The year 1863 had been the bloodiest of the war yet. 1864 will be even worse.

“Today closes the gloomiest year of our struggle.” –The Richmond Examiner New Year’s Eve 1863

The CSA is growing very short on manpower. They expand the draft, now the oldest and youngest were being drafted. The CSA has also decided to arm slaves that wish to fight for their freedom

Grant has been moved to the east

He leaves in command Gen. William T. Sherman

His objective is the capturing of Atlanta, GA

Destroy Georgia and break the deep South into pieces

Braxton Bragg has resigned and in his place is now recovered Gen. Joseph E. Johnston

The President has drawn up his plans for the eventual reconstruction of the Union

His plan is very forgiving and not well received by the radicals in Congress

His plan is called the 10% Plan

In the spring of 1864 Chattanooga is the launching pad for the invasion of the deep South

The CSA army is made up of two main bodies- the Army of Northern Virginia, about 66,000 and the Army of Tennessee under Gen. J.E. Johnston at 60,000

There are two smaller armies for the CSA. One in the Shenandoah Valley protecting what is left of the food source for the CSA and in western Tennessee under Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest

Gen. Johnston knows the importance of Atlanta and understands that it must not fall to the Union

Atlanta is vital to the CSA because it holds the last major munitions factory and the last major railway depot for the deep South

Gen. Johnston is playing chess with Gen. Sherman maneuvering his army around Atlanta forcing Sherman to chase him

All the while he is maintaining the objective of keeping Atlanta under CSA control

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The most controversial battle of the Civil War

Did Gen. Forrest order the execution of black Union troops that had surrendered at Ft. Pillow?

When the fort is captured by superior numbered Confederates it is said that Forrest gave the commander 20 minutes to surrender

Read what happened next...

In the east it is Lee vs. the 8th commanding general of the Army of the Potomac, General Grant

The first battle between the two will take place in the Wilderness near Chancellorsville, VA

Gen. Lee wants Grant to attack him in the Wilderness.

Most southerners were use to the woods and moved easier than Union within them

Few can become many in the woods

Northern artillery is ineffective inside the dense wilderness

The battle begins as Grant did what Lee had hoped and entered the Wilderness to do battle.

Because of the intensity of the battle large portions of the battle field caught fire and a good deal of the wounded were burned to death from the flames

On May 6th Gen. Longstreet was wounded by his own men, he will survive the wound

After two days of battle the CSA lost 8,000 men. The Union lost 17,000

Late at night on May 6th Gen. Grant has told his troops they are marching out. Now is the time of truth is it home to D.C. or on after Lee?

“Grant’s military standing with the enlisted men hung on the direction we turned at the Chancellorsville House. If to the left, he was to be rated with Meade and Hooker and Burnside and Pope- the generals who preceded him... We turned to the right. Instantly all of us heard a sigh of relief. Our spirits rose. We marched freely. The men began to sing. The enlisted men understood the flanking movement. That night we were happy.” Pvt. Frank Wilkeson, New York Light Artillery

General Grant is going to implement a new type of warfare- a war of attrition. Maintain constant contact with the Army of Northern Virginia, do not let him rest and recoup. Wear down the army by using the superior numbers of the Union

Spotsylvania will be a 12 day battle between the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac

May 12 will be the bloodiest of the battle. 12,000 men will fall over one square mile of land.

The battle will end on May 19th when Gen. Grant pulls out and continues South toward Richmond

On May 11, 1864 at Yellow Tavern the CSA cavalry under J.E.B. Stuart will do battle with the cavalry of Phillip Sheridan and the Army of the Potomac

The 4,500 mounted cavalry of the CSA will fight to a stand off with the 10,000 Union

As the Union cavalry is withdrawing a dismounted soldier will shoot and mortally wound Stuart

The loss of Jackson has continued to plaque the army

Gen. Longstreet was severely wounded in the Wilderness Campaign

A.P. Hill is always sick-hypochondriac

Gen. Ewell is still acting indecisively as Jackson’s replacement

In 1864 as a part of his duties Gen. Grant will suspend the exchange of military prisoners between the North and South

This will weaken the South but as a result sign the death certificate of many Northern prisoners

Download Prisoners, Paroling and Pardons

The Confederacy has dug in behind well constructed defenses still Gen. Grant orders the assault

In one half hour Grant will lose 7,000 men!

Later in his memoirs this is the one assault he wishes he had never ordered

To date Gen. Grant has lost 60,000 soldiers- a number equal to Gen. Lee’s entire army

The objective is the main railroad depot just outside of Richmond

Gen. Grant understands that if he can capture the railroad depot then the days are numbered for Richmond and the CSA

Most famous event is the battle at the crater that occurs during the Petersburg siege

Gen. Grant decides to continue to harass Gen. Lee and his troops protecting Petersburg

Near Atlanta Gen. Sherman is beginning to take the offensive. Gen. Johnston has successfully prevented the destruction of his army and the capture of Atlanta

He has won the respect of his men as well, something he did not have earlier in the war Battle of New Hope Church, a stand off but Sherman pulls

back Battle at Kennesaw Mountain, a Southern victory but

Sherman is determined to get to Atlanta

With Sherman on the outskirts of the city Jefferson Davis makes a grave mistake... He replaces Gen J.E. Johnston with Gen. John Bell Hood

The Confederacy’s only full Admiral, Franklin Buchannan waited in Mobile Bay on board his flagship the CSS Tennessee

The Confederates had sown the channel with torpedoes, today we would call them mines.

