civil war battles in virginiacivil war battles in virginia

High Bridge Trail - On April 6-7, 1865, Confederates and Union troops desperately for control of the bridge. The American Civil War in Virginia Among his subjects who did most of the fighting and much of the dying, duty to save their country seemed uppermost among Northerners along with honor, honor seemed stronger among Southerners along with duty. Fredericksburg Battlefield More Civil War battles were fought in Virginia than any other state. The Battle of Gettysburg was the pivotal battle of the Civil War. However, at least 30,000 of these men were actually from other states. What percentage of the Civil War was fought in Virginia? The most significant battle in Southwest Virginia, fought in Pulaski County. Richmond National Battlefield Parkhighlights the Seven Days Battle, including Gaines' Mill, which ended the first attempt in the summer of 1862, and Cold Harbor, the bloody battlefield that blunted General Ulysses S. Grant's effort to break through to the city in 1864. There are also a number of hiking trails here to explore. The city's warehouses were the supply and logistical center for Confederate forces. Robertson p. 13. In October 1859, a small band of white and Black men, led by John Brown, attacked the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in an attempt to start a rebellion of enslaved people. On April 9, 1865, Union and Confederate forces, led by Generals Grant and Lee, met in the village of Appomattox Court House to discuss terms of surrender for the Confederate army. The emphasis on the strategic also includes context for individual engagements and developments in tactics and armaments. From the first battle of ironclad ships at Hampton Roads in the east to the adventures of Stonewall Jackson in the west; from the first major battlefield near Manassas in the north to the fight over salt mines in the southwest, Virginia's Civil War experience extended to every corner of the state. Civil War Battles in Virginia 1863 For the ship, see, Notable Confederate leaders from Virginia, Link p. 217. Along the way, youll see the sites of General Grants Headquarters at City Point, the Eastern Front, the Western Front, and the Five Forks Battlefield. Get the latest posts delivered to your mailbox: Virginias Federal or Ratifying Convention, 1820-1883 Antebellum Civil War Reconstruction Era, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Copyright 2023 The Virginia Historian * Site design by, Virginia History for Visitors and Virtual Tours, Continental Congress (Articles of Confederation), 20 Virginia U.S. The city's Tredegar Iron Works, the 3rd largest foundry in the United States at the start of the war, produced most of the Confederate artillery, including a number of giant rail-mounted siege cannons. It resided in Wheeling until August 1863 when it moved to Alexandria with West Virginia's admittance to the Union. This was voted down by 88 to 45 and the next day the convention continued its debate. This important victory over the Union Army allowed Jackson to join General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Richmond. Richmond's factories also produced guns, bullets, tents, uniforms, harnesses, leather goods, swords, bayonets, and other war materiel. Some sites occasionally offer Civil War reenactments to give visitors a taste of the brutality of war, and a glimpse of the impact it had on local women, children, and enslaved Africans. A number of textile plants, flour mills, brick factories, newspapers and book publishers were located in Richmond. In April 1865, the Confederate government fled Richmond as U.S. forces approached the city. ", Robertson, p. 8. This Civil War battle site can easily be visited in conjunction with the battlefields at Fredericksburg, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. The state was the focal point for a number of reasons. The fourteen proposals defended both slavery and states' rights while calling for a meeting of the eight slave states still in the Union to present a united front for compromise. The 1860 census recorded 79,515 men of voting age in the 50 counties, and turnout was low for all of the Wheeling initiatives. These men shared a common fear of northern Republicans and a common suspicion of a northern conspiracy against the South. As the Confederates fled, they set fire to Richmond's public works to prevent them from being used by U.S. Baldwin denied receiving the offer to evacuate Fort Sumter, but the next day Lincoln told another Virginia unionist, John Minor Botts, that the offer had been made. At the Chimborazo Medical Museum, youll see exhibits on medical equipment and the many men and women who worked at the hospital during the bloody battles of 1862. When fighting resumed in the spring of 1863, Union general Hooker was defeated at Chancellorsville by Lee's army. That same day, the convention adopted an ordinance of secession, in which it stated the immediate cause of Virginia's declaring of secession, "injury of the people of Virginia'' and ''the oppression of the Southern slave-holding States".