Civil War - War in the East

First Northern impressions was that the war would be over within less than a year. The initial goal was to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, but this proved to be more difficult than it sounded.

First Manassas (a.k.a. First Bull Run) -
Date: July 1861
Commanders:
- Union: General Irvin McDowell
- Confederate: General Beauregard, Barnard Bee, Thomas J. Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Heading South for Richmond, Union General Irvin McDowell encountered the Confederate troops at a little stream called Manassas. At first, Irvin McDowell (Union) squared off against General Beauregard's troops (Confederate), and the Union troops fought them off quite well. However, more Confederate troops arrived under Barnard Bee and Thomas J. Jackson, which pushed the Union lines back. The Union troops retreated, yet the Confederates were too disorganized to make the most out of the victory.
Consequences: The idea of a quick and swift victory over the Southern forces was now a thing of the past after the battle of First Manassas. The South gained confidence and moral while the North demoralized. Union General Irvin McDowell was replaced by George B. McClellan.

Peninsular Campaign:
Monitor and the Merrimac:
Date: March 1862
Winning Side: Draw
Strategy: This was the first showdown between the two iron-clad ships of the North and the South. The Union was terrorized by the iron-clad Confederate ship The Merrimac until the North could finally build their own. The Merrimac (Confederate) and the Monitor (Union) squared off without seriously damaging each other.
Consequences: The age of iron-ships had begun, and the age of wooden ships had ended.

Valley Campaign
Date: March-July 1862
Commanders
- Union: n/a
- Confederate: "Stonewall" Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: General Stonewall Jackson used his force of 15,000 Confederates in a series of attacks in the Shenandoah valley, defeating two separate Union armies and effectively pinning down 50,000 Federal troops.
Consequences: Stonewall defeated a large army of Union troops before moving out of the valley to help Richmond from McClellan's attack.

Richmond Campaign
Date: April 1862
Commanders
- Union: George B. McClellan
- Confederate: "Stonewall" Jackson, Joseph E. Johnston, Robert E. Lee
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: After the initial attack on Richmond failed, Union leaders devised a new plan to take the Confederate capital. McClellan originally planned to surround Richmond from the north and the east. He would send his forces from the peninsula between the James and York rivers, attacking from the east. Then he could send a separate force from the north to crush the capital with two different armies.
McClellan's forces moved up the peninsula while attacking General Johnston's army. As McClellan approached the city, Confederate command was given over to Robert E. Lee because Johnston was wounded in battle.
Robert E. Lee launched on the offensive in the Seven Days' Battles where he routed McClellan's troops and forced McClellan's army back, away from Richmond.
Consequences:
The Union had once again failed to capture the Confederate capital.

Second Manassas (a.k.a. Second Bull Run)
Date: August 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General John Pope
- Confederate: J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Before the Union had another chance to attack Richmond, General Robert E. Lee ordered an attack to raid the Union General Pope from the rear. J.E.B. Stuart attack Pope's headquarters and raided the camp while General Pope was away. General Stonewall Jackson moved up to attack Pope's army and Lee's army came in to help. Pope's army was sent back retreating towards Washington.
Consequences: General Robert E. Lee had cleared practically all of Virginia from Federal forces.

Antietam
Date: September 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General George B. McClellan
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee
Winning Side: Union / Draw
Strategy: Robert E. Lee decided to push on the offensive after the win at Second Manassas. Unfortunately for him, his battle plans were intercepted by the Union which resulted in a change of plan. But thanks to J.E.B. Stuart's scouts, Lee knew that his plans were compromised. Instead of ordering an assault, Lee drew up a defensive line at Antietam and awaited McClellan's "ambush." The resulting battle was a bloody fight amidst a corn field where 24,000 men would die. Night fell and the next morning Lee prepared for another battle which did not come. Instead of waiting any longer, Lee retreated resulting in the Union "victory." Both sides had lost many men and had heavy casualties after the battle.
Consequences: Lincoln used this victory to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.

Fredericksburg
Date: December 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General Ambrose Burnside (replacing McClellan)
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Burnside launched a series of attacks on Confederate positions on the outskirts of Fredericksburg. After the battle, 12,000 Union soldiers lay dead trying to get past the Confederate lines.
Consequences: After replacing McClellan with Burnside, Burnside did not prove to be much better. After the battle of Fredericksburg, Lincoln then replaced Burnside with "Fighting Joe" Hooker.

Chancellorsville
Date: May 1863
Commanders:
- Union: "Fighting Joe" Hooker
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Fighting Joe took his force of 130,000 men back to Fredericksburg to crush the Southern army. Lee only had half that amount of men, yet made up in wits what he lacked in man power. Lee sent Stonewall Jackson in a flanking position to surprise-attack the Union line. Hooker's force never recovered from the battle and retreated back north-east.
Consequences: Stonewall Jackson was tragically wounded in this battle by friendly fire.
After all these Confederate victories, Southern morale was high, and the Union was still unable to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond. Also, the longer the South held out, the more chance it had to get international aid in their cause.

Gettysburg
Date: July 1863
Commanders:
- Union: George Meade (replacing "Fighting Joe" Hooker)
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee, General George Pickett
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: Lee was convinced that a victory on Northern soil was needed to turn the tide. He ordered his troops through Maryland into Pennsylvania, continuing north. On June 30, Lee's army clashed with a Union unit controlled by George Meade. The Federals retreated to the high ground where they entrenched themselves for the ensuing battle. On July 3, Lee sent his troops in a line, nearly a mile long, and marched up the hill to attack the Federals at the top. The Confederate troops were greeted by artillery barrage until they finally reached the top where hand-to-hand fighting broke out. Despite the courageous push, the Confederate troops were surrounded at the top and eventually retreated with what men they had left.
Consequences: The two sides had suffered a combined 50,000 casualties after the battle was over. This battle was the turning point of the war (?).