Major+Battles

1. My topic is Major Battles of the Civil War

2. **What I already know: Who?** Union forces versus Confederate forces.
 * What**? Union forces and Confederate forces try to defeat each other.
 * Where**? Various places across America.
 * When?** From 1860 to 1865.
 * Why?** Each side is trying to continue its cause.
 * How?** By using different strategies to out fight the other.

3. **What I want to know:**
 * Who?** How many units that were involved on both sides?
 * What?** Did one army try to capture another?
 * Where?** How did they decide where the battle was going to be? Where in America did these battles happen?
 * When?** In what years did major battles happen?
 * Why?** Why did the Confederate army keep fighting in the end even though their cause was lost?
 * How?** How did one army try to out fight the other?

4. **My research strategy: Who?** I could ask Ms. Brolan for information on my topic. I could ask Ms. Brem or a public librarian for help in finding information on my topic.
 * What?** Books, textbooks, museum websites.
 * When?** Mostly during class and maybe after school.
 * Where?** CTMS, public library
 * How?** I'll organize my thoughts to decide what to look for first and how to set up my research.


 * Key words for searching:** "Civil War Battles", " Battles of the Civil War", " American Civil War", "Civil War", "Major battle of the Civil War", "Turning points of the Civil War", "Battle of Gettysburg".


 * Draft**

Major Battles influenced the Civil War by determining the war's progress and conclusion. In the begging of the war the major battles determined who had the initiative and who might move on what. In the end of the war the major battles determined how much longer the war would last.

On April 12,1861 Confederate forces in South Carolina opened fire on the Island fort of Fort Sumter controlled by the Union.After 33 hours of constant shelling Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina surrendered to the Confederacy becoming the first battle of the Civil War.(Fort Sumter) The battle of Fort Sumter was the first battle of the Civil War and where the war began. However in this first battle no one was killed and the Union garrison was given excellent terms of surrender. In the weeks that follow both the North and the South were preparing for war and the first major battle that they fought came at a place called Bull Run. "For men who had never fought before, and who had been given no training of any real consequence, the Northerners and Southerners who collided here did a great deal better than anyone had a right to expect."(New History of the Civil War) The first battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War and most of the troops sent into battle were recruits who had very little training. Because of this there was great confusion which caused the Union to loose the battle. General Lee commander of the army of Virginia encouraged by the victories of the Confederate Army decided to move his army into Maryland to a place called Antietam where they met a Union Army. "Antietam was not only strategically decisive: it has the melancholy distinction of having seen the bloodiest single day's fighting in the entire Civil War". (New History of the Civil War) Antietam was probably a very important battle of the Civil War for the Union since it was a victory and sad for both due to the loss of life. Lee was defeated and was forced back into Virginia however he later returned to the North where he fought a battle that would become the turning point of the war. Due to his success in the north General Lee wanted to take the fight to the north with a major campaign that he hoped would end the war.(The American Civil War and Gettysburg) It was this thinking that led Lee to the turning point of the war: Gettysburg his last major campaign.

After the failed Confederate campaign at Gettysburg, General Lee knew he could not attack the North again and settled into a defensive war. The Confederate army from that point on were slowly being pushed back to their capitol Richmond. During this time little major battles happened but that changed shortly at Spotsylvania. spotsylvania was a battle that started the end of the war because the Confederate army was running out men, money, and supplies. (Fredricksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park) Spotsylvania was the begging of the end for the Confederacy because they were running out of supplies but more importantly men. After Spotsylvania the Confederate Army lost all hope of winning the war.The retreated all the way back to a town out side their capitol called Petersburg. "The Army of Northern Virginia ceased to be recruited, it ceased to be adequately fed. It lived for months on less than one-third rations. It was demoralised, not by the enemy in its front, but by the enemy in Georgia and the Carolinas. It dwindled to 35,000 men, holding a front of thirty-five miles; but over the enemy it still cast the shadow of its great name. Again and again, by a bold offensive, it arrested the Federal movement to fasten on its communications. At last, an irresistible concentration of forces broke through its long thin line of battle. Petersburg had to be abandoned. Richmond was evacuated. Trains bearing supplies were intercepted, and a starving army, harassed for seven days by incessant attacks on rear and flank, found itself completely hemmed in by overwhelming masses."(The American Civil War and Gettysburg) The end of the war was reached and the Army of Northern Virginia was retreating while the Union army was close behind.

The end of the war was reached and the Confederate Army surrendered at Appomattox Court House. Many major battles were fought that decided the course of the war like Gettysburg and Petersburg. It was also these battles that made the American Civil War one of the most deadliest wars in American History.

Paraphrase || No quotes or paraphrasing used. || Very few quotes or paraphrases included, no parenthetical references. || Some errors in quoting or paraphrasing and/or a few missing parenthetical references. || Several quotes and paraphrased pieces of information in each body paragraph, all with parenthetical references. || 4 || A great paper. Describes the major battles greatly and has a great flow.
 * || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || Score ||
 * Thesis || No thesis. || Thesis is present in introductory paragraph but is not well-written. || Thesis included in introductory paragraph is satisfactory if a bit obvious. || Thesis included in introductory paragraph is well-written and interesting. || 4 ||
 * Flow || Paper is difficult to read and understand. || Paper is full of short, choppy sentences and topic shifts with no transitions. || Some use of transitional words and phrases but the paper is a bit choppy at times. || Use of transitional words and phrases as well as topic sentences makes the paper easy to read from start to finish. || 4 ||
 * Quotes/
 * Commentary / “My Ideas” || No commentary. || Commentary lacking in a few places. || Commentary included with each quote or paraphrase, but it is a bit obvious or repetitive. || Thoughtful commentary included with each quote or paraphrase. || 4 ||
 * Works Cited || No works cited page included. || Works cited page is included but there are several errors. || Works cited page is included but there are a few formatting errors. || Works cited page is included and is correctly formatted. || 4 ||
 * Conventions || Difficult to understand. || Several errors. || A few errors. || Little to no errors in grammar, spelling or punctuation. || 4 ||

code code Works Cited code "The American Civil War and Gettysburg: Second Manansas/ Bull Run." //brotherswar//. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 code code Mar. 2010. . code code "Civil War Siege of Petersburg." //historycentral//. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. code code . code code "Fort Sumter." //us-civilwar//. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. . code code "Fredricksburg and Spatsylvania National Military Park- History of Wilderness and Spotsylvania." code code //nps.gov/frsp/wildspot//. Fredricksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial, 19 code code July 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. . code code //New History of the Civil War//. New York: Ibooks, 1996. Print. code