The Civil War The Civil War was the bloodiest war ever fought by Americans, and against fellow Americans. Several horrific battles highlighted America’s most gruesome history such as the Battles of Antietam and Gettysburg which drastically raised the body count due to the desperate battle plans and attacks carried out by hundreds to thousands of men sent to their deaths on suicide runs. The bloodshed and pain of the Civil War, furthered by errors in judgment and the weaponry of the 19th century as well as the soldiers conditions, brought about the loss of many ties and lives which even today have not been forgotten and influence our society. The secession of the Southern states, now the Confederate …show more content…
Sumter, the Confederate armies of Generals Joseph E. Johnston and Pierre G. T. Beauregard met the Union armies of Generals Irvin McDowell and Robert Patterson at Bull Run on July 21, 1861. Bull Run was a location in Virginia, a mere 25 miles southwest of Washington. At this battle, sitting on a hill overlooking the battlefield, there were many spectators from Washington who had come out in their Sunday best with picnic lunches on their carriages to watch their Union boys win and get the Southerners back in their straight mind and in the Union where they belong. However, the battle did not go quite how they planned; either time. At both battles of Bull Run the Confederate Army won. However, the first was much less organized. When the Union Army was forced to retreat, the spectators were rushing to get out also, which led to a blockage of the bridge and chaos for everyone trying to flee the range of the Confederate soldiers. However, while the second battle was also a Confederate victory, it was led by different generals for both sides, with Union General John Pope and Confederate Generals Longstreet and Jackson under the command of Lee, and occurred at a later date,August 28-30, 1862, with a much more orderly end. After the First Battle of Bull Run, or the First Battle of Manassas as it was called in the Confederacy, the Union enacted the Anaconda Plan, which was to split the South into three and block all transport between the southern …show more content…
The Battle of Gettysburg was perhaps the Confederacy 's one great mistake, and Lee 's greatest military risk. July 1, 1863, a hill, just outside of the town of Gettysburg; two armies are camped, the Union, dug in to the top of the hill, and the Confederacy, below, near the town. However, the battle started as little more than a few divisions in a skirmish before thousands of men were rushed in from both sides. Lee had sent one of his senior and best officers, Ewell to attack the scattered Union troops after the first wave, however, Ewell was afraid of the risk and backed down, refusing to attack, this was the beginning of the end for the budding Confederacy. By the time orders had been fully dealt with and sent out, the Union had not only dug in on Cemetery Ridge, but had brought in heavy artillery and