THE US CIVIL WAR Upwards of 10,000 battles, skirmishes or clashes, spread across the entire span of the United States - Vermont, Florida, Missouri, Arizona the battles of the Civil War were numerous and all over the place. But you, as a young Civil War historian, only need to know the battles listed on this packet. These are the big ones, the ones that had the greatest impact on the conflict, the ones discussed in countless books and documentaries, and the ones that (mostly) Taft has visited. You will use multiple online and text sources to prepare yourself for these battles, and then we will discuss each in class in order to get a better understanding of what happened and why it is important. A you read, listen, watch, or experience, write some notes about what happened leading up to the battle in this section. Give each battle a clever and creative nickname that will help you remember the even. Seven states seceded after election of Lincoln in November 1860 New country forms Confederate States of America capital in Montgomery Alabama, President Jefferson Davis Fort Sumter in Charleston is held by federal troops, led by Major Anderson DC tried to provision ship before, but south fired on ship Lincoln inaugurated, worries about reinforcing southern forts, possibly starting hostilities April 12, 1861 Lincoln tried to provision the Fort, told governor of SC (not CSA) Davis and CSA told SC Gov to stop ship and get Fort to surrender, or take the fort Confederate cannons fired early on April 12, fort held for 30+ hours, surrendered the next day No casualties in the battle one died and another wounded during 100-gun salute to the flag First military action of the Civil War Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers, Northern states support the call quickly Southern states are appalled at Lincoln s action, four more states (including Virginia) secede Draw some sort of illustration or diagram that will help you remember about the battle - what happened, important figures, the overall impact, a specific item Use your resources at home and online AND your class experiences to add detailed notes to each of these two sections this is test material
July 21, 1861 page 485 March, 1862 -
April, 1862 pages 493-495 September 17, 1862 pages 496-497
December, 1862 page 513 May, 1863 page 513 battlefield in April! follows here but we will cover that in detail with different notes, and then visit the
May-July, 1863 page 513-514 September, 1863
s Spring-Summer, 1864 page 518 Leading up to the event Fall, 1864
s Fall, 1863-Spring,1864 page 518-519 Leading up to the event April, 1865 page 519
After the end of the Civil War, scholars began to compile facts and figures as a way to help grasp the scope and cost of the bloody four-year struggle. Exact numbers have been impossible to ascertain in many instances, but over the years historians have come to agree on general estimates: More than 2,000,000 soldiers and sailors fought for the North during the Civil War, while fewer than 750,000 men fought for the South. Union deaths during the war totaled more than 360,000 men, fewer than a third of which were combat related. Most of the dead succumbed to diseases, of which diarrhea was the most deadly, accounting for more than 44,500 deaths. Figures for the almost 200,000 Northern black soldiers are even more startling. More than 29,000 died of disease, while only 2,751 succumbed to combat related causes. Confederate deaths have been calculated as somewhat fewer than 260,000 men, with 164,000 estimated to have been caused by disease. More than 30,000 Union soldiers died while incarcerated in Confederate prisons. More than 26,000 Southerners died in Union prisons. Only 4,084 of the 132,554 Union sailors died during the war. Only 1,084 died in combat, with the rest killed by disease or accident. The combat deaths include 342 scalded to death when their ships' boilers were struck by enemy fire and 308 sailors who drowned. Five thousand soldiers in the Union armies drowned during the war. THE COST OF WAR Total Casualties in selected battles Gettysburg Federal 23,053 Confederate 28,063 Seven Days Battles Federal 15,849 Confederate 20,614 Chickamauga Federal 16,170 Confederate 18,454 Chancellorsville / Second Fredericksburg Federal 16,845 Confederate 12,764 Wilderness Federal 17,666 Confederate 7,500 Antietam Federal 12,410 Confederate 10,316 Second Manassas / Chantilly Federal 16,054 Confederate 9,286 Shiloh Federal 13,047 Confederate 10,694 Stones River Federal 9,532 Confederate 9,239 Fredericksburg Federal 12,653 Confederate 5,309 Cold Harbor Federal 13,058 Confederate 2,600 The Cost of the War In dollars and cents, the U.S. government estimated Jan. 1863 that the war was costing $2.5 million daily. A final official estimate in 1879 totaled $6,190,000,000. The Confederacy spent perhaps $2,099,808,707. By 1906 another $3.3 billion already had been spent by the U.S. government on Northerners' pensions and other veterans' benefits for former Federal soldiers. Southern states and private philanthropy provided benefits to the Confederate veterans. The amount spent on benefits eventually well exceeded the war's original cost. Inflation affected both Northern and Southern assets but hit those of the Confederacy harder. Northern currency fluctuated in value, and at its lowest point $2.59 in Federal paper money equaled $1 in gold. The Confederate currency so declined in purchasing power that eventually $60-$70 equaled a gold dollar. The physical devastation, almost all of it in the South, was enormous: burned or plundered homes, pillaged countryside, untold losses in crops and farm animals, ruined buildings and bridges, devastated college campuses, and neglected roads all left the South in ruins. Source: "Historical Times Encyclopedia of the Civil War"