slavery. Even after his death, his famous words made him “the father of secession”. Many people consider Calhoun the spark that triggered the Civil War. ||= Confed ||
 * 8.Patrick R Cleburne || Patrick Cleburne was the most renowned general whom his soldiers and enemies respected. As he realized that the Northern population was many times larger, he used the slaves and promised them freedom in return. Due to his decision, there were continuous wars that also led to many casualties on both sides during the Civil War. ||= Confed ||
 * 9.Mary Edwards Walker || She was the first woman in the U.S. army to be appointed assistant surgeon. Daring and determined, she saved many lives of the Union soldiers. She first volunteered as assistant sergeon and worked for two years as a field surgeon in the front lines of the Union Army. Some sources even say that she worked also as a spy. She constantly crossed the Confederate lines to treat her people, and was even taken prisoner once. ||= Union ||
 * 10.Jay Cook || Jay Cooke was the only government appointed financial bond agent. He soon became the Secretary of the Treasury under President Lincoln. With his extremely successfuly bonds, he flourished. He received some of the commission and the rest was used to finance the Civil War. This greatly helped the army with it's supply. ||= Union ||
 * 11.Jefferson Davis || He was the president of the Confederate States of America. He was indecisive and stubborn, which were some negative aspects of him as a leader. He also was not able to raise the funds need to support the Confederacy to fight the war. However, His faith and zeal led him to raise the strong confederate army. ||= Confed ||
 * 12.Philip Kearney || Even before the Civil War, Kearney had experience being a military leader. When the Civil War started, Kearney was appointed a very high position (brigadier general) and was known as one of the best soldiers. He climbed higher in the rankings during the Peninsula Campaign and was eventually killed after the Second Bull Run. ||= Union ||
 * 13.Samuel Cooper || Samuel Cooper was one of the highest ranking Confederate generals during the Civil War. He was in charge of the official records of the Confederate Army. This was eventually passed on to the government. ||= Confed ||
 * 14.Albert Sidney Johnston || An outstanding solider, he performed greatly in the Black Hawk and Mexican war. He admired Texas; so when Texas seceded from the union, he left the US. Army and joined the Confederacy. He became a full general, and despite the blame that he took from his subordinates' inability to secure the assigned area, he showed his worth when he surprised the Union Army at Corinth, Mississippi and thus began the Battle of Shiloh. A stray bullet shot his leg, but he ignored the injury and later died. His death was a great loss of a promising general to the Confederacy. ||= Confed ||
 * 15.Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth || He was the North's promising general who became the first officer to die in the civil war. He joined the National Guard company in his youth and exhibited great leadership, turning the inexperienced company into a group of skilled soldiers known as the United States Zouve Cadets of Chicago. During his stay in Springfield, he became a great friend of Lincoln and helped him in his campaign. When a mission was called to control strategic points on Virginia, Ellsworth volunteered and successfully captured the area. In the town, he entered the inn to take down a large Confederate Flag, but he was ambushed by the innkeeper and died. The North commemorated his death with great mourning. ||= Union ||
 * 16.Nathan Bedford Forrest || Born into a poor family, Forrest rose to become a successful planter and slave trader. He joined the Confederate army, and despite the lack of formal training, he led a series of brilliant raids that elevated him to the post of lieutenant general. For his fearless tactic and riding skill, he became the most feared cavalry commander. He demonstrated his prowess in the Battle of Brice's Cross roads, where the U.S. Army suffered one of the worst defeats. ||= Confed ||
 * 17.Pierce Gustave Toutant Bearegard || General Bearegard exhibited great skill as an engineer in the Mexican War, but his sympathy for the South led him to resign the U.S. Army and join the Confederacy. He commanded the bombardment of Fort Sumter and was able to get the surrender from U.S. Major Robert Anderson; this became the South's first victory in the Civil War. He served in many major battles and supported the Confederate Army. However, he proved to be a better engineer than a general, and his quick temper angered many. By the end of the war, he became the commander of the Military Division of the West, which carried no military power. He was later called to assist General Johnston, but he failed to prevent the surrender, so he went back to New Orleans and held various posts afterward. ||= Confed ||
 * 18. George Brinton McClellan || George McClellan was a skilled military leader. In the early stages of the Civil War, he was able to protect Ohio from attacks. Later on, he became more aggressive and attacked the Confederacy's capital, Richmond. He earned the respect of Lincoln and was in charge of more attacks. However, when he was slow to obey, he lost his position. ||= Union ||
 * 19.J.E.B Stuart || JEB Stuart was a general during the Civil war, fighting numerous successful battles during his time in the Civil War. However, his most influential work was his failure against Robert E. Lee. Stuart had not accomplished his mission to keep an eye on the Union army and keep alert of their movement. Unable to do so, the Confederates had to face another great loss in battle. ||= Confed ||
 * 20.Ambrose Burnside || Burnside was a general who led a couple of successful and unsuccessful battle in the Union's army. After graduating from the military academy and having served in the Mexican War, he started a carbine company that went bankrupt. A series of other misfortunes followed, until Lincoln appointed him as a brigade general for his role in the First Battle of Bull Run. However, in the Battle of Antietem, his delayed action allowed the Confederates to retreat successfully. Afterward, insstead of McClellan, Lincoln chose Burnside to lead the Army at Potomac, but his shortsight cost the Union a heavy loss that came to be known as "Burnside's Mud March." He managed to recover his honor through a series of later victories, but his failure at the Battle of Petersburg finally cost his job. He returned to the Rhode Island and held his post as a senator until his death. ||= Union ||

