Civil War Quiz: What Happened in the Month of August During the Civil War?

Q#1 – What significant event did the citizens of the State of Tennessee vote for on August 1, 1861?

Q#2 – On August 3, 1861, a Union naval officer performed what act for the first time from a ship stationed off Hampton Roads, VA?

Q#3 – What was the name of the first significant battle of the Civil War fought in the western theater, on August 10, 1861?

Q#4 – What was the name of the Union General who led the successful amphibious landing that captured Cape Hatteras, NC?

Q#5 – To fund the Civil War, what significant action did the U. S. Congress perform on August 2, 1862?

Q#6 – On August 14, 1862, what order did Union General-in-Chief Henry Halleck give to Union General George McClellan?

Q#7 – On August 17, 1862, Confederate General Robert E Lee took what action with JEB Stuart?

Q#8 – Union General Benjamin Butler on August 22, 1862, took what action regarding the recruitment of soldiers into the Army?

Q#9 – In the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, on August 8, 1863, what action did Robert E. Lee perform regarding his role in the Army of Northern Virginia?

Q#10 – What action began in Minnesota on August 18, 1863, that diverted Union military resources away from the Civil War?

Q#11 – On August 21, 1863, what event was performed by William Quantrill’s Raiders?

Q#12 – What was the military engagement that occurred on August 5, 1864, where Union Admiral David Farragut is quoted as giving the following orders: “Damn the torpedoes, go ahead”?

Q#13 – On August 21, 1864, 2,000 Confederates led by Nathan Bedford Forrest occupied what city in Tennessee for a few hours during the day, nearly capturing Major Generals Stephen Hurlbut and C. C. Washburn? (The answer was included in Tom Roza’s April, 2017 Presentation on Forrest.)

Q#14 – What critical battle was fought on August 31, 1864, that led to the Confederates abandoning Atlanta, GA, a few days later?

Q#15 – What legislative action did the State of Mississippi perform on August 14, 1865?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Really Know About the Battle of Gettysburg?

Q#1 – What was the name of the battle fought on June 9, 1863, that involved Union and Confederate cavalry and preceded the Battle of Gettysburg?

Q#2 – When General Jubal Early entered Gettysburg on June 26, 1863, why was his demand of $10,000 worth of goods and produce not met by the town’s citizens?

Q#3 – What action by Pennsylvania militia thwarted Confederate General Early’s plan to attack Harrisburg, PA?

Q#4 – What was the name of the Union cavalry officer who fired the first shot at the Battle of Gettysburg on the morning of July 1, 1863, in the vicinity of a stone bridge across Marsh Creek?

Q#5 – What were the names of the two Union colonels who commanded the two brigades under John Buford?

Q#6 – Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed at the Battle of Gettysburg when a skirmisher’s bullet pierced two wooden doors while she was standing in her sister’s kitchen kneading dough. Who built the coffin that she was buried in?

Q#7 – Early on July 2, Confederate General Longstreet made his arguments to Robert E Lee in favor of disengaging from Gettysburg and making a wide swing around the Union’s left flank. What reason did Lee give Longstreet for rejecting that suggestion?

Q#8 – Early on July 2, Union XII Corps division commander General John Geary was ordered to remove the two regiments he had stationed on Little Round Top and relocate them to Culp’s Hill. Geary recognized the danger of leaving Little Round Top undefended thus leaving the Union line open to being flanked by Confederates. Who did Geary notify of this concern and what was the response?

Q#9 – What was the name of the general who Union Commander George Meade ordered to accompany General Sickles in assessing if Sickles should relocate his III Corps from their position on the southern end of Cemetery Ridge further west to a line along the Emmitsburg Road? What was that general’s reaction to Sickle’s request?

Q#10 – On July 2nd, what was the name of the Union regiment that Union General Hancock ordered forward to close a large gap in the Union line on the south end of Cemetery Ridge that was being threatened by the Confederate General Cadamus Wilcox’s brigade?

Q#11 – On July 2nd, what was the name of the Confederate Division commander that General Lee had counted on to continue the echelon attack against the center of the Union Line on Cemetery Ridge, but was severely wounded before he could order his division forward?

Q#12 – At General Meade’s council of war on the evening of July 2nd, to facilitate the decision-making regarding options for the Army of the Potomac, Meade’s Chief of Staff General Daniel Butterfield wrote down three questions that the generals in attendance needed to answer. What were those three questions?

Q#13 – Lee’s initial plan for attacking on July 3rd involved two flanking attacks launched at the same time: Longstreet attacking the Federal center on Cemetery Ridge from his positions in the Peach Orchard and Devil’s Den; Ewell attacking southward from the trenches that General Johnson had seized on Culp’s Hill. Why did this plan disintegrate before it even had a chance to get started?

Q#14 – Approximately how many cannons were deployed for the Confederate artillery bombardment that preceded Pickett’s Charge on July 3rd? Approximately how many rounds of ammunition were available to each gun?

Q#15 – What was the final attack on July 3rd following the defeat of Picket’s Charge?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About The Coastal War?

