The Seizure Of Fort Mcallister

"When New Orleans fell in the spring of 1862, the triumvirate Vicksburg, Grand Gulf and Port Hudson was destined to become the last obstacle to the total Federal control of the Mississippi." Abraham Lincoln thought Vicksburg was 'the key,' so Vicksburg was the focal point of Union strategy. Obviously, Vicksburg was one of the most important objectives of the Union army. General Ulysses S. Grant was placed in charge of the Vicksburg campaign. He was an exceptional strategist and arguably one of the best generals this country has ever seen.

Each general that was appointed commander of the army in the east had his own plans when it came to defeating the Confederates. Beginning with McDowell, the first general to command a large army in the war, the task seemed

Braxton Braggs, a longtime war veteran was born on March 22, 1817 in Warrenton, North Carolina. He was born into the lower class and his family struggled. Bragg’s father was the only parent he grew up with, because his mother was in prison for killing a freed slave. When Braxton Bragg was sixteen his brother helped him get into West Point Military Academy, he graduated 5th in his class in 1837 at the age of twenty. Bragg’s was later commissioned to be in the 3rd U.S. Artillery and fought in Florida in the second Seminole war. When the Seminole war was over he transferred to be stationed in Charleston, South Carolina and when the Mexican-American war began he again went off to fight. During the Mexican-American war he proved that he was a capable and brave man and was promoted to

On April 8, President Lincoln notified the Governor of South Carolina, Francis Pickens, that he would put his best efforts toward resupplying the fort. Gen, Beauregard, the Confederate

On April12th 1861 a confederate general conglomerated around Charleston harbor. They rained fire upon the union soldiers at Fort Sumter. At 2:30 in the afternoon the next day the garrison commander surrendered the fort. The next day the fort was

By 1864, Georgia was the most important state left to sustain the Confederacy’s war effort. Its factories and agriculture supplied Confederate armies throughout the South, and the city of Atlanta was at the center of Georgia’s war production and railroad network. As a junction between four railroads, Atlanta had grown to become a primary Confederate base to transport troops, supplies, and treat injured soldiers during the Civil War. For the Union, capturing Atlanta meant cutting the South’s vital railroad network and supply lines (Still). According to William Sherman, the Union general who led the Atlanta Campaign, “This city [Atlanta] has done more and contributed more to carry on and sustain the war than any other, save perhaps Richmond. We have been fighting Atlanta all the time … and now since they have been doing so much to destroy us and our Government we have to destroy them” (Still). By destroying one of the most important cogs in the

GEN McClellan may not have been a great war time General but he excelled at training Soldiers, getting his men ready to fight and raising the morale of the Armies he

Another battle had started, known as the battle of Shiloh. This battle was a disaster for Grant. He was criticized throughout the whole battle by about everyone you could think of. For a time throughout that battle he was demoted. The war department luckily gave him his leadership back. Once he was reinstated, the Union wanted to take charge of the Mississippi river so it would be harder on the Confederates to fight. While fighting he got Vicksburg to surrender. They said that he had the most moral boost for the Union. But he also had a severe drinking

Before the fall of Atlanta, various battles resulting in Union defeat had left crushed hopes for the Union, General Sherman even having to stand down from his attacks on Kennesaw Mountain and Pigeon Hill when he foresaw their defeat. Despite this, he remained resilient and due to Atlanta’s role as a significant rail and supply hub for the Confederacy, the Union targeted the city and General Sherman consequently cut through Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah in a blaze of flames after evacuating its citizens, crushing the Confederate army’s supplies and morale. His success not only ensured Abraham Lincoln’s reelection but also wreaked havoc across vital Confederate railroads, damaging the Confederacy’s war efforts beyond repair. The reelection of Abraham Lincoln boosted the spirits of the Union and secured Union victory in the nearby

It was a dark and wet June evening in 1863 when Major General James Ewell Brown Stuart (J.E.B. Stuart) received the order. Maintain contact with the enemy, harass and impeded the northerners if they attempt to cross the Potomac River, and guard the Blue Ridge’s mountain passes. If the enemy attempts to cross the river, cross first and stay on the Confederate’s right flank. The orders were clear enough for execution. General Robert E. Lee often issued orders that gave his trusted subordinates the leeway to conduct operations as they saw fit. Only this time, not even the strategically talented General Lee could predict the necessity of having Stuart’s Cavalry support the Army of Northern Virginia’s advance from the front and flank while maneuvering into Gettysburg.

The hiring of General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was the turning point in U.S. history during the Civil War because of his negative demeanor, participation in irresponsible activities, political ambition, exceptional ability to lead Soldiers, and unethical military tactics. Sherman would utilize these elements during the Savannah Campaign to create a psychological advantage that would ensure his victory. Major General William Tecumseh Sherman began a historical campaign through Savannah Georgia, eventually called “Sherman’s March to the Sea” during the winter of 1864. General Sherman chose an aggressive, reckless and politically motivated Soldier with a propensity for embellishment known as Hugh Judson Kilpatrick. Chosen to lead General Sherman’s Calvary division, which consisted of First and Second Brigade, Kilpatrick would become one of the most notorious and iconic figures in the American Civil War. 3

McClellan, delaying any further movement, asked for more reinforcements from Washington. This stalemate between Washington and McClellan over the Battle of Seven Pines had another damaging effect on the military campaign. During the battle, General Johnston was injured, and Robert E. Lee was appointed to take up the command. Lee took advantage of the overly cautious Northern general and hammered the Army of the Potomac in a series of merciless attacks. During the bloody Seven Day’s Battle, McClellan was forced to retreat to Washington. Tired of the ineffectiveness of McClellan’s battle strategy, Lincoln named Henry Halleck as General-in-Chief and stripped McClellan of his command over the Army of the Potomac. General McClellan, in an effort to defend his lack of advancement, wrote to his superiors in Washington that his decisions were not responsible for this loss. The removal of McClellan as General over the Army of the Potomac led the soldiers to distrust the government and ask their leader to ignore the orders and instead march on Washington. McClellan later wrote that the “order created an immense deal of deep feeling in the army, so much so, that many were in favor of my refusing to obey the order and of marching upon Washington to take possession of the

dismay, it was discovered that there were already two Union cavalry brigades that had previously arrived

William T. Sherman was a U.S. Civil War leader in which he is known as Sherman's March. In September 1864 William took in Campaign of Atlanta and burn it all the way to the ground. With about 60,000 men he order to move out to Savannah. To the soldiers in this mission they all called it a ‘’total war’’ destroy everything that supported the Confederate Military. They wanted to prove to the Confederate they could not protect its people from the Union Army. Doing this action they would shine to the world that the Union had power no one could take a chance. Their preparation to after they forcly capture the city of Atlanta Sherman took several weeks to think of a plan on how they would win a battle against the Confederate. After weeks of planning

William Tecumseh Sherman was born in Lancaster, Ohio, on February 8, 1820. He was one of eleven children. His father was a successful lawyer and Ohio Supreme Court Justice. Suddenly, at the age of nine, Sherman’s father died, leaving him with Thomas Ewing, a senator from Ohio prominent to the Whig party.In 1836, Sherman got appointed to West Point. He excelled in academics, but was not fond of the demerit system. He was never in deep trouble but had a good amount of minor scratches on his record. He graduated sixth in his class and he first saw action when soldiers were battling against the Seminole Indians in Florida. After he got many assignments that acquainted him with many well known southern families. Sherman’s military experience was