Why Did Virginia Win The Civil War Essay

Words: 535
Pages: 3

Young white men in Virginia rushed to join the new Confederate army. About 155,000 Virginia men served in the Confederate forces, while another 32,000 served in the Union forces. These soldiers had an average age of 26, and more than half were the head of the house. The wealthiest counties sent more man than the poor ones, and counties with more slaves sent more than the ones without as many. Soldiers fought for many reasons, but one reasoned that out weighed the rest was the concern of losing land. Virginia was a notable battleground for both the Union and the Confederate forces. It contained the Confederate capital, the capture of which would be an important symbolic victory for the Union forces. Virginia was critical to …show more content…
But it didn’t include march on Richmond so Lincoln overruled it. Union troops headed south, but were soon defeated by the Confederate forces at the Battle of the Manassas on July 21, 1861. After the defeat at the Battle of the Manassas George B. McClellan became the new Union General. McClellan led the Army of the Potomac down the Chesapeake Bay to Fort Monroe in the spring of 1862. During the Peninsula Campaign, he then marched between the York and James rivers in an attempt to take over Richmond from the south. McClellan fought the Confederate to a standstill at Yorktown and Williamsburg. At the Battle of Seven Pines-Fair Oaks Johnson, the confederate leader was badly injured. Robert E. Lee took over the Army of Northern Virginia, and defeated McClellan at the Battle of Seven Days fought near Richmond. He was helped by Stonewall Jackson, who quickly marched east after he had defeated Union troops in the Shenandoah Valley. Lee was not a popular general at first,but after the defeat of McClellan he started to win over the Confederate army. He defeated Union generals Nathaniel P. Banks at Cedar Mountain and John Pope at the Second Battle of the Manassas in August,and then invaded the