Q#1 – What was the first Union combined Army-Navy operation of the war, executed in August 1861?

Q#2 – How many Union soldiers participated in the first large amphibious assault that took place on February 7, 1862, at Ashby’s Harbor, North Carolina?

Q#3 – What were the names of the two Confederate forts that guarded the mouth of the Mississippi River south of New Orleans?

Q#4 – What was the name of the Union officer who was the overall commander of the naval attack on New Orleans in April 1862?

Q#5 – What was the name of the Union commander of the Federal mortar flotilla that participated in the attack on New Orleans?

Q#6 – What type of barrier did Confederate defenders use to try to prevent Union warships from sailing up the Mississippi River?

Q#7 – What was the name of the Confederate ironclad deployed to assist in the Southern attack on the Union strategic supply depot at Plymouth, North Carolina?

Q#8 – Beginning in August 1863 for almost 280 consecutive days, how many artillery shells did Union forces fire in their bombardment of Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina?

Q#9 – During the Federal siege of Charleston, South Carolina, what was the name of the Confederate Commander?

Q#10 – What was the name of the Confederate fort in South Carolina that was attacked by the 54th Massachusetts Regiment in July, 1863?

Q#11 – What was the name of the Federal warship that was attacked by the Confederate experimental submarine HL Hunley?

Q#12 – In 2013, the most likely cause for the sinking of the HL Hunley was discovered. What was the cause?

Q#13 – In his attack plan for Mobile Bay, Admiral Farragut asked for several ironclad monitors. What nickname did Farragut give to these types of vessels?

Q#14 – What was the name of the Confederate ironclad that was used in the defense of Mobile Bay?

Q#15 – What was Confederate Drift Torpedo?

Civil War Quiz: What Facts Do You Know About Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant?

Q#1 – Robert E. Lee’s father, “Light Horse” Harry Lee, fought with George Washington during the Revolutionary War. What role did Lee have a Washington’s funeral?

Q#2 – What was Ulysses S. Grant’s actual name at birth and what does the letter ‘S’ in Grant’s name stand for?

Q#3 – Lee was born on his father’s 51st Birthday. What are the origins for giving him the names ‘Robert’ and ‘Edward’?

Q#4 – After Grant resigned from the Army in 1854, he spent the next seven years in several professions: farmer, real estate agent, and rent collector. What was the job he performed on St Louis street corners?

Q#5 – What reason did the Federal Government give to justify the seizing of Lee’s home ‘Arlington’?

Q#6 – Grant struggled to secure a field command at the outbreak of the Civil War. What was the first field command he was given?

Q#7 – Where did Lee rank in his West Point graduating class of 1829?

Q#8 – Where did Grant rank in his West Point graduating class of 1843?

Q#9 – Lee served as a tactical commander in the Mexican-American War under what General?

Q#10 – Grant struggled with alcohol throughout his life. During the Civil War, Grant’s penchant for binge drinking was usually kept in check by what person?

Q#11 – What was the result of Lee’s first military operation as a Confederate general at the Battle of Rich Mountain that took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia?

Q#12 – What was Grant’s and his wife’s reason for declining the invitation to attend the play at Ford’s Theater with President Lincoln and his wife?

Q#13 – Lee never referred to Northern soldiers as “the enemy”. What phrase did he use to refer to them?

Q#14 – How did Grant prevent Robert E. Lee from being charged with treason after the Civil War?

Q#15 – What were the causes of Lee’s and Grant’s deaths?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About the Federal Government during the Civil War?

Q#1 – Who was President Lincoln’s first Vice President?

Q#2 – Who were President Lincoln’s two Attorneys General?

Q#3 – Why was Simon Cameron, Lincoln’s first Secretary of War, forced to resign early in 1862?

Q#4 – Salmon P. Chase, who was Lincoln’s first Secretary of Treasury, was named and approved to what position in December, 1864?

Q#5 – For Lincoln’s first presidential inauguration on March 4, 1861, who administered the oath of office?

Q#6 – Several major federal agencies were established during Lincoln’s presidency. Three of them were: the Department of Agriculture, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and the Freedmen’s Bureau. What were the names of the other two?

Q#7 – Shortly after taking office in 1861, President Lincoln took the drastic action of suspending the right of habeas corpus in Maryland. What justification did Lincoln use for this action?

Q#8 – The Enrollment Act was legislation passed by the United States Congress and enacted on March 3, 1863. By what other name was this legislation known?

Q#9 – What authority was provided to the Federal Government by the Confiscation Act of 1862?

Q#10 – The Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect on January 1, 1863, applied in the eleven states that were still in rebellion in 1863. What four states, where nearly 500,000 slaves existed, were not covered?

Q#11 – Lincoln vetoed only four bills passed by Congress during his Presidency; the only important one was the Wade-Davis Bill of 1864, which was proposed for the Reconstruction of the South written by two Radical Republican Senators. Why did Lincoln veto this bill?

Q#12 – What was the “Ten Percent Plan”, known formally as the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction Act, that was a proclamation issued on December 8, 1863, by President Lincoln?

