TIMELINE
January 1, 1863 July 1-3, 1863 July 4, 1863 November 19, 1863 March 1864Emancipation Gettysburg Address Ulysses Grant put inProclamation charge of all Union
armies
Battle of Vicksburg
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Details:
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Union Casualties: Confederate Casualties:
May 18-July 4, 1863
Vicksburg sits on top of a hill overlooking a sharp turn on the Mississippi River
Union victory at Vicksburg –•Split Confederacy in half•Gave Union control of Mississippi River•Hurt southern morale•Earned Ulysses Grant promotion to head of all Union armies
Effect of Union victory at Vicksburg
Ulysses S. Grant John C. Pemberton
4, 536 31,277
Battle of Gettysburg Battle of Vicksburg
Union ships had to slow down to make the turn on the river near Vicksburg. This made them vulnerable to the guns at Vicksburg.General Ulysses S. Grant
put Vicksburg under siege and constant bombardment, causing residents to live in caves.
There are over 1300 monuments at the battle site, over 20 miles of trenches, and a 16-mile paved road that loops around the battlefield today.
Battle of Gettysburg
Date:
Location:
Union General: Confederate General:
Important Details:
Union Casualties: Confederate Casualties:
Why so Deadly? Gettysburg Day 3 – Pickett’s Charge
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July 1-3, 1863
Just north of the Pennsylvania-Maryland border; the only major battle fought in a free state
George Meade Robert E. Lee
•Deadliest battle of the war (over 50,000 casualties)•Turns tide of the war in favor of the Union•Confederacy never had enough men and supplies to attack again; they could only defend
23,186 28,063
•Springfield rifle replaced musket as main weapon.
•Rifles shoot farther and are more accurate.
•Cone-shaped bullets replace musket balls.
•This gives the advantage to the defense.
•Makes offensive charges, like Pickett’s Charge, suicidal.
5675 casualties out of 10,500 men
Civil War battlefields were among the first to be photographed. Several pictures were taken of Gettysburg before bodies were removed from the battlefield.
The Confederate army suffered over 50% casualties when General Lee ordered his troops to march uphill across an open field on the third day of Gettysburg.
Seminary Ridge
Cemetery Ridge
Minie balls were cone-shaped bullets that were hollowed out at the bottom. The exploding gunpowder caused the hollowed out area to expand, allowing the grooves to catch the rifling inside the barrel. This caused the bullet to spin, allowing to go farther and faster.
The Springfield rifle was more accurate than the musket.
Many soldiers carried bayonets, but the accuracy of the rifle made them obsolete. Less than 1% of all battle wounds were caused by bayonets.