TIMELINE

January 1, 1863 July 1-3, 1863 July 4, 1863 November 19, 1863 March 1864Emancipation Gettysburg Address Ulysses Grant put inProclamation charge of all Union

armies

Battle of Vicksburg

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May 18-July 4, 1863

Vicksburg sits on top of a hill overlooking a sharp turn on the Mississippi River

Union victory at Vicksburg –•Split Confederacy in half•Gave Union control of Mississippi River•Hurt southern morale•Earned Ulysses Grant promotion to head of all Union armies

Effect of Union victory at Vicksburg

Ulysses S. Grant John C. Pemberton

4, 536 31,277

Battle of Gettysburg Battle of Vicksburg

Union ships had to slow down to make the turn on the river near Vicksburg. This made them vulnerable to the guns at Vicksburg.General Ulysses S. Grant

put Vicksburg under siege and constant bombardment, causing residents to live in caves.

Most of the terrain in and around Vicksburg consists of steep, tree-covered hills.

There are over 1300 monuments at the battle site, over 20 miles of trenches, and a 16-mile paved road that loops around the battlefield today.

Battle of Gettysburg

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Why so Deadly? Gettysburg Day 3 – Pickett’s Charge

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July 1-3, 1863

Just north of the Pennsylvania-Maryland border; the only major battle fought in a free state

George Meade Robert E. Lee

•Deadliest battle of the war (over 50,000 casualties)•Turns tide of the war in favor of the Union•Confederacy never had enough men and supplies to attack again; they could only defend

23,186 28,063

•Springfield rifle replaced musket as main weapon.

•Rifles shoot farther and are more accurate.

•Cone-shaped bullets replace musket balls.

•This gives the advantage to the defense.

•Makes offensive charges, like Pickett’s Charge, suicidal.

5675 casualties out of 10,500 men

Civil War battlefields were among the first to be photographed. Several pictures were taken of Gettysburg before bodies were removed from the battlefield.

General Robert E. Lee General George Meade

The Confederate army suffered over 50% casualties when General Lee ordered his troops to march uphill across an open field on the third day of Gettysburg.

Seminary Ridge

Cemetery Ridge

Minie balls were cone-shaped bullets that were hollowed out at the bottom. The exploding gunpowder caused the hollowed out area to expand, allowing the grooves to catch the rifling inside the barrel. This caused the bullet to spin, allowing to go farther and faster.

The Springfield rifle was more accurate than the musket.

Many soldiers carried bayonets, but the accuracy of the rifle made them obsolete. Less than 1% of all battle wounds were caused by bayonets.