II. Key Battles

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 * Name of Battle || Importance || Date || Winner ||
 * Battle at Fort Sumter || The Battle of Fort Sumter started the civil War. Fort Sumter was a fort in Charleston's harbor, South Carolina. Though it itself did not have much strategic value, it had the symbolic meaning of unity; despite the secession, federal troop still occupied the fort. The unity, however, started break when in January the Confederate group forced the federal supply ship bound for the fort to turn back. Because Lincoln pledged to keep peace unless the Confederates attacked, and because the Fort symbolized union, Lincoln promised the South that he would only send the food supply, not the troops. Before the supply could arrive, however, on April 10 General Bearegard under Davis's order demanded the surrender of the fort. Major Anderson, who defended the fort at the time, refused, and Bearegard shelled the fort from the shore. Because the fort was designed to defend the outside attack, the guns were all positioned towards the sea, not towards the shore; therefore, the fort suffered critical damage without inflicting much damage to the confederate group. As a result, Anderson surrendered the fort to the Confederate after 34 hours. Confederate's attack initated Lincoln to call for volunteer, which resulted in the secession of the Upper South as well. The destruction of Fort Sumter meant the destruction of union and the start of a civil war. || 4/12/1861 || Confederates ||
 * First Battle of Bull Run || This battle was the first official battle after the Battle of Fort Sumter. President Lincoln wanted to supress the "rebels" as soon as possible, so although General McDowell needed more time to discipline the army, Lincoln sent him to fight the Confederates. Consequently, the Union lost. This battle made people aware that this war would probably last a long time. Prior to this battle, people thought the war would be a small skirmish, and they were actually excited about the war. There were even civilians who came to have a picnic and watch the battle! || 7/21/1861 || Confederates ||
 * Battle of the Monitor and Merrimac (at Hampton Roads) || The South created an ironclad vessel by plating an obsolete, wooden steamship called the Merrimack with iron. Commanded by Captain Buchanan, the Merrimack had no ship from the North to match its strength; the North's Congress and Cumberland sank helplessly. In response, under Captain Ericsson's direction, the North created the Monitor; made entirely out of iron, the North constructed it within 100 days. Compared to the Merrimack, though, the Monitor was very small. The Monitor met the Merrimack at the Hampton road to protect the Union's Minnesota. Even after several hours of bombardment, neither ship received critical damage, and finally the Merrimack withdrew to the base in Norfolk, where it was destroyed in May to prevent the North from taking it. Meanwhile, the Monitor capsized in a storm in December. Though the battle itself ended with no definite victory, the battle of ironclads showed that the age of woodenship was over. || 3/9/1862 || Neither ||
 * Battle of the Shiloh || The battle of Shiloh was a fight where both sides had great casualties. The Confederate forces performed a surprise attack on the Union forces at Pittsburgh Landing. At first it seemed like a huge victory for the Confederacy, but as the Confederates lost their general the victory was passed on the Union. || 4/6/1862 || Union ||
 * Battle of New Orleans || The South believed that the New Orleans' forts were impenetrable, rightfully thinking so. For a week, a Union fleet used 16,800 shells to no success. Having no success, the Union tried a new tactic by marching forward with their fleet, which proved to be successful. The Union forced the Confederates out of their second largest city and their largest port. || 4/16/1862 || Union ||
 * Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oak) || Battle of Seven pines was one of the major battles in General McClellan's advance towards Richmond. While General McClellan was slowly advancing towards Richmond, calling for more troops at various intervals, Confederate's General Johnston devised a plan to isolate and destroy McClellan's Union III and IV troops, which was at the south of Chickahominy River at that time.Though the plan started badly, with a considerable delay and a small portion of army participating, the South did mange to flank and push the IV corp to their secondary line of defense at Seven Pines. The IV troop was eventually pushed back farther to Fair Oak Station,but with II corp's reinforcement, the North held the line of defense. At that night, General Johnston was shot at the shoulder and was replaced by General Robert Lee, who could not push back the troops either. Though the battle did not end in a decive victory for either side, it shook the North's confidence and deterred McClellan's further action for a few weeks. || 5/31/1862 || Neither ||
 * Second Battle of Bull Run || This battle also proved the inefficiency of the Union generals. This time, General John Pope took command of the Union army. General Lee of the Confederacy divided his army and sent one portion to attack Pope's position from the back. In response, Pope led his whole army to attack the portion of confederate soldiers. Lee surprised Pope by attacking Pope's army with the other portion of his army. This battle ended in the defeat of the Union side || 8/28/1862 || Confederates ||
 * Battle of South Mountain || General Robert E. Lee was on his way to Maryland to severe the rail lines to Washington and obtain supplies. To distract the Union army, he divided his army and stationed them in different regions. General McClellan did not know where Robert E. Lee was heading, until a piece of document, known as Special Order 191, was found wrapped around cigars near the Confederate Camp. Deviating from his usual indecisiveness, General McClellan moved swiftly towards Lee's army, and in order to cross the South Mountain quickly, he divided his army into three groups. The Left wing, led by General Franklin, easily overwhelmed the Confederate army and captured the Crampton's Gap. Similarlily, the Right Wing, led by Burnside, captured Turner's and Fox's gaps. The Confederates fell back, Despite their success, the Union army did not pursue them further out of exhaustion and McClellan's indesiveness, and this gave Lee a time to withdraw from the area and reconstruct their army. Though the Union suffered much more casualities, the capturing of gaps improved the morale and put Lee on the defensive. However, had McClellan attacked the Confederates immediately after he captured the gaps, he could have earned a turning point victory for the union. || 9/14/1862 || Union ||