Q#13 – In 1861, Lincoln signed the Revenue Act of 1861, creating the first federal income tax. What was the initial tax percentage value and what was the minimum income amount?

Q#14 – In June 1864, Lincoln approved the Yosemite Grant enacted by Congress. What was the purpose of this legislation?

Q#15 – In October 1862, France, which had established a puppet state under the rule of Maximilian I of Mexico, proposed an armistice and joint mediation of the American Civil War by France, Britain, and Russia. What was the US Government’s response?

Civil War Quiz: How Did Weather Affect the Civil War?

Q#1 – What is the name of the meteorological period that the Civil War took place at the tail end of?

Q#2 – What was a well-known example where weather adversely affected Union general George B. McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign in 1862?

Q#3 – At the September, 1862, Battle of Chantilly, what weather condition helped contribute to the death of Union general Philip Kearney?

Q#4 – What battle was fought on May 15, 1864, where hundreds of Confederate soldiers’ feet became stuck in the mud as they attempted to cross a wheat field which the soldiers forever dubbed the “field of lost shoes?”

Q#5 – At the Battle of Chancellorsville in May, 1863, what weather condition helped to contribute to the element of surprise of Stonewall Jackson’s flank attack?

Q#6 – Following his dreadful defeat at Fredericksburg the previous December, what was the name given to Union general Ambrose E. Burnside’s January 1863 military maneuver involving the Army of the Potomac?

Q#7 – What was the name given to one of the most famous (and comical) weather-related incidents during the Civil War that occurred on March 22, 1864, in Dalton, Georgia?

Q#8 – What weather event contributed to the sinking of the USS Monitor off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina?

Q#9 – What was the weather like during Jefferson Davis’s inauguration for the presidency of the Confederate States of America in February 1861 in Montgomery, Alabama?

Q#10 – At the Battle of Gettysburg, Rev. Dr. Michael Jacobs, a math professor at what was then called Pennsylvania College recorded his observations three times a day during every day of the battle. What was the name of the book he created that contains very specific details on the weather at the Battle of Gettysburg and the role it may have played in battle?

Q#11 – During the Battle of the Wilderness in May, 1864, there were unseasonable high heat temperatures that adversely impacted both armies both during and after the battle. How did these high temperatures affect the armies after the battle?

Q#12 – What was the most frequent emotional comment that Union soldiers who had to endure bad weather conditions in southern locations included in their letters home?

Q#13 – Union prisoners incarcerated at Andersonville did what in an attempt to shield themselves from the rain and heat?

Q#14 – Why did a number of Confederate soldiers at the Battle of Gettysburg actually die from drowning?

Q#15 – During Union general William T. Sherman’s march into South Carolina, massive storms caused numerous rivers to flood their banks. What adverse affect did his cause Sherman’s march?

Civil War Quiz: Little Known Facts About the Civil War

Q#1 – Approximately what percent of the soldiers who fought for the Union Army were immigrants?

Q#2 – When black soldiers began signing up with the Union Army in early 1863, why did they refuse their salaries for 18 months?

Q#3 – True or False: Was there more than one attempt to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln?

Q#4 – Both before and during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln advocated a policy called colonization – what was this policy all about?

Q#5 – In 1863, what justification did the United States Government use to confiscate Robert E. Lee’s Virginia estate and turn it into a cemetery?

Q#6 – During the Civil War, there were two prominent individuals named Jefferson Davis. One was the president of the Confederate States of America. Who was the other?

Q#7 – Stonewall Jackson was a well known hypochondriac. Often, Jackson thought himself “out of balance.” What physical action did Jackson perform, even under fire, to counteract this perceived medical malady?

Q#8 – Stonewall Jackson also suffered from poor eyesight. What action did he perform to attempt to improve his vision?

Q#9 – After President Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865, what unusual item was found in his leather wallet??

Q#10 – Daniel Emmett, a loyal Unionist who in the 1850s was the composer of the song “Dixie,” became disgusted by the song’s popularity in the South after the Civil War began. How did President Abraham Lincoln characterize the song “Dixie”?

Q#11 – What was the original name of the holiday that is now known as Memorial Day?

Q#12 – What were the names of the seven future U.S. presidents who served in the Civil War?

Q#13 – At the Battle of Gettysburg, which Confederate unit suffered the worst regimental losses in a single battle: 708 of 800 killed, wounded, or missing?

Q#14 – Horses and other draft animals had about a 7-month life expectancy during the Civil War. Approximately how many horses died during the war?

Q#15 – What happened to President Lincoln’s personal copy of the Emancipation Proclamation?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About Confederate Government?

Q#1 – What was the motto adopted by the Confederate Congress for the Confederacy?

Q#2 – There were no official Confederate National Anthems. However, there was an unofficial anthem – what was it?

Q#3 – What was the Provisional Confederate Congress?

Q#4 – The Confederate Congress was modeled after the United States Congress with both a House of Representatives and a Senate. How many Senators and Representatives were there?