[38]. [30] An April 9 Confederate cabinet meeting resulted in President Davis ordering General P. G. T. Beauregard to take the Fort before supplies could reach it. During this Civil War battle, General Thomas Stonewall Jackson was injured, ultimately leading to his death. In the western portion of the state (as defined today), the Shenandoah Valley was considered the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy". It was here, on the morning of May 6, that the Union Army attacked the Confederates, forcing them back with only a line of cannons remaining. These areas would be administered by the Restored Government of Virginia, with the northwestern counties later becoming the new state of West Virginia. "[29], News of the Fort's fall reached Richmond on the evening of April 13. Other sites are unmarked or overtaken by modern development. September 29, 1864, when Union soldiers seized the Confederate Fort Harrison. slaves) and places [in the South] belonging to the United States. On April 6, amid rumors that the North was preparing for war, the convention voted by a narrow 6357 to send a three-man delegation to Washington to determine from Lincoln what his intentions were. Civil War Virginia | American Battlefield Trust Spotsylvania County, VA | Apr 30 - May 6, 1863. Battle of High Bridge Coordinates: 37.3122N 78.3177W The Battle of High Bridge refers to two engagements fought on April 6, 1865, and April 7, 1865, near the end of the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Farmville, Virginia. From the first battle of ironclad ships at Hampton Roads in the east to the adventures of Stonewall Jackson in the west; from the first major battlefield near Manassas in the north to the fight over salt mines in the southwest, Virginia's Civil War experience extended to every corner of the state. On March 12, 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant succeeded Major General Henry W. Halleck as General in Chief of the United States Armies. Clement A. Evans, Confederate Military History Volume III Virginia, pt. Visit the Cold Harbor Battlefield Visitor Center to see exhibits relating to the 1862 Battle of Gaines Mill and the 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor. Richmond delegates Marmaduke Johnson and William McFarland were both outspoken conservatives. ", Robertson, James I. Jr. "The Virginia State Convention" in, Turner, Charles W. "The Virginia Central Railroad at War, 18611865,", This page was last edited on 10 June 2023, at 00:55. The 1st and 2nd West Virginia Infantry and the 1st and 2nd West Virginia Cavalry were primarily composed of men from those states. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking book titles to Amazon.com and affiliated sites to help support this site. Sign in. In any event, the offer was never presented to the convention. Enter your email address to subscribe to TVH's blog and receive a free copy of "12 Steps to Build Your Personal Virginia History Library." "Stonewall" Jackson, who was mortally wounded by friendly fire. [18] Approval of the last proposal came on April 12. There are hiking trails throughout the park that will have you walking on the site of a major Civil War battle. The Civil War in Virginia, for those interested in political and social history, can be introduced with four books from the battlefield, the naval war and amphibious operations, motives of the fighting men, and Lees Army of Northern Virginia. Both sides held an ideology for freedom, which McPherson emphasizes in the Civil War fighting mans motivation. Tour a few of these notable National battlefields below, then view all battlefields to continue learning about Virginia's war-torn history. The successes of Robert E. Lee in defending Richmond are a central theme of the military history of the war. Francis H. Pierpont was selected as governor of Virginia and a rump legislature was composed of former members of the Virginia Assembly who supported the Union. Cover the route ofRobert E. Lee's final marchfrom Petersburg to Appomattox. From there youll continue on to the site of Longstreets Wounding before ending at the Brock Road-Plank Road Intersection,which was a strategic location for both armies. Baldwin explained that the unionists needed the evacuation of Fort Sumter, a national convention to debate the sectional differences, and a commitment by Lincoln to support constitutional protections for southern rights. Riggs p. 264. Many counties that had voted heavily against the secession ordinance nevertheless gave large numbers of men to the Confederate army. 381382. There were more than 10,000 armed conflicts during the Civil War, so many that it can be hard to know which ones were the major encounters. The motives and the spirit of 19th century American armies are explored in For Cause and Comrades. [3], When Republican Abraham Lincoln was elected as president, Virginians were concerned about the implications for their state. Virginia's Confederate government fielded about 155,000 troops in the American Civil War, more than any other state within the Confederacy. [40], Virginia's ordinance of secession was ratified in a referendum held on May 23, 1861, by a vote of 132,201 to 37,451. He focuses on a thousand letters of the volunteers from 1861 and 1862, not the later conscripts, nor deserters, and Gallagher does not take under consideration what