Commanders and Generals of the Civil War
Confederacy
Union
- Robert E. Lee: Robert E. Lee was known as the most accomplished Confederate general. He was patriotic about his home-state. Even though he opposed secession. He chose to still be part of the Confederacy. Lee was the commanding officer in the Battle of Cheat Mountain, Battle of Seven Days, The Battle of Second Manassas, The Battle of South Mountain, The Battle of Antietam, The Battle of Fredericksburg, The Battle of Chancellorsville. The Battle of Gettysburg, The Battle of Wilderness, The Battle of Spotsylvania, The Battle of Cold Harbor, The Battle of Deep Bottom, and the Battle of Appomattox (Campaign).
- Stonewall Jackson: Thomas Jonathon (Stonewall) Jackson is one of the Confederacy leaders. He got his nickname from his accomplishments in the Battle of the First Bull Run. He is a general legend because of his great strategy and accomplishments. In 1857 he was promoted to a general. He died of blood loss from a wound from battle from a gunshot fired by a fellow Confederate soldier in 1863.
- George Pickett: He was a General that started out as a soldier in the Mexican American War. He became a main General in 1862, but had to stop for a period of time because he was shot in the arm. During a battle his army had to go into retreat, and he was shot down in the general ranking ever since. He died in 1875.
- Nathan Bedford Forrest: He was one of the most feared Confederate Generals in the Civil War. Forrest became a millionaire as a businessman, who owned several cotton plantations. He was also a slave owner and trader. He made all of his accomplishments at a very young age. His first battle as General was in 1861. He was very violent and unfair to the African American soldiers. After the Civil War, he joined the Klu Klux Klan and reportedly became its first "Grand Wizard." He died from diabetes in 1877
Union
- Ulysses S. Grant: General Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Army in the late years of the war. He was a very influential and passionate general. Later, he became the president of the US. He was born on April 27, 1822 in Ohio. On June 17, 1861, he was named colonel. At the end of June, he was named Brigadier General. After his legendary commanding skills help conquered Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, he was named Major General. The conquer of these two forts led to the first Union occupation of a Confederate capital, Nashville. On April 6-7, 1862 Major General Grant and Brig. General Buell (he brought reinforcements) defeated the South in the Battle of Shiloh. General Grant was known for his victory at Vicksburg. Despite many obstacles and lack of choices, he succeeded in commanding a successful siege of Vicksburg. At the Battle of Appomattox, he had the responsibility of cutting off General Robert. E Lee's army, causing Lee to surrender. He served as President from 1869-1877.
- George McClellan: As a commander, he was in charge of small battles in the Civil War. Throughout the war, he had a dispute between William B. Franklin. Eventually he started lying about strategies. Once he started to think he was in trouble, he started to write to his wife. He died in 1885
- Robert Anderson: In this war, Robert Anderson started of as a Major and then ended as a Brig. General. He is known for surrendering at Fort Sumter, the first major engagement of this war.
- George Meade: General George Gordon Meade was a civil engineer and an army officer before serving as a Union general during the Civil War. He was successful in defeating General Lee but was criticized for not pursuing the Confederate Army when he had the chance. He became a commissioner of Fairmont Park in Philadelphia until his death in 1872.