Battle Of Palmito Ranch Thesis

It was well believed until Jackson’s forces began unloading rounds on the Union army stopping McDowell’s forces from advancing, holding the line like “a stone wall.” As the new Union recruits witnessed battle for the first time and felt the lack of preparation, they were quick to retreat back to Washington DC. The Southern victory and the tens of thousands of lives lost proved to the Union that this war was not going to be easily won.

Did you know that Texas was actually once Mexican territory? You may wonder why Texas is one of the 50 states in America today, and what were the events leading up to the Mexican American war. But why does a simple mission church relate to all of it? The battle of the Alamo was one of the most gruesome battles in American history. Today the Alamo Cenotaph stands 60 feet tall in the heart of San Antonio to honor all of the brave men and women who lost their lives for the freedom of Texas. Today America would be very different if the Mexican American war had not occurred.

After Shiloh the South would never smile again. Known originally as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, The Battle of Shiloh was the bloodiest battle fought in North America up to that time. Pittsburg Landing was an area from where the Yankees planned to attack the Confederates who had moved from Fort Donelson to Corinth, Mississippi. The North was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant and the South by General Albert Sydney Johnston.

The Battle of Shiloh is also called The Battle of Pittsburg Landing and was fought April 6-7, 1862. The battle took place in southwest Tennessee, the western theater. An army known as the Army of Tennessee, lead by Ulysses Grant, advanced into Tennessee territory by route of the Tennessee River. While they were camped deep in Tennessee territory the Confederate Army of Mississippi launched a surprise attack on General Grant and his soldiers. General Albert Sidney Johnston and his second-in-command P. G. T. Beauregard initiated the first assault on the Union troops. Unfortunately General Johnston was mortally wounded. General Beauregard decided not to continue the attack throughout the evening. In the morning Grant’s army having been reinforced

The second phase of the Battle of Shiloh starts as reinforcements from General Buell’s Army of the Ohio and a unit of Grant’s own reserve division joined the Union Army now positioned at Pittsburg Landing. These reinforcements added over 22,500 men to the Union lines13 bringing the total number of Union forces to over 45,000, which is more than they had on 6 April, the first day of fighting.14 On April 7, General Grant renewed the fighting with an aggressive counteract.15 Greatly outnumbered (Confederate forces now around 25,000) and disorganized the Confederate forces now under General Beauregard fought hard but eventually had to retreat to back Corinth.16 The second phase of the Battle of Shiloh was won by General Grant and his Union forces due to two main reasons. The first, Union troop numbers greatly outnumbered their enemy, over 45,000 to 25,000 respectively. And secondly, the reinforcements received by General Grant had not fought the day before and were fresh and excited to fight, unlike the exhausted remaining Confederate troops.17 This was the bloodiest battle fought on American soil up to that point, with 23,746 casualties (Union: 13,047; Confederate: 10,699).18 The Union lost more men but claimed the victory because the Confederate Army retreated back to Corinth, Mississippi.

The Battle of Philippi was fought on June 3, 1861 in what is now western Virginia. It was known as “the first land battle of the Civil War” or “the first inland battle of the Civil War.” “A minor affair that lasted less than 20 minutes and resulted in no fatalities, it would barely be a footnote of the American Civil War except that it marked the first inland clash between significant numbers of troops.”(http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-philippi). The town Philippi, consisted of less than 500 people,who had little military training. The real town that was meant to be attacked was Grafton. General Robert E. Lee, who was commander of all military forces in Virginia, sent Col. George Porterfield to organize the troops assembling at Grafton and hold the rail lines. He finally received very few reinforcements and about 1,000 rusty muskets, and at least 1,500 percussion caps meant for shotguns. Since he was unable to hold Grafton, Porterfield and the troops left to Philippi. “At the governor’s suggestion, Porterfield burned a few bridges to slow any movements against him from Wheeling in the state’s northern panhandle.”(http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-philippi). This opened an opportunity for Major General George B. McClellan, commander of the Department of Ohio. Porterfield and McClellan had been held by by their superior officers who were still pending on Virginia’s vote to secede. They were on the north side

The Battle of Shiloh is historically known as one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Part of the Western Campaign, Shiloh came on the heels of Union victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, primarily as a Confederate attempt to halt the Union's advance into the deep South. Though causes of the Union victory at Shiloh may be disputed, the significance of this Battle to the War's outcome is undeniable.

Imagine standing with twenty eight thousand Union soldiers staring at thirty two thousand Confederate soldiers all young and scared of what lies ahead because five thousand won't be alive when the battle is over. The North will lose the battle and they will realize that this won't be as easy as they thought. Three generals were showcased in this battle Union General Irvin McDowell Confederate Joseph E. Johnston Confederate P.G.T. Beauregard . The battle of Bull Run was a defining moment in the Civil War. It helped the North realise what they were up against. It also showcased 3 simi-famous generals.

