^Civil War Battle Map^
(Sorry, the battles are hard to see! You might have to click the picture to see it.)
One Major Battle:
The Battle at Antietam Creek:
a. McClellan's troops attack Lee's larger army on September 17th, 1862, at Antietam Creek, Maryland.
b. There were an estimated 12,000 casualties from the Union alone. Lee's army suffered an even more stunning 14,000--almost a third of his army.
c. Neither side had a clear win, but Lee ordered a retreat so the North claimed the victory.
d. This battle was very important because it was the bloodiest battle the war suffered. September 17th was the bloodiest day of the war. It proved to U.S. citizens just how serious the war was.
The End of the Civil War:
The Civil War ended with the final surrender of the Confederate army on April 18, 1865. On April 2, 1865, Grant's troops at Petersburg, Virginia, broke through Confederate lines. Richmond was in Union hands. Lee's army retreated. A week later on April 9, 1865, President Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee signed surrender terms in Virginia. Lee had surrendered the Confederate army.