Q#5 – The Preamble to the US Constitution begins with the phrase “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…” What was the opening phrase of the Confederate Preamble that signified the stark difference in governmental philosophy?

Q#6 – How many articles were contained in the Confederate States Constitution? How many amendments were added?

Q#7 – In addition to the President and Vice President, what were the names of the other Confederate Cabinet Offices?

Q#8 – During the course of the Civil War, which Confederate Cabinet Offices did Judah P. Benjamin hold?

Q#9 – What famous American historical figure is on the Great Seal of the Confederate States of America?

Q#10 – The First Confederate Congress did not meet on a continuous basis. How many sessions did it hold?

Q#11 – What was the name of the politician who fulfilled the role of President of the Confederate Senate?

Q#12 – How were Confederate Senators determined?

Q#13 – In the Confederate Congress, there were three regions that were represented by non voting members of the House of Representatives. What were the names of those regions?

Q#14 – What was the name of the politician who was Speaker of the Confederate House of Representatives for the Second Confederate Congress that began session in May, 1864?

Q#15 – What was the date of the last session of the Second Confederate Congress?

The Civil War quiz for October has been postponed until the November meeting.

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About Events Leading up to the Civil War?

Q#1 – What were the names given to Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution that had an eventual effect on the Civil War?

Q#2 – What was the purpose of Fugitive Slave Act of 1793?

Q#3 – In 1807, Congress passed what law making the importing or exporting slaves a federal crime?

Q#4 – What was the objective of American Colonization Society that was established in 1816?

Q#5 – The Missouri Compromise of 1820 involved Missouri and what other state?

Q#6 – Why was the Tariff of 1828 called the “Tariff of Abominations” by its opponents in the South?

Q#7 – The 1830 Supreme Court ruling in the case North Carolina v. Mann had what effect on slave owners?

Q#8 – What was the name of the newspaper that Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison began publishing in 1831?

Q#9 – Who was Nat Turner and what event was he associated with?

Q#10 – The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five separate bills passed by the US Congress. What do many historians argue was the net effect of the Compromise?

Q#11 – Before it was published in book form, in 1851, where did Uncle Tom’s Cabin first appear for readers?

Q#12 – How did the 1853 Kansas–Nebraska Act affect where slavery would be allowed?

Q#13 – What act of violence occurred on May 22, 1856, in the US Senate?

Q#14 – What was the purpose of John Brown’s attack on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859?

Q#15 – In the presidential election of 1860, what were the names and political parties of the other candidates who ran against Abraham Lincoln?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About Civil War Medicine?

Q#1 – What were the main reasons infection was one of the main causes why a soldier died from his wounds?

Q#2 – During the first year of the Civil War, frequent epidemics of which four childhood diseases was rampant in Union Army camps?

Q#3 – Both Union and Confederate soldiers involved in military operations developed which four main illnesses?

Q#4 – What liquid solutions were used during amputations to partially sedate patients?

Q#5 – Today, it is known that if a wound produces pus, it means the injury is infected. During the Civil War, what did doctors think the presence of pus in a wound meant?

Q#6 – For the Union, what was the ratio of casualties dying of disease? What was the ration for the Confederacy?

Q#7 – For the Union, what was the name of the governmental agency that handled most of the nursing care of the armies, together with necessary acquisition and transportation of medical supplies?

Q#8 – Because there were no antibiotics yet developed during the Civil War to deal with diseases, what treatments did many doctors and surgeons prescribe for their patients?

Q#9 – In August 1861, what Union general appointed surgeon Charles S. Tripler as the first Medical Director of the Army?

Q#10 – In February 1861, who appointed David C. DeLeon as Surgeon General of the Confederate Medical Department?

Q#11 – During 1861 and most of 1862, why did the Confederacy employ a policy of furloughing wounded soldiers to return home for recovery?

Q#12 – At the beginning of the war, the Union ambulance service was very ineffective for several reasons: poorly made vehicles, lack of organization, and corrupt and dishonest staff that manned the ambulances and sought to steal from the wounded passengers. What was the name of the individual who made significant improvements in the Union ambulance service?

Q#13 – For both the North and South, approximately how many women volunteered to work in hospitals?

Q#14 – In addition to assisting surgeons during procedures, giving medicines, supervising the feedings, and cleaning the bedding and clothes of patients, with what two very personal tasks did women assist wounded soldiers?

Q#15 – For more than a century and a half, it has been accepted that about 620,000 Americans died in the Civil War. What is the name of the historian who in 2011 published a paper that described the use of demographic methods and sophisticated statistical analysis that produced a number of 750,000 soldiers who died in the war?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About What Civil War Soldiers Ate?

Q#1 – Why was there never enough meat for Confederate soldiers?

Q#2 – By 1863, next to planning strategy and tactics, what did Confederate generals spend most of their time on?

Q#3 – What seasoning ingredient was sometimes added to beef and always added to pork?

Q#4 – What were the most common field rations issued to individual Union soldiers?

Q#5 – What was a major problem that affected the quality of food?

