My Biggest Civil War Quiz Yet!

Answer: Savannah, Georgia

Savannah was spared by General Sherman during his "March to the Sea". After destroying Georgia lands and resources between Atlanta and Savannah, Sherman turned north and left it intact. Atlanta was partially destroyed by the fighting and by the Confederates burning supplies to keep them out of Union hands. Vicksburg took heavy cannon bombardment damage prior to its fall. Columbia was actually destroyed twice.

Answer: 20

The Civil War battle theaters were many and far apart. It is a misconception that Mr. Brady took all the pictures credited to his name. He didn't make a lot of money as he had hoped to do, but because of the photographs he and others took, we have a good record of this tragic event in American history.

Answer: Samuel Cooper

General Cooper was a West Point graduate who became Adjutant General in the Union Army. When the war came he resigned his position and took a similar one with Jefferson Davis. He saw no active duty during the Civil War.

Answer: Finis

After four years his career was 'finis' as well. Although assuming office sooner, he was elected by popular vote on November 9th, 1861. After fleeing Richmond at the end of the Civil War, he was captured near Irwinville, Georgia on May 10th, 1865 and jailed. Some accounts say they captured him dressed and disguised as a woman. He was released from jail in May of 1867.

Answer: Atlanta, Georgia

The site of this battle is now part of the Westside District of Atlanta, well inside of Atlanta's city limits.

Answer: 3rd

South Carolina and Mississippi were the first two. On Janurary 10th 1861 the Secession Convention voted 62-7 to secede.

Answer: Gatling Gun

The Gatling gun became available to the Union side, but was used very little. Many commanders considered it a gadget that would be a waste of ammo. This new weapon could fire 350 rounds a minute but had serious cooling problems. However, it would have probably shortened the war had it been put into service.

Answer: Hunley

The Hunley was built from an iron cylinder 30' long and 4' in diameter. It had no periscope and was either sailed blindly or on the surface. It was powered by handcranks turned by an eight man crew. The sub sunk a Union ship, the Housatonic, by ramming it with an explosive charge attached to a long spur.

The charge was then set off, where it was inbedded just below the waterline, and sank the ship. The sub sank as well killing all aboard. The Hunley has been raised and is being studied and restored as of 2002.

Answer: George Washington

The "Father of our Country" and first president, George Washington, was born on February 22, 1732.

Answer: Pneumonia

He died on May 10th, 1863 after being shot by mistake by Confederate troops on May 2nd. He was wounded in the arm and had his amputated. Developing pneumonia brought on by the wound, he passed away. He was accidentally shot by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancelorsville while riding near the front as dusk fell upon the battle. This was a huge blow to the Confederacy.

Answer: Kennesaw Mountain

After digging in, the Confederate troops made a gallant effort at defending their armies retreat from Tenessee. At this time General Sherman had a much more powerful force. He attacked the Confederate position in force and the Confederates had to retreat, once again, towards Atlanta.Though they drove the Confederate troops backward once again they were never able to take total control of the mountain range.

There is a national park there now, where you can tour and learn more about the struggle. I have visited this park and place it high among Civil War stops for those interested in that time period.

Answer: Danville, Virginia

With Richmond under heavy pressure to be captured it was determined that the government would have to abandon the city, Lynchburg was decided upon to be their new seat of government. President Jefferson, his cabinet, and other high ranking Confederate officials fled there before breaking up as a government.

Answer: CSS Virginia

The Union naval forces at the Norfolk Naval Yard had sunk it before leaving to keep it out of Confederate hands. However, the Confederates were able to refloat, rearm, and add iron cladding for better protection from shelling. In the ships short lived career the most famous engagement it had was with the new Union ironclad the "Monitor".

After hours of fighting both ships withdrew from what at best would be called a draw. The Confederacy knew then that they would not be able to reopen their blockaded ports.

The "CSS Virginia's" career soon came to an end when it was resunk by its on crew to prevent capture by Union forces.

Answer: cannon

The Napoleon was a smoothbore 12 pounder which had a reliable sighting system. It could use more than one type of shot and was used by both sides. The Confederates especially liked it because of their shortage of ammunition of any one type.

