1. The Civil War in GA
SS8H6b: State the importance of key events of the
Civil War; include Antietam, Emancipation
Proclamation, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the Union
blockade of Georgia’s coast, Sherman’s Atlanta
Campaign, Sherman’s March to the sea, and
Andersonville.

2. Important Topics
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Antietam
Emancipation Proclamation
Gettysburg
Chickamauga
Union Blockade
Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign
Sherman’s March to the Sea
Andersonville

3. Early stages of the Civil War
• GA, FL, MS, AL, LA, SC, and TX seceded from the
Union.
• The United States refused to turn over possession
of the forts that they had in the Confederacy.
• On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces began to fire
on Fort Sumter in South Carolina, two days later the
Union soldiers forced to surrender.
• This was the first official fighting between Union
and Confederate troops.

5. Fort Sumter
Notice how
It blocks the
Channel leading
Into Charleston.

6. Fort Sumter

7. View of Charleston at the beginning of the
Civil War. Notice Fort Sumter in the harbor.

10. Early stages of the Civil War
• After the attack at Fort Sumter; VA, TN, NC, and AR
decide to join the confederacy.
• Even though Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and
Delaware were slave states they remained with the
Union, because they did not believe it was right to
secede.
– They were known as the border states.
– Some of VA’s western counties decided to stay with the
Union, creating West Virginia.

11. Map of The United States and Confederate
States of America
• Dark Red:
– Original states to
secede.
• Light Red:
– States that seceded
after Fort Sumter
• Yellow:
– Border States
• Blue:
– Union

12. The Civil War
• After Fort Sumter was bombed, Lincoln called for
75,000 volunteers to enlist for three months to “put
down the rebellion”
• Many thought that the war would be quick and
relatively bloodless.
• It became the bloodiest war in US history, with the
highest number of American casualties because
both sides were considered to be Americans.
– 600,000 killed
– 400,000 wounded

14. Leaders
• General Robert E. Lee – Commander of the
Confederate Army (The South)
• General Ulysses S. Grant – Commander of the Union
Army. (The North)
• Both men were graduates of West Point.
• Lee was considered to be one of the finest military men in the nation at
this point. He was asked to command the Union Army by President
Abraham Lincoln. Lee refused Lincoln stating that he must decline
because he felt an allegiance to his home and state of Virginia.
• Reflect – What if Lee had led the Union troops? How might have the war
been different?

15. General
Robert E. Lee
Commander
of the
Confederate
Army
(The South)

16. Robert E. Lee

17. Commander Ulysses S.
Grant
Leader of the Union
forces (The North)

18. Grant

19. Grant

20. General
Grant
at camp

21. Union Blockade of
Southern Ports
• Shortly after the bombing of Fort Sumter
Lincoln declared a naval Blockade on southern
ports.
– Any ship coming or going would be stopped
and searched for contraband.
• Some supplies did come through the blockade
on ships designed to elude the Union ships,
called Blockade runners.
– Very, fast ships

22. Union Blockade of
Southern Ports
• This blockade not only limited the amount of goods
coming into the Confederacy but it also limited the
amount of cotton that was sent to other countries
for sale. This limited the amount of money
available for the Confederacy to fund its war efforts.
• The blockades hurt the Confederacy because they
needed these supplies to continue fighting the war.
• The Union called this strategy the “Anaconda Plan.”
– It would eventually squeeze the Confederacy to
death.

23. Anaconda Plan

24. Map of the Union Blockade

25. • The Nashville and the Colonel Lamb – Civil
War Blockade running ships

26. Wartime resources
• The North was more prepared to fight the civil war
than the south.
– North – larger population, more factories, more railroads
(suitable to carry heavy loads)
– South – agriculture based economy, 1/3 of total
population was slaves, railroad built to carry farm
products ( light loads).
• King Cotton Diplomacy – The south felt that they could force
France and Britain into the war due to their need of cotton.
This didn’t work because the north convinced them to use cotton from
another source.

27. King Cotton Diplomacy
• To try and overcome the odds stacked against them
entering the war the south tried to use what is called
King Cotton Diplomacy.
• King Cotton Diplomacy – The south felt that they
could force France and Britain into the war to help
them due to their need of cotton. This didn’t work
because the north convinced them to use cotton from
another source.

28. Early Fighting in the War
• Even though the South was outnumbered and
had fewer resources they were winning most
of the battles at the beginning of the war.
• With the victories, General Lee felt confident
enough to bring the fight to the north, which
led to the battle of Antietam.

29. The Civil War
• Antietam
– September 17, 1862
– General Lee attempts to invade the north.
– Single “bloodiest” day of the Civil War
– No clear winner
– Lincoln used the aftermath of this battle to issue
the Emancipation Proclamation.

33. The New York Gazette
September 23, 1862
Battle of Antietam: Over
22,000 Casualties in Single
Day

34. Fallen soldiers after Antietam

36. The Emancipation Proclamation
“And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose
aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons
held as slaves within said designated States, and
parts of States, are, and forever shall be free; and
that the Executive government of the United States,
including the military and naval authorities thereof,
will recognize and maintain the freedom of said
persons.”

37. The Emancipation Proclamation
• Through the Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln
expressed his desire for all people to be free.
• It did not create freedom for everyone, this did not
happen until the 13th Amendment, which was
adopted after the end of the Civil War.
• Not everyone received their freedom, because the
Emancipation Proclamation did not make slavery
illegal in the slave states still loyal to the Union.
• There was still a long fight ahead ensure this
freedom.

