What were the 3 most significant battles of the Civil War?
June 14, 2010 by
Filed under civil war battles
What were the 3 most significant battles of the Civil War, and please evaluate why?
June 14, 2010 by
Filed under civil war battles
What were the 3 most significant battles of the Civil War, and please evaluate why?
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1. Gettysburg – it was the turn of the war. The Union won this battle handing massive amounts of casualties to Lee’s forces.
2. hmmm, maybe First Battle of Bull Run – people realized then that this was not going to be a short war but rather that it was on for the long run.
3. Antietam – bloodiest one day battle in American history I think.
You could argue others though as well. Those are three that come to mind.
1. Vicksburg. Absolutely the most significant. The Union victory at Vicksburg split the south and sealed its eventual defeat. After Vicksburg the Union controlled the Mississippi River from it’s headwaters in Wisconsin all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.
2. Gettysburg. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia’s high water mark. The loss of Lee’s senior leadership was appalling and these men could never be replaced. Lee never went on the offensive again.
3. Atlanta. The victory came just before the election and ensured Lincoln a second term. With Lincoln reelected, and Democrat candidate George McClellan defeated, it was clear that no settlement would be reached. The war would be prosecuted to the end.
I’d add 1. Chancellorsville to the list the others have:
Aside from being the strongest tactical victory for the south, it also took out “Stonewall” Jackson from the battlefield.
2. Antietam/Sharpsburg – Union were able to deter a major invasion of the North, as was the case with Gettysburg.
3. Battle of Hampton Roads – USS Monitor and CSS Virginia dual