Answer: The One-tenth Plan

Under this plan a seceded state was allowed to return to the Union if 1/10th of the state's voters set up a loyal government sworn to the Union. This proposal was turned down by the United States legislators and after the war ended a much harsher and somewhat corrupt system was implemented.

Answer: Allan Pinkerton

Mr. Pinkerton who was from Glasgow, Scotland, started the first detective agency of its kind in the world. He gained great fame as a detective but was not nearly as good at being a Union spy and scout. He constantly overestimated the size of Confederate forces, and played a prime role in the cautious McClellan's hesitation to engage the enemy.

He eventually resigned and went back into private practice, at which, once again, he was very successful.

Answer: Quaker Guns

They actually had some sucess for a short time in deceiving Union forces. General McClellan was once fooled by this deception and withheld an attack on Confederate forces at Yorktown. The Union finally became aware of the deception when they found the fake guns at abandoned Confederate outposts.

Answer: The Anaconda Plan

General Scott proposed blockading Confederate ports and sending a large force slicing down the Mississippi Valley. This along with a buildup of strong Union positions would force the disorganized Confederate States to seek terms to end the conflict. The plan was not adopted, but in 1864 General Grant used a similar tactic to squeeze the South and bring an end to the war.

Answer: His refusal to purchase a new kind of rifle

Ripley refused to purchase the new 7 shot repeating rifle considering it as nothing but a gadget, and a waste of ammo. Luckily for Union troops, President Lincoln had tested the rifle himself and was very much impressed. He ordered them to be purchased and supplied to front line troops right away.

The Spencer rifle played an important part in securing Union victory, Union troops were now able to fire multiple shots before reloading. This gave the soldiers an overpowering edge on Confederate troops during the heat of battle.

Answer: Albert Sidney Johnston

He was taken out of battle by a leg wound and during the confusion of the ongoing fight the leg wound was not treated and he bled to death. His death along with that of "Stonewall" Jackson dealt a serious blow to eventual Confederate victory.

Answer: Fort Donelson

After his victory at Fort Donelson he became a favorite of President Lincoln and was made a Major General. With some of the Union generals not seeming to want to engage the enemy, General McClellan being a prime example, Lincoln was empressed with Grant's willingness to fight. Through setbacks and victories alike, he became the man who led Union forces to final victory.

After the war he was elected as a two term President but was considered to be at best ordinary and at worst a corrupt administrator.

He died from throat cancer shortly after completing a book on his experiences during the war. He will always be the answer to "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?".

Answer: Star of the West

It set sail on January 5th from New York for South Carolina with men and supplies. As the ship neared the entrance to Charleston Harbor an artillery battery, manned by cadets from the South Carolina Military Academy, opened fire. With no support from Major Anderson inside the fort, who did not believe he had authorization to fire, the "Star of the West" was forced to withdraw and return to New York.

Answer: George H. Thomas

Thomas was born in the South but decided to fight on the Union side. He fought with honor in many battles including Shiloh, Mill's Spring, Stone's River, and Chickamauga where he earned his nickname after holding Snodgrass Hill from a determined Confederate attack. During Sherman's "March to the Sea" he was in charge of the defense of Nashville which tied up one of the major Confederate armies and took considerable pressure off of General Sherman.

Answer: Sedgwick

General John Sedgwick was one of the hardest fighting Union Generals. He was wounded during "The Peninsular Campaign" and wounded again during the fight at Antietam. He also fought at other major battles including Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. His luck finally ran out during the fighting at Spotsylvania when he was killed while leading his troops into battle.

Answer: An eagle

"Old Abe's" story began in 1861 when a Chief of the Chippewa Indians came to own 2 eaglets. He eventually sold one to a man called David McCann who tried to enlist when the Civil War started. He was turned down due to an old injury. He sold "Old Abe" to Cap. John Perkins of the Eau Clair Badgers Co. C 8th Regiment for $2.50 as a company mascot.

The eagle stayed with the now named Eagle Co. the whole 4 years. When the war ended they gave him to the State of Wisconsin. He lived in the Capitol bilding in Madison untill 1881, when he died during a fire.

His remains were stuffed and displayed until 1904 when he was lost in another fire. Since 1915 a replica of Abe has been on display in the Assembly Chamber of the State Capitol.