(17.4-17.5) The Strain of the War & The War's Final Stages

Question 1

The military leadership of these two men helped the South win key battles in the east.

Answer 1

Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson

Question 2

Who were the Generals at the Battle of Fredericksburg?

Answer 2

North-Ambrose Burnside

South-Robert E. Lee

Question 3

What happened at Fredericksburg?

Answer 3

The South got entrenched on the high ground on December 13, 1862, the Union Army attacked but was driven back and defeated. They suffered heavy losses and General Burnside resigned after.

Question 4

Who were the Generals at Chancellorsville?

Answer 4

North-Joseph Hooker

South-Robert E. Lee

Question 5

What happened at Chancellorsville?

Answer 5

The Union has twice as many men but Lee divides his troops with one group attacking from the front while the other group attacks the Union flank (side). The Union withdraws from the battle but the victory is costly for the South as Stonewall Jackson dies.

Question 6

True or False: African Americans made up more than 30% of the Southern population and were allowed to fight in the war.

Answer 6

False: Although they made up over 30% of the population they were not allowed to fight in the war. The South considered it but felt that they would attack fellow troops.

Question 7

True or False: The North resisted at allowing African Americans to fight but by 1862, they felt that they needed more soldiers so Congress reversed its policy and allowed African Americans to sign up.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

What was the most famous African American regiment that fought in the Civil War?

Answer 8

The 54th Massachusetts

Question 9

Who led the 54th Massachusetts regiment?

Answer 9

Colonel Robert Gould Shaw

Question 10

What were the results of the 54th Massachusetts on the battlefield?

Answer 10

While white soldiers doubted the fighting ability of the African American soldiers, the 54th led the assault on Fort Wagner and served with distinction at the Battle of Olustee as well. The 54th Massachusetts and other African American regiments became famous for their courage in battle.

Question 11

Who was the leading Southern General at Gettysburg?

Answer 11

Robert E. Lee

Question 12

When was the Battle of Gettysburg fought?

Answer 12

July 1-3, 1863

Question 13

Who was the General who took over the top Union command three days before Gettysburg?

Answer 13

General George Meade

Question 14

Why does the South decide to attack the North?

Answer 14

They wanted to impress Britain/France. If the Confederates seemed to be winning, maybe they could get help from Britain/France, who missed Southern goods (cotton).

Question 15

What were the key details at the Battle of Gettysburg?

Answer 15

Gettysburg was not a key site. It was almost an accident that the battle took place there. Confederates go into town looking for supplies but encounter the North. The battle starts at 7:30 am on July 1 and the Union troops retreat to Cemetery Ridge (high ground). On July 2nd, Southern generals try to drive the Union from hills named Round Top and Little Round Top but the Union forces hold. The plan was for the Southern Army to fire 140 cannons at the Union, then General george Pickett would lead thousands of troops in attack on the Union position on Cemetery Ridge. It doesn’t succeed (half of the men who started the attack die or are wounded). At the end of the battle, there were over 48,000 casualties (25,000 for the South and 23,000 for the North). The loss at Gettysburg ended all hope for the South of gaining help from France or Britain.

Question 16

Define “siege”:

Answer 16

To surround or blockade a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender.

Question 17

When did the Gettysburg Address take place?

Answer 17

November 19, 1863

Question 18

What happened at Vicksburg?

Answer 18

Ulysses S. Grant attacked the city relentlessly with 77,000 troops and in May of 1863 began a siege of the city. The siege lasted 47 days and on July 4, 1863, Vicksburg fell.

Question 19

What happened in March of 1864?

Answer 19

Lincoln put Ulysses S. Grant in charge of all union armies with a plan to finish the war.

Question 20

What happened in May & June of 1864?

Answer 20

Grant & Lee met in three fierce battles near Richmond, VA. The battles were the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, and Cold Harbor. Grant attacked Lee’s forces relentlessly.

Question 21

What happened at Petersburg?

Answer 21

Grant lays siege to Petersburg and it eventually falls.

Question 22

What happened at Atlanta in July of 1864?

Answer 22

General William Tecumseh Sherman faced Southern general John Hood. Sherman then lays siege to Atlanta and Hood abandons the city.

Question 23

What happened at Mobile Bay?

Answer 23

Rear Admiral David Farragut, in August of 1864, leads a fleet of 18 ships into Mobile Bay, AL. To make sure that he saw everything, he climbed up the ship’s rigging and had himself tied in place. Torpedoes were in the water but Farragut refused to back down, saying, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” The mission succeeds and the Union blocks the last Southern port east of the Mississippi.

Question 24

What happened with the Election of 1864?

Answer 24

It seemed unlikely that Lincoln would win a reelection but the victories at Atlanta and Mobile Bay make Northerners believe that victory was possible. Lincoln wins his second term over the Democratic candidate General George McClellan. His reelection was a sign from voters that they wanted slavery ended.

Question 25

What was Sherman’s March to the Sea?

Answer 25

To break the will of the South, Sherman burned down Atlanta in November of 1864. He even across Georgia to Savannah and burned down cities and crops. He then headed North into the Carolinas, tearing up railroad lines, fields, and killing livestock. This is known as “total war”, which involves targeting the enemy’s army, land, and people. Thousands of African Americans followed his army for protection.

Question 26

When did the CIvil War formally end?

Answer 26

April 9, 1865

Question 27

Where did the Civil War end?

Answer 27

Appomattox Court House, VA

Question 28

What were Grant’s terms for the South’s surrender at Appomattox Court House?

Answer 28

Ulysses S. Grant’s terms were that Lee’s men could keep their firearms and horses. The soldiers would also not be disturbed as they went home. Grant also gave food to Lee’s troops. America’s deadliest war ended with dignity and compassion.

Question 29

Explain the fall of Richmond.

Answer 29

On April 2, 1865, Confederate lines broke at Petersburg and Lee retreated. The Union army then headed to Richmond. Jefferson Davis and other officials fled the city. On April 3, Lincoln visited the City of Petersburg and then on April 4, Lincoln and military officials arrive in Richmond.

Question 30

What was the toll of the war?

Answer 30

More lives are lost in the Civil War than any other conflict in American history. Approximately 620,000 are killed (Union–360,000, Confederates 260,000). The war cost billions of dollars and left Southern farms in ruins. North’s victory saves the Union and shows that the national government was more powerful that the states. The war also freed African Americans and ended slavery in the US.