he estimates to be the half who were shirkers. president. In fact, there are five national parks in Virginia that preserve many of the Civil War battlefields in VA. All of them are linked by VirginiasCivil War Trails, which allow visitors to work their way between the Civil War battle sites in Virginia. [4] As the state watched to see what South Carolina would do, many Unionists felt that the greatest danger to the state came not from the North but from "rash secession" by the lower South. At these sites, visitors will find trails with informational signage. Start at the Spotsylvania Battlefield Exhibit Shelter, which was the site of the first clash. Civil War Battles in Virginia 1861 [10] With the failure of the Peace Conference at the end of February,[11] moderates in the convention began to waver in their support for unionism.[12]. Moreover, the threat of the federal government's using coercion became an overriding factor in the debates that followed. United States Colored Troops, The - Encyclopedia Virginia How it ended Confederate victory. The White House of the Confederacy, located a few blocks north of the State Capitol, became home to the family of Confederate leader, former Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis. James H. Ward [US]; Col. Daniel Ruggles [CS] Forces Engaged: 3 gunboats [US]; battery garrison [CS] Estimated Casualties: 10 total 1415. Confederate Army Under Robert E. Lee Wins Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) On the Union left, Fitz John Porter defied Pope's orders to lead his men forward against the Confederates on August 29, believing himself to be facing Longstreet's entire corps. The first major battle of the Civil War occurred on July 21, 1861. If youre driving, your next stop will beUptons Road, where Col Emory Upton led a fierce battle against the Confederates. But that morning, Confederate forces had already opened fire on Fort Sumter, beginning the Civil War. Open full screen to view more. Chronology of Civil War Battles - 1864 Civil War Encyclopedia Governor Letcher "estimated" the vote for these areas.[42][43][44]. Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari. Known as the Restored Government of Virginia, it was officially recognized by the Lincoln administration. Francis Pierpont was elected governor. Civil War Campaigns of Virginia - Legends of America You can also gather info on other important stops for your tour of Richmond VA Civil War sites, includingCold Harbor,Malvern Hill,Fort Harrison, andChimborazo. Start your tour at the Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter to gain a better understanding of the battles salient events. Riggs made his summary based on Proceedings of the Virginia State Convention of 1861, Volume 1, pp. The battle took place in June of 1864 on a bridge that is now part of the historic bridge trail. Battle Cry of Freedom (1998, 2003) is written by James McPherson, who won a Pulitzer Prize for this book. The election of convention delegates drew 145,700 voters who elected, by county, 152 representatives. Union forces attempted to take control of the railroad junction at Manassas for use as a supply line, but the Confederate Army had moved its forces by train to meet the Union. The campaign included battles of attrition at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor and ended with the Siege of Petersburg and Confederate defeat. A visit to the park begins at the National Park Service Visitor Center, where youll watch a short film titled Siege at Yorktown, then peruse their impressive exhibition of artifacts from the battle, including George Washingtons field tent. In 1863 Lt. Gen. James Longstreet was placed in command of the Confederate Department of Virginia and North Carolina. [9] At first there was no urgency to the convention's deliberations, as all sides felt that time only aided their cause. 3 Battles Fought in Virginia 4 Union Records 4.1 1890 Census 4.2 Service Records 4.3 Pension Records 4.4 Old Soldier Homes 4.5 Southern Claims Commission 4.6 Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) 4.7 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War 5 Confederate Records 5.1 Service Records 5.2 Pension Records ", Robertson pp. Exhibits there document the Union Armys taking of City Point, as well as the lives of the enslaved Africans who were forced to live on the property before the war. READ MORE:The 10 Best Historic & Covered Bridges in Virginia. Lee took up a Confederate army commission five days later, becoming a brigadier general. At the outbreak of the war Petersburg, Virginia, was second only to Richmond among Virginia cities in terms of population and industrialization. Battle of Gettysburg. Outbreak of the Civil War (1861) The Civil War in Virginia (1862) After the Emancipation Proclamation (1863-4) Toward a Union Victory (1864-65) The Civil War in the United . By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. Other historical highlights on the driving tour include Lees Hill (the Generals HQ during the battle) and Prospect Hill. The Battle of Fredericksburg took place around what is now the city of Fredericksburg VA. Go to the visitors center to get a map that plots out an educational driving tour of the area.