Significant Battles

Of the more than 10,000 battles that were fought in the Civil war, many were historically insignificant. In fact, only about nine battles are considered "well-known." Among them are the battles of Gettysburg and Chickamauga and the Atlanta Campaign. Gettysburg was the first of these battles, it was also the bloodiest. Actually, it was the bloodiest battle of the Civil war. General Lee, cocky from a recent win, decided to lead an attack into Union territory in order to replenish supplies for his troops. Looking back, this was a very rash decision, the Confederacy's loss crippled their troops, exhausted the remainder of their supplies, and greatly increased Union morale. It also created the platform for the Gettysburg Address, another morale lifter. After the Battle of Gettysburg came Chickamauga. This battle was technically a Confederate victory, but Braggs' refusal to pursue the Union allowed them to escape safely to Chattanooga. The Atlanta campaign - which led to Sherman's March to Sea - was possibly the most significant series of battles in the war. Sherman's siege of Atlanta was a major morale crusher to the south, and it wiped out their supply lines. But this was not nearly as bad as what was about to come: The March to the Sea. This was the first occurrence of "total war." Sherman's army swept through Georgia on a path of destruction from Atlanta to Savannah. In their wake they left farms stripped of their crops and terrified civilians. Word of "Sherman's Devils" swept through the countryside, the entire south was petrified that Sherman was on his way to their farms next. This march and the Union's blockade (A naval wall blocking outside ships from coming to the south's aid with rations, clothes, and weapons) were the final straws. Weeks later, the Confederacy surrendered. However, this war's horrors weren't over yet, the Confederacy's treatment of their prisoners came as the final demonstration of the Civil war's brutality. One prison in particular, Andersonville, stood out. As a prison designed for 10,000 it held 30,000! Prisoners inside were subject to awful treatment, swarms of insects, contaminated water, malnutrition, and diseases. Because of the desperate state of the war the infantry stationed to guard the prisoners were called away and replaced by local militia. The militia's way of controlling the prisoners was the "Dead Line." This was a line they were not allowed to cross. If they did attempt to get to the other side there was a second wall, cannons, guard towers, and packs of dogs. In all, 45000 prisoners died of malnutrition alone.