Q#6 – Condensed milk was very helpful in supplementing the rations for the Union army. Who invented it?

Q#7 – Confederate soldiers had more access to tobacco than their Union counterparts. While opposing troops were on picket duty, it was common for Union soldiers to trade what food item with the Confederate soldiers in exchange for tobacco?

Q#8 – What food item did Southern soldiers frequently substitute for coffee?

Q#9 – Due to its wide availability throughout southern North America, what item was also an important source of food for Confederate soldiers?

Q#10 – What was the name of the military unit that existed in both armies that had the responsibility to organize the feeding of soldiers during the war?

Q#11 – How was the common dish named “Skillygalee” prepared?

Q#12 – For Confederate soldiers, how was another common dish named “coosh” prepared?

Q#13 – What was a “Spirit Ration” that during the American Civil War both armies provided to their troops?

Q#14 – What was the name of the book written in 1853 by William J. Hardee that contained the guidelines for providing food rations for soldiers?

Q#15 – What were the three main reasons that hampered the Confederate government attempts to provide adequate rations for their troops?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About the Post War Era and Reconstruction?

Q#1 – On May 2, 1865, still-president of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis held a Council of War in Abbeville, South Carolina. What was the purpose of this meeting and what was its outcome?

Q#2 – What was the estimated amount of debt incurred by the Southern States by the end of the war?

Q#3 – Southern Negroes were given a promise regarding their ability to own land on former plantations where they had worked as slaves. What was the name of this promise?

Q#4 –What name did President Andrew Johnson give to his post war plan for the nation? He did not call it Reconstruction.

Q#5 – In the years immediately following the Civil War, Southern legislatures began to pass discriminatory laws designed to preserve white supremacy. What were these laws called?

Q#6 – In response to President Andrew Johnson’s pro-Southern bias regarding his plans for treatment of the South specifically as it related to Negroes, Radical Republicans crafted and were successful in getting what amendment added to the US Constitution?

Q#7 – What was the most significant effect of the Reconstruction Act of 1867 passed over President Johnson’s veto?

Q#8 – During the first years of the Reconstruction period, approximately how many US soldiers were stationed in the South to enforce martial law?

Q#9 – What was the name given by the pro-Democratic Party newspapers for the state constitutional conventions held in 1867 throughout the South?

Q#10 – Through the various Reconstructions actions initiated by Radical Republicans to enable blacks to obtain elected political office, what Southern state was the first to elect a black person as Governor during Reconstruction?

Q#10 – How many articles of impeachment were filed against President Andrew Johnson in 1868? What were the three topics that the articles dealt with?

Q#12 – In the presidential election of 1868 won by Ulysses S. Grant, who was the Democratic Party’s candidate?

Q#13 – The Ku Klux Klan is the best known organization that used terror tactics against blacks. What was the name of the News Orleans-based organization that adopted similar terrorist tactics against blacks?

Q#14 – In the Spring of 1871, Congress passed the Enforcement Act in response to growing acts of terror by white supremacist groups in the South. What powers did this Act give President Grant ?

Q#15 – What was the last southern state to be readmitted to the Union?

Civil War Quiz – What Did The Northern Home Front Have to Deal With?

Q#1 – What was the estimated population of the northern states at the beginning of the Civil War?

Q#2 – The Civil War did not stifle immigration into the North. On average, how many people immigrated each year into the northern states?

Q#3 – The war caused a significant split in the Democratic Party. What two factions were created as a result of the split?

Q#4 – While many northerners were against slavery as being immoral, what was the prevailing opinion of Negroes by people living in the North?

Q#5 – At the beginning of the Civil War, what was the existing debt owed northern merchants by people and companies from the South?

Q#6 – The fear that the North would lose the Civil War mostly by financial default through the loss of the South as customers never really materialized – why?

Q#7 – To pay for the war, Congress began to print money as did the Confederate Congress. However, why was the North able to avoid the ruinous levels of inflation that beleaguered the South?

Q#8 – What inventions greatly improved the North’s agricultural capacity?

Q#9 – What discovery just prior to the war in 1859 provided the North with a source of income and wealth that helped pay for the cost of the Civil War?

Q#10 – When Congress passed legislation in 1862 authorizing conscription and the draft of men into military service, what were the age limits?

Q#11 – What was the justification provided by Congress for the $300 “commutation fee,” which allowed a person to be excused from the military service?

Q#12 – What was an unexpected adverse side effect of the draft?

Q#13 – What organization was founded with the assistance of Mary Livermore and George Templeton Strong to support sick and wounded soldiers of the U.S. Army during the American Civil War?

Q#14 – The elections of 1862 both for the House of Representatives and governors in six states were extremely volatile and divisive. What was the narrow margin that President Lincoln’s Republican party retained its role as majority party in the House?

Q#15 – What two major Northern military victories in the late summer/early fall of 1864 sealed Lincoln’s re-election bid?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About the Assassination of President Lincoln?

Q#1 – What did President Lincoln dream just a few nights before the events of April 14, 1865?