Adm. Farragut would brave the mines and make it into Mobile Bay eventually capturing the Tennessee and the Bay.

August 5, 1864 Download the Battle of

Mobile Bay

Gen. Hood was a no nonsense fighter. He took the fight to the enemy and tried to overwhelm him with the Texans he led.

On September 2, 1864 Gen. Hood and the Army of Tennessee had to evacuate Atlanta

Gen. Sherman gave the citizens one hour to pack up and get out before the city was burnt to the ground

Gen. Sherman will now begin his march to the sea.

Gen. Grant realizes that the CSA is living off the Valley

Gen. Grant orders Gen. Sheridan to defeat Gen. Early, who was protecting the Valley and then “...destroy the Valley so thoroughly that a crow flying over would have to carry its own rations.”

Few campaigns of the Civil War brought more bitterness and hate than the Valley Campaign

On the heels of major victories in Mobile, Atlanta and interior Virginia the mood is optimistic that the war will soon be over

President Lincoln defeated Democrat George B. McClellan who promised peace with the South

Sherman had lived generously off the country, helping himself to the private property of Southern families.

Gen. Sherman and his troops began the march on November 14 and arrived in Savannah by December 22

" I beg to present to you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton."

The purpose of the people...to maintain the integrity of the Union, was never more firm, or nearly more unanimous, than now. We are gaining strength, and may, if need be, maintain the contest indefinitely.” - Abraham Lincoln

The Confederate States consist of the Carolina’s and the southern most strip of Virginia

“The truth is, the whole army is burning with an insatiable desire to wreak vengeance upon South Carolina. I almost tremble at her fate, but feel that she deserves all that seems to be in store for her.” –Gen. Sherman

February 1865 Gen. Sherman and his army are burning Columbia, SC to the ground

Looting and pillaging were common place as the Union is paying SC back for what she started

Gen. Grant has matched every move General Lee has attempted to side step him and get closer to The Army of Tennessee under Gen. J.E. Johnston

February 1865 the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed. Slavery is illegal throughout the United States

Late March Gen. Grant is pressing Gen. Lee and it is working. On April 2, in a battle at Petersburg Gen. A.P. Hill is killed. Gen. Lee sends word to Richmond to evacuate the city

April 4, 1865 President Lincoln sits in Jefferson Davis’ chair at the Confederate White House in Richmond

Gen. Lee has been herded to Appomattox

On April 8, 1865 Gen. Grant begins writing letters to Gen. Lee telling him that the situation is over. The CSA has no escape and any further bloodshed will be on Gen. Lee’s hands

Gen. Lee ask to meet with Gen. Grant on April 9

At Appomattox Gen. Grant will give very generous terms to Gen. Lee.

The terms will be signed in the parlor of Wilmer McLean’s house. Officers will be allowed to keep their side arms and

baggage Every man that has one may keep his horse Each man will receive 10 days of rations All may go home never to be bothered again

The Confederates must give up their arms and battle flags

Gen. Lee will be indicted for treason against the United States, but never prosecuted

July 13, 1865 he applies for Federal pardon but it is refused

“I believe it to be the duty of everyone to unite in the restoration of the country and the establishment of peace and harmony.”

In 1975 he will become an American citizen again

•More than 360,000 Union soldiers die as a result of the war. Another 270,000 are wounded.•At least 258,000 Confederates are dead with another 100,000 wounded•In today’s numbers that would be over 5 million killed!•The best and brightest on both sides- young men who would be expected to lead the country into the future have been killed or disabled

The play was Our American Cousin, a comedy that Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln were very much looking forward to seeing.

The play will be at Ford’s Theater

John Wilkes Booth a very famous actor but a southern sympathizer, had developed a plan to kidnap the President in exchange for Southern prisoners. Now that the war is over his plans have changed because the President had stated that he wants the freed African-Americans to gain the right to vote.

Booth has made plans for a mass execution of the US leadership. Sect. of State, William Seward and VP Andrew Johnson are also targets that night of April 14.

At a particular point in the play when Booth knows the audience is going to laugh he opens the door to the President’s Balcony seats and fires a shot to the back left of the Presidents head

He jumps down to the stage and yells... “Sic Semper Tyrannis” he breaks his lower leg in the process.

A doctor in the audience hurries to the President and gives CPR temporarily reviving him. The doctor does pronounce the wound as mortal.

Booth gets away on horseback and he and David Heroldescape into Maryland

Both those in the North and South were shocked at the assassination.

Of the seven conspirators 4 will be hung on July 7, 1865, including Mary Surratt, the first woman accused

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln will bring tremendous retribution on the South by the Radical Republicans of Congress

When the word gets to Jefferson Davis to evacuate Richmond he and his cabinet meet and agree to try and escape to Danville, NC

When they get to Danville it is agreed that the group will split up. Some will head to Mexico, some to Florida and others to Cuba

Jefferson Davis will be captured on May 10, 1865 in Irwinville, Georgia.. He will be sent to prison in Virginia.

Jefferson Davis will serve two year’s and released on $100,000 bail.