 * Battle of Antietam || This battle was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Prior to the war, a union soldier found the the orders of the Confederate general Robert E. Lee wrapped around a cigar in an abandoned Confederate camp. McClellan, the Union general, being a too-cautious individual, did not make a surprise attack to the Confederates, and instead waited. This gave time to the Confederates to learn of the Union army's plans, and at the Battle of Antietam, the two opposing sides clashed. Towards the end of the battle, Lee's troops were suffering more than McClellan's troops. Although the Union side won, they did not win a "complete" victory because McClellan did not vigorously pursue Lee and his crippled troops when they retreated. This battle shows the weaknesses of the Union side's generals || 9/16/1862 || Union ||
 * Battle of Fredericksburg || The victory of the battle of Fredricksburg was given to the Confederates. Burnside continuously sent his troops into to Confederates’ gunfire of a total of seven times. This let to around 13,000 casualties for the Union force while there was 5,000 casualties for the Confederates. Eventually Burnside resigned after his loss. || 12/13/1862 || Confederates ||
 * Battle of Chancellorsville || The battle of Chancellorsville, is considered one of Lee’s greatest battles but also a battle where he lost his “right arm” (Stonewall Jackson). Hooker ordered his army to build a strong defensive position around Chancellorsville.By staying in a forest with thick trees, it made it easier for them to move unseen. However, Hook and his soldiers had a surprise attack. The Union forces quickly retreated across the river. || 5/1/1863 || Confederates ||
 * Battle of Vicksburg || This battle was one of the major victories of Union General, Ulysses S. Grant, who later became the commander-in-chief. Grant made many attempts to overcome Vicksburg, which was a city located high above a sharp bend in the Mississippi River and safe from attack. He then decided to target Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, to draw out soldiers from Vicksburg. After capturing Jackson, Grant met the Confederate army on his way to Vicksburg and won but failed to capture the Confederates. Finally, Grant laid a siege around Vicksburg, so that they would surrender because of the lack of food. The Confederates surrendered eventually, and the Union side won. With the capture of Vicksburg, the Mississippi River was split in half for the Confederates. || 5/18/1863 || Union ||
 * Battle of Gettysburg || This battle was the turning point for the Union side. It was a three-day battle. On the first day, the Confederate troops were winning. On the second day, the General under Lee, General Longstreet, took until afternoon to become ready for attack, which gave Union soldiers time to recover. At one point, one of the hills near the Union position were vacant, and the Confederates tried to seize it, but the Union was too quick for them. After reaching the hilltop, Union soldiers fired repeatedly to the Confederates, making them retreat. On the third day, the major battle began in the early afternoon when the Confederates started to bombard cannons to the Union side. When the Union stopped firing, the Confederates directly charged at the Union position and started what is known as "Pickett's Charge." The Union soldiers fired continuously. The Pickett's Charge vanquished an extremely large amount of Confederate soldiers and it officially ended the battle. The Union side won, and this battle initiated a string of victories for the Union side. || 6/1/1863 || Union ||
 * Battle of Chickamauga || This was actually one of the last battles that the Confederates won before the War ended. At first, the Confederate used trickery to catch the Union off guard and succeeded, but was too slow to take advantage of it. However, the Confederates were able to take advantage of confusion in the Union, which ultimately brought them the victory. After this point, the Confederates kept on attacking until the Union surrendered. || 9/18/1863 || Confederates ||
 * Battle of Wilderness || The battle of wilderness was complete chaos. While fighting, many trees caught on fire which led to the death of many soldiers. General Longstreet was accidentally shot by one of his own soldiers as the smoke from the burning trees filled the atmosphere making it harder to tell the difference between the two sides. Even though the Union forces had lost many men from this battle, they did not retreat but went around the Confederates and continued South. || 5/5/1864 || Neither ||
 * Battle of Cold Harbor || The battle of Cold Harbor was a battle that once again showed that the Civil War would not end soon. During this battle, the Confederates once had the advantage. They were behind strong fortification whereas the Union forces didn’t have a cover. Around 7,000 Union soldiers were dead within the first hour of the battle. || 5/31/1864 || Confederates ||
 * Battle of Brice's Crossroad || Battle of Brice's Crossroad was a Confederate's great success. Led by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Confederate's small cavalry troop met General Stargis's comparably huge troop at Brice's crossroad. The 2610 out of total 3105 casualties were the Union's soldiers. The huge victory confirmed the General Forrest's reputation as the most feared cavalry general of the south. || 6/10/1864 || Confederates ||
 * Siege of Petersburg || This battle was necessary for the Confederates because without this battle, Richmond, their capital, would have fallen. However, even from the beginning, the Union had a clear advantage with more supplies and troops. Because of this, the Confederates slowly lost power and lost troops. Eventually, they had to retreat from both Petersburg and Richmond || 6/15/1864 || Union ||
 * Battle of Atlanta || Sherman had a goal of conquering Atlanta. However, between Atlanta and his army, there were mountains filled with Confederate armies. Slowly, Sherman began pushing the Confederates back to Atlanta, until they could retreat no more. At this point, there were 31,000 casualties and one of the largest city in the South has been taken. || 7/22/1864 || Union ||
 * Battle of Nashville || The Confederates tried to go to Nashville from Tennessee before the Union got there but failed. The harsh conditions were slowing them down while the Union were setting up for a battle. While the two sides didn't immediately battle, eventually the Confederates had to flee. They were chased by the Union for 10 days until they surrendered. || 12/16/1984 || Union ||