Q#2 – What was the name of John Wilkes Booth’s father?

Q#3 – John Wilkes Booth had a brother named Edwin. Was Edwin older or younger than John?

Q#4 – John Wilkes Booth sympathized strongly with the South. A number of historians suggest there were three contributing factors for this sympathy – what were they?

Q#5 – In 1859, Booth witnessed the execution of John Brown. What were his reactions to the execution?

Q#6 – In the fall of 1864, what plot did Booth come up with that did not involve assassinating President Lincoln?

Q#7 – What was the name of the woman who gave Booth a special ticket to attend the March 4, 1865, Inauguration of President Lincoln?

Q#8 – How did Lincoln’s visit to Richmond on April 2 indirectly result in the assassination of the President?

Q#9 – On April 14, 1865, Booth ordered Lewis Paine to assassinate which Union General. And when that plot failed, who was the next target for Paine?

Q#10 – What type of pistol did Booth use to assassinate President Lincoln?

Q#11 – Who was the politician that George Atzerodt was supposed to assassinate?

Q#12 – On April 14, 1865, what were the names of the betrothed couple who were guests in the box at Ford’s Theater with the Lincolns?

Q#13 – What are the two most likely reasons why John Parker, the person assigned to guard the Presidential box at Ford’s Theater, was not present at the time of the assassination?

Q#14 – Which leg did Booth break when jumping to the stage after he shot Lincoln?

Q#15 – 23 year old surgeon Charles A. Leale was the first doctor to reach Lincoln in the Presidential box. What medical procedure did Leale perform that relieved pressure on Lincoln’s brain?

Civil War Quiz: What Did the Southern Home Front Have to Deal With?

Q#1 – At the beginning of the Civil War, approximately what percentage of Southern families owned slaves?

Q#2 – At the bottom of the Southern economic ladder were 2 million or so impoverished whites; what nicknames were they called?

Q#3 – What employment exclusion of the 1862 Confederate conscription act establishing a military draft was most often violated by draft boards attempting to meet their draft quotas?

Q#4 – At the start of the Civil War, the North had approximately 22,000 miles of railroad tracks. How many miles existed in the South?

Q#5 – As the war continued, food shortages across the South increased resulting in skyrocketing inflation. For example, during the winter of 1864, in Richmond, what was the cost for a pound of bacon?

Q#6 – What were the two main reasons why so many of the South’s 260 institutions of higher learning closed during the Civil War?

Q#7 – What recurring theme regarding slavery permeated the homilies of Southern ministers at their Sunday church sessions?

Q#8 – The Civil War radically changed the role of women in Southern society. What was the prevailing role for women before the war?

Q#9 – The vast majority of Southerners differed dramatically on exactly what they were fighting for. Where were the origins of Southern loyalty planted?

Q#10 – What two actions by the Confederate Congress in 1863 had a devastating impact of the food supply throughout the South?

Q#11 – What type of graft was very common among Confederate Commissary units?

Q#12 – What Union general became known as the “Beast of New Orleans”?

Q#13 – When the Confederate Congress approved printing money that was not backed up by gold, what process was implemented that (unsuccessfully as it turned out) would reduce counterfeiting?

Q#14 – In 1864, in a desperate effort to replace huge losses in their armies, how did the Confederate government revise its draft laws?

Q#15 – During the period October 1, 1864, to January 1865, how many Confederate soldiers deserted their armies?

Civil War Quiz – What Do You Know About Life of the Everyday Soldier?

Q#1 – At the beginning of the Civil War, what was the “fancy idea” that most volunteers for the army harbored regarding what would be their principal occupation as a soldier?

Q#2 – On the eve of the Civil War, what was the total number of enlisted men in the United States Army?

Q#3 – What was the main reason men fought in the Civil War? From the North? From the South?

Q#4 – At the start of the Civil War, what was the name of the tent that was most frequently used by both North and South?

Q#5 – At full strength, how many companies of about 100 men each made up an infantry regiment?

Q#6 – What was the main reason why the election of company officers was abolished and replaced with a board examination process?

Q#7 – Which military rank in a company dominated a soldier’s everyday life and existence?

Q#8 – What was the most frequent activity performed when soldiers were in camp?

Q#9 – For doctors who served in the Civil War, what were the requirements for them to enter medical school?

Q#10 – How did doctors during the Civil War view infection and the festering of a wound, known as laudable pus?

Q#11 – What was the most contagious disease that recruits contracted when they joined the army?

Q#12 – In some portions of the Confederate Army, the names “The Virginia Quickstep” and “The Tennessee Trots” were associated with what medical malady?

Q#13 – Quality of the food was a major problem for both sides. What was the most frequent problem with Hardtack? With Corn bread?

Q#14 – What were the two main reasons prisoner exchanges were formally discontinued in 1864?

Q#15 – By the end of the Civil War, counting both sides, how many prisons were created and how many men were imprisoned?

Civil War Quiz – What Do You Know About the War Along the Mississippi River?

Q#1 – At the beginning of the Civil War, what city was considered the most strategic along the Mississippi River?