At Henry Hill, Gen. Jackson along with several others formed a large defensive line in order to support the disorganized retreated troops. The Union and the Confederates spent the beginning of the battle with their artillery firing at each other. But, the Union lacks the support for their artillery batteries and the Confederates take advantage of that fact. This is where the Union begins to crumble. The Union sends its troops in piece by piece, unable to permanently hold their artillery pieces. While

The Confederate army surrendered at the battle of Vicksburg on July 4th 1863. They were sad and ashamed after prolonged violent attacks. This was the end of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. The sad loss of Pemberton's army and the stronghold in Vicksburg on the mighty Mississippi River was very effective in splitting the Confederacy in half.

Throughout American history, a number of battles come to hold iconic positions in the shaping of this great nation: Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Alamo, Gettysburg, Belleau Wood, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and the Battle of the Bulge, just to name a few. When the Spanish-American War of is thought of, the Battle of San Juan Hill undoubtedly comes to mind. Americans think of the great sacrifices throughout the fight. They think of Teddy Roosevelt charging up San Juan hill, leading his Rough Riders to a miraculous victory. They remember this all-American combination of valiant cowboys, Ivy Leaguers, Pawnee Scouts, polo players and New York City policemen

Around noon, Union and Confederate cavalry troops battled three miles east of Gettysburg but Stuart was eventually repulsed by cannon fire led in part by Gen. George Custer and the Union Cavalry. The diversion attempt failed. Back at the main battle site, just after 1 p.m. about 170 Confederate cannons opened fire on the Union position on Cemetery Ridge to pave the way for the Rebel Charge. This was the heaviest artillery barrage of the war. The Federals returned heavy cannon fire and soon the battlefield was covered in smoke and dust. Around 2:30 p.m. the Federals slowed their rate of fire, then stopped firing, to conserve ammunition and to fool the Rebels into thinking the cannons were knocked out-and that's exactly what the Rebels thought too. But as the Rebels got within range, Federal cannons opened fire using grapeshot which is a shell containing iron balls that flew apart when fired, and they also used deadly waves of rifle fire. Soon the Rebel army was torn apart but they still moved forward. Pickett’s charge was almost more after the once majestic army of 13,000 had its numbers of troops dwindle.. The Rebels still move forward, shooting then charging with bayonets. The battle lasted for about an hour mostly of hand-to-hand combat. Finally what was left of Pickett’s charge (5,500) retreated. Lee admitted this was his mistake and the tide of war now turned in the North’s favor. The Union lost (either dead, wounded, or missing) about 23,000, and the Confederates lost about

This complicated war full of bloodshed and death started merely by an assault of a Confederate left flank. Deemed the single most deadly day in American military history, the Union (who had more men) swept many attacks towards the Confederate army. Even though the South had more spirit and useful tactics the sheer numbers of the Union made this battle one to remember. They fought for many hours in Miller's cornfield to then make a last stand at Antietam Creek. With the only sign of cover being trees and the stone bridge which was worn by bullets and bodies you could tell this fight was going to be bad. The Union captured the bridge and with a final push and counter attack from another Union division the Union were victorious and were another

Johnston originally planned to attack Grant on April 4, but delays postponed it until the 6th. Attacking the Union troops on the morning of the 6th, the Confederates surprised them, routing many. Some Federals made determined stands and by afternoon, they had established a battle line at the sunken road, known as the "Hornets Nest." Repeated Rebel attacks failed to carry the Hornets Nest, but massed artillery helped to turn the tide as Confederates surrounded the Union troops and captured, killed, or wounded most. Johnston had been mortally wounded earlier and his second in command, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, took over. The Union troops established another line covering Pittsburgh Landing, anchored with artillery and augmented by Buell’s men who began to arrive and take up positions. Fighting continued until after dark, but the Federals held. By the next morning, the combined Federal forces numbered about 40,000, outnumbering Beauregard’s army of less than 30,000. Beauregard was unaware of the arrival of Buell’s army and launched a counterattack in response to a two-mile advance by William Nelson’s division of Buell’s army at 6:00 am, which was, at first, successful. Union troops stiffened and began forcing the Confederates back. Beauregard ordered a counterattack, which stopped the Union advance but did not break its battle line. At this point, Beauregard realized that he could not win and, having suffered too many

It was an important turning point in the war, transforming the fight for preserving the Union into a battle for human freedom. As the slaves in the rebellious states joined the Union lines, the Confederacy began to weaken losing its labor force and adding the man power needed for the Union. In spring of 1865 the Proclamation proved itself to be a success, after the confederate army surrendered its last forces to the Union in the final battle at Palmito Ranch in Texas. The Union ceased the Confederate States of America and the foundation of America as one nation was