III. Civil War Timeline

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*References

Part 1: The Key Figures
 * "Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War." http://www.essortment.com/all/abrahamlincoln_rrzw.htm
 * "Ulysses S. Grant: The Hero of the Civil War." http://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/usg2.html. America: Pathways to the Present. Authors: Cayton, Perry, Reed, Winkler.
 * America: Pathways to the Present. Authors: Cayton, Perry, Reed, Winkler.
 * "Jefferson Davis." http://www.tulane.edu/~latner/Davis.html. "Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederate States of America." http://americancivilwar.com/south/jeffdavi.html
 * About famous people: William Tecumesh Sherman http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1187.html
 * HistoryNet www.historynet.com/john-c-calhoun-he-started-the-civil-war.htm
 * Civil War Preservation Trust www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/patrick-cleburne.html
 * HistoryNet www.historynet.com/john-c-calhoun-he-started-the-civil-war.htm
 * The American Civil War www.mycivilwar.com/leaders/cooper_samuels.htm
 * The American Civil War http://www.mycivilwar.com/leaders/us.htm
 * American Civil War Society : http://www.acws.co.uk/archives/history/biograph.htm#kearny_p
 * Ohio History Central : http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=258
 * BBC :http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3320858
 * Webster : http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/dix.html
 * About famous people: Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1011.html
 * About famous people: Pierce Gustave toutant Bearguard http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1040.html
 * "Mary Edwards Walker: Civil War Doctor." http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/walker.htm.
 * About Famous People: Albert Sidney Johnston http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1170.html
 * About Famous People: Ambrose Everett Burnside http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1156.html
 * About Famous People: Nathan Bedford Forrest []

Part 2: The Key Battle


 * America: Pathways to the Present (Cayton, Perry, Reed, Winkler)
 * "Battle Summaries: Antietam." [].
 * "Battle of Antietam." []
 * "Battle Summaries: Manassas, Second." []
 * "The Battle of Vicksburg." [].
 * Sons of the South, [],
 * About.com, Battle of Seven Pines []
 * About. com, Battle of South Mountain: []
 * Battle Summaries []
 * About.com, Battle of Brice's Crossroads ([])
 * History Central : [] & Military History Encyclopedia On the Web:
 * []
 * History Central : [] & Military History Encyclopedia On the Web: []
 * History Central : [] & Military History Encyclopedia On the Web: []
 * Military History Encyclopedia On the Web : []
 * America's Story from America's Library : []