Q#2 – Which Union commander was placed in charge of naval operations on the Mississippi River?

Q#3 – What naval battle on the Mississippi River in June 1862 resulted in a crushing defeat for the Confederate forces, and marked the virtual eradication of a Confederate naval presence on the river?

Q#4 – This ground and naval battle was fought on August 5, 1862, and resulted in the Union capture of which major Confederate State Capital?

Q#5 – What were the names of the two Confederate forts that guarded the mouth of the Mississippi River south of New Orleans?

Q#6 – What action by Union Major General John McClernand infuriated Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and caused both General-in-Chief Henry Halleck and Grant to totally revise their campaign strategy for capturing Vicksburg, MS?

Q#7 – General John C. Pemberton, Confederate Commander of Mississippi, was suspected of having divided loyalties – why?

Q#8 – What was the name of a river located northeast of Vicksburg, MS, that was critically important to the Union plans to capture Vicksburg?

Q#9 – What was the failed attempt by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to float gun boats and his infantry past Vicksburg without coming under the fire of Confederate guns?

Q#10 – What was the name of the Union naval commander who successfully sailed his ships past Vicksburg as part of General Grant’s plan to land infantry troops of the east shore of the Mississippi south of Vicksburg?

Q#11 – The 1959 movie entitled “The Horse Soldiers” starring John Wayne was based on what actual Civil War event related to the eventual capture of Vicksburg, MS?

Q#12 – Once General Grant had landed his army below Vicksburg, which three major battles were fought during May 1863 that eventually led to the Siege of Vicksburg?

Q#13 – What was the name of a key Confederation fortification that was the main target for Grant’s May 22, 1863, assault on Vicksburg?

Q#14 – In an attempt to break through the Confederate defense at Vicksburg, General Grant approved an action that almost a year later would be attempted again during the siege of Petersburg, VA. What was the action?

Q#15 – Before surrendering Vicksburg, Confederate commanders considered and then rejected what last maneuver?

Civil War Quiz: What Happened During the Month of October 1861–1865?

Q#1 – In October 1862, who was appointed as Union commander of the Army of the Cumberland?

Q#2 – What action did Governor Thomas More of Alabama take in 1861 that he hoped would pressure the governments of France and Great Britain to recognize the Confederate government?

Q#3 – What legal action did President Lincoln take reluctantly, that was necessary for the war effort?

Q#4 – In 1862, which Union general replaced Major General Don Carlos Buell as commander of Army of the Ohio?

Q#5 – Who won the Second Battle of Corinth, Mississippi, which was fought October 3–4, 1862?

Q#6 – On October 8, 1862, what was the name of the largest battle fought on Kentucky soil?

Q#7 – In October 1862, this Union general was given command of the Department of the Tennessee – who was he?

Q#8 – In October 1863, what event did President Lincoln designate as a national holiday at the end of November?

Q#9 – In October 1863, General Grant approved the plan of “Baldy” Smith to supply Union troops in Chattanooga – what was this supply line called?

Q#10 – Who won the Battle of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, fought on October 25, 1863?

Q#11 – In October 1863, Ulysses S. Grant traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, to meet with Secretary of War Edwin Stanton for what purpose?

Q#12 – In October 1864, which border state abolished slavery in their new constitution?

Q#13 – What was the name of the battle in October 1864 where Union General Philip Sheridan made his famous ride to rally his retreating troops?

Q#14 – In October 1864, which territory did the Republican-controlled Congress rush into statehood in order to assist in the re-election of President Lincoln?

Q#15 – In October 1865, which former Confederate political official was released from military prison in Boston, Massachusetts?

Civil War Quiz – The Battles for Atlanta

Q#1 – What was the nickname the City of Atlanta gave itself during the middle of the 19th Century?

Q#2 – When Union general William T. Sherman began his Atlanta Campaign in May 1864, what was the name of the commanding general of the Confederate forces?

Q#3 – General Sherman’s Military Division of the Mississippi consisted of three large armies; what were their names?

Q#4 – In the spring of 1864, what shocking proposal did General Patrick Cleburne submit to increase the number of soldiers in the Confederate Army of Tennessee?

Q#5 – What tactic did Union general Sherman employ during the early stages of the campaign to avoid a frontal confrontation with the Confederate force?

Q#6 – What were the conflicting reasons that on May 19, 1864, Confederate general Johnston retreated instead of going forward with an attack at Cassville, Georgia?

Q#7 – During the last week of May 1864, three major engagements were fought continuously during that period: New Hope Church, Pickett’s Mill, and Dallas, Georgia. What name did the Union troops give to this series of battles?

Q#8 – At the June 27, 1864, Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, which resulted in a minor victory for the Confederacy, what attack tactic did Union general Sherman employ that he would never use again during the remainder of the war?

Q#9 – In July 1864, Confederate President Jefferson Davis sent what general to Atlanta to determine if General Joseph E. Johnston was planning to defend Atlanta or abandon it?

Q#10 – On July 17, 1864, what was the name of the Confederate general who replaced Joseph E. Johnston?

