Generals of the Civil War

4th Grade Education

By: Allison Dotson

Union General ULYSSES S GRANT Grant's first Civil War battle after being appointed Brigadier

General was the Battle of Belmont. Some of his battles to follow included Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga.

Grant's first face-to-face with Robert E. Lee came at the Battle of the Wilderness in May of 1864. First, the Spotsylvania battle began and then The Battle of Cold Harbor

In April of 1865, Grant accepted Lee's surrender at Appomattox, Virginia, and the Civil War was at an end. Not so for Grant's career, however. He became President of the United States in 1869 and remained so for eight years. Ulysses S Grant died of cancer in July of 1885.

Confederate General ROBERT E. LEE

With the commencement of the Civil War, Lincoln offered Lee control of the Union Army. Although Lee was against secession and slavery, he could in no way be involved in the invasion of the south. He resigned and on June 1, 1861 took command of the Army of Northern Virginia in Richmond.

Lee fought many of the major battles of the Civil War including Richmond, Sharpsburg, Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg.

Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S Grant at Appomattox, Virginia in the spring of 1865. After the war, he took on the role as president of Virginia's Washington College. He died on October 12, 1870 as a much loved and respected man.

Union General JOSHUA LAWRENCE CHAMBERLAIN

He fought the war with the 20th Maine and was appointed Brigadier General in June of 1864 and Major General in March of 1865. Chamberlain was involved in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor, among others.

Chamberlain was wounded six times in the war. It was a great honor to him when General Grant choose him to receive the flag of surrender at Appomattox.

Joshua Chamberlain chose a political career after the war, and became governor of Maine in 1866 and served four terms. He died in February of 1914 in Portland. He had lived to the age of 86.

Confederate General THOMAS J. "STONEWALL" JACKSON

When the Civil War began, Jackson was involved in the battles of Harper's Ferry, First Manassas, Antietam, Shenandoah Valley, Groveton, and Second Manassas. More campaigns followed with Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. It was at the battle of First Manassas that he got the name that was to follow him from that point on: Stonewall.

This tremendously brilliant military strategist was accidentally shot by one of his own soldiers in May of 1863. The wound resulted in the loss of his left arm. However, he died the following week of pneumonia, at age 39. Stonewall Jackson's last words were "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees."

Union General GEORGE GORDON MEADE

The battles that Meade was involved in include Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill, and Glendale, which resulted in his being wounded. After he recovered, he found himself at Second Manassas, South Mountain and Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.

Meade was made Commander of the Army of the Potomac on June 28, 1863, just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg. Following a Union victory at Gettysburg, Meade was criticized for permiting Lee's army to get back to Potomac. He offered to resign at hearing Lincoln was not satisfied, but instead of resigning was appointed Brigadier General just days after the Gettysburg battle and again promoted to Major General in 1864

Confederate General JAMES LONGSTREET

In addition to Manassas, Longstreet fought valiantly at battles of Williamsburg, Gaines’ Mill, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Wilderness, Richmond, and Petersburg.

Longstreet disagreed with Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. over the plan, Pickett's Charge. Longstreet was sure such an attack would never work. Of course, Lee outranked him, and orders had to be followed.

After the war, Longstreet was appointed to be the U.S. Minister to Turkey under President Grant. James Longstreet died in Georgia in January of 1904.

Review of Generals Union: Ulysses S. Grant, JOSHUA

LAWRENCE CHAMBERLAIN, GEORGE GORDON MEADE

Confederate: ROBERT E. LEE, THOMAS J. "STONEWALL" JACKSON, JAMES LONGSTREET