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Chapter 18 : The Civil War |
The Civil War began in April 1861, when Confederates bombarded the federal arsenal at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The Union navy successfully blockaded Southern seaports. Union land forces, though, could not stand up to Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Virginia during the first years of the fighting. In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, hoping the measure would strengthen support for the war in the North.
Union forces, under the direction of General Ulysses S. Grant, proved more successful in the West. At Shiloh, Tennessee, and other battle sites, both sides suffered enormous losses. In July of 1863, however, the Union gained control of the Mississippi River-a vital supply route for the South. The following year, Union General William Sherman's army cut a path of destruction through the Deep South. General Grant, now in the East, led a costly but steady advance toward the Southern capital of Richmond. He entered the city on April 2, 1865. Lee surrendered a week later, and the war officially ended by the end of May.
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