38. The Emancipation Proclamation
“And I further declare and make known, that
such persons of suitable condition, will be
received into the armed service of the United
States to garrison forts, positions, stations,
and other places, and to man vessels of all
sorts in said service.”

39. The Emancipation Proclamation
• This statement welcomed former slaves into
the armed services.
– 186,000 African American enlisted.
• 133,000 came from slave states.
– Over 38,000 died during the Civil War.
– Have you ever seen the movie “Glory.”

40. Glory
• Movie about the 54th Massachusetts.

41. Gettysburg
The turning point in the war.

42. 51,000 died in 3 days
• From July 1, 1863 – July 3, 1863.
• General Lee attempts to invade the North for a second
time.
• The two armies fought a battle in Pennsylvania that would
change the course of the war.
– North - 97,000 troops in the battle.
• 23,000 -- killed, wounded, or captured.
– South – 75,000 troops in the battle.
• 28,000 -- killed, wounded, or captured.
• This battle was known as Gettysburg.
• The Union army won this battle. South forced to take a
defensive role for the rest of the war.

46. The War comes to Georgia
• For the first two years of the war very few
battles were fought in GA.
• This changed during September 1863, Union
forces had captured Chattanooga, and started
to advance into GA.
• The Union forces met stiff resistance at the
site of Chickamauga Creek.

47. The War comes to Georgia
Chickamauga is located in
Northwestern GA just south
of Chattanooga, TN.

48. The War comes to Georgia
• This was the first major advance of Union forces
into GA.
• Two days of fierce fighting and the Confederate
Army was able to defeat the Union Army at a
terrible cost.
• 33,900 either wounded or killed.
• This was to be last major victory of the Confederacy.
• The following spring, William T. Sherman would
begin his Invasion of GA.

49. Battle of Chickamauga

50. Sherman Invades GA
• In the spring of 1864, Sherman begins his march
from Chattanooga to Atlanta.
– Atlanta was the munitions center of the Confederacy.
• This invasion of GA was designed to not only take
Atlanta but to also break the will of the
Confederacy.
• Throughout Sherman’s invasion of GA, he was met
with resistance.
• He finally was able to take Atlanta after much
fighting in the surrounding areas.

51. William Tecumsah Sherman

52. Sherman Takes Atlanta
• Sherman did
not want
Atlanta for
military
standpoint, he
wanted to
take Atlanta to
stop the
supplies that
were
supporting the
Confederate
Army.

53. Sherman Takes Atlanta
• Before the Confederates left Atlanta They destroyed
anything that they could not carry with them. (ex.
Locomotives and railroad cars)
• Sherman did not want the supplies, he wanted
everything destroyed.
– Within a week of taking Atlanta, he forced all Southern
citizens to leave.
– He then had anything used in supplying the confederate
army destroyed and its building burned.
• The fires spread quickly and burned down most of the city.

54. Atlanta, GA. View on Marietta Street
before Sherman came to Atlanta.

56. Sherman Troops Burning Atlanta

57. Illustration from Harper's Weekly - Union troops burning
Atlanta's public buildings, depots, and factories in 1864

58. Atlanta Depot before Sherman

59. Atlanta Depot before Sherman

60. Atlanta Depot After Sherman

61. Sherman’s March to the Sea
• After 2 ½ months Sherman burned Atlanta
and set off for Savannah.
• This March was intended to speed up the end
of the war and end civilian support for the war
effort.
• His goal was to bring “the sad realities of war”
to the heart of GA.

63. Sherman’s March to the Sea
• Sherman issued orders that explained how the march
would be conducted.
– 6. To corps commanders alone is entrusted the power to
destroy mills, houses, cotton-gins, etc.; and for them this
general principle is laid down:
In districts and neighborhoods where the army is
unmolested, no destruction of each property should be
permitted; but should guerrillas or bushwhackers molest our
march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct
roads, or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army
commanders should order and enforce a devastation more
or less relentless, according to the measure of such hostility.

64. Sherman’s March to the Sea
• After Sherman reached Savannah he
estimated that his troops had destroyed over
$100 million worth of food and other
resources.
– This does not count houses, personal property, or
government property (railroads, courthouses,
etc..)

65. What do you see in this picture.

66. Area damaged by Sherman’s March.
Notice that it did not stop in GA.

67. Sherman Reaches Savannah
• Sherman entered Savannah on December 21,
1864. 1 ½ months after leaving Atlanta.
– He captured 150 guns, plenty of ammunition, and
25,000 bales of cotton.
• Why was there so much cotton in Savannah?
– He sent a telegraph to Lincoln saying “I beg to present
you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah.”
– Neither GA nor the Confederacy was able to recover
from this march in time to change the outcome to the
Civil War.

68. Savannah during the Civil War

69. Andersonville
• One of the most notorious Confederate
prisons during the Civil War.
• Held so many Union prisoners that its
population was greater than most confederate
cities.
• Because of the overcrowding and unsanitary
conditions nearly 13,000 prisoners died of
disease and starvation.

70. Andersonville
• The South constructed a prisoner of war camp
built to hold 15,000 prisoners.
• Instead it had 45,000 prisoners at one time.
• Disease killed 13,000 Union soldiers.
• Camp commander Henry Wirz was hung after
the war for war crimes.

74. The War Ends

75. Surrender
• April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee
surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at
Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.
• Two weeks later, General Joseph Johnston
surrendered to General William Sherman in
North Carolina.