Q#11 – What was the name of the battle fought on July 20, 1864, which marked the first battle of the Confederate Army of Tennessee under its new commander?

Q#12 – What was the name of the only commander of a Federal army to die in the Civil War?

Q#13 – What was the name of the highest ranking Union prisoner of war who was captured in July 1864 attempting to free the Union prisoners at the Confederate Andersonville prison?

Q#14 – What was the reason Union general Sherman authorized a bombardment of the City of Atlanta beginning on August 9, 1864?

Q#15 – What were the contents of the telegram sent by Union general Sherman to his superiors in Washington after the surrender of Atlanta on September 2, 1864?

Civil War Quiz: Brother Against Brother – The War Begins

Q#1 – What were the five main provisions of the Compromise of 1850?

Q#2 – Who were the other three candidates on the ballot for President in the election of 1860 in addition to Lincoln?

Q#3 – Why was Hannibal Hamlin chosen as Abraham Lincoln’s Vice Presidential running mate in 1860?

Q#4 – The attack on Fort Sumter on April 14, 1861, was not the first Union fort to be taken. What were the names of three Union facilities taken by the Confederates in January 1861?

Q#5 – In April 1861, were the organized territories of Nebraska, Washington, Kansas, Utah, and New Mexico in favor of slavery or opposed to it?

Q#6 – How many hours did the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter last: 25? 30? 33? 40? 42?

Q#7 – What reason did President Lincoln give for bypassing Congress when on April 15, 1861, he called for 75,000 militiamen for the Army?

Q#8 – In late April, 1861, proposing an army of 80,000 men, George McClellan submitted two plans to Winfield Scott that McClellan stated would “bring about the destruction of the Southern Army.” What were the plans?

Q#9 – What was the name of the first Union officer to die in the Civil War?

Q#10 – What was the name of the first general to die in the Civil War (Hint: He was a Confederate)?

Q#11 – The Battle of Big Bethel occurred on June 10, 1861, with Union forces led by Benjamin Butler. What was the name of the Confederate commander Butler faced in the battle?

Q#12 – What Union general’s military actions in June/July 1861 eventually secured West Virginia’s entry into the Union?

Q#13 – At the Battle of First Bull Run, each side had an army of about 35,000 men. However, not all these were actually engaged in the fighting. Approximately the same number of soldiers on each side was actually involved in combat. What was the number?

Q#14 – During the Battle of First Bull Run, what was the name of the Confederate general who gave Thomas Jackson his name of “Stonewall”?

Q#15 – What were the approximate total number of casualties for both Union and Confederate forces at the Battle of First Bull Run?

Civil War Quiz: Death in the Trenches, Petersburg 1864-65

Q#1 – What was name of the Union army commanded by General Butler that was located on Bermuda Hundred northeast of Petersburg?

Q#2 – What was the name of the battle fought on May 15, 1864, where Union general Butler’s army was defeated in its attempt on Richmond?

Q#3 – The Confederate fortifications at Petersburg proved formidable. What elements did these fortifications consist of?

Q#4 – On June 15, 1864, Union general William (Baldy) Smith broke through Confederate lines with a wide open road to capture Petersburg. Why did Smith halt his attack and lose this opportunity?

Q#5 – What was the name of the commander of the Irish Brigade who was killed in the June 16, 1864, Union attack on Confederate Redans 13, 14, and 15?

Q#6 – Who provided Robert E. Lee with conclusive evidence that US Grant had moved his entire army over the James River and was positioning it across from Petersburg?

Q#7 – On June 18, 1864, while leading a Union attack against Confederate lines called Rives’s Salient, what was Col. Joshua Chamberlain doing when a Minie Ball slammed through both of his hips?

Q#8 – In the assault on Rives’s Salient, what is the statistical significance of the casualties incurred by the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery regiment?

Q#9 – What was the name of the Union regiment that consisted mostly of miners that dug the tunnel for the Battle of the Crater?

Q#10 – In feet, how long was the tunnel dug by Union soldiers that produced the Battle of the Crater?

Q#11 – How many tons of gunpowder were placed in the tunnel for the Battle of the Crater?

Q#12 – What was the total number of casualties resulting from the Battle of the Crater?

Q#13 – The Battle of Globe Tavern during August 18-21, 1864, which resulted in over 5900 combined casualties, resulted in the loss of a critical Confederate railroad supporting Petersburg. What was the name of that railroad?

Q#14 – The Second Battle of Reams Station, fought on August 25, 1864, which resulted in 3700 casualties, was a stunning victory for the Confederates. Against which Union commander was this victory achieved?

Q#15 – After the Union victory at the Battle of Five Forks on April 2, 1865, the Confederates abandoned Petersburg and Richmond. What was the total number of casualties incurred by both sides from June 1864 to April 1865?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About William Tecumseh Sherman That’s Not Associated with the Civil War?

Q#1 – What was William Tecumseh Sherman’s birth date?

Q#2 – What town and state was Sherman born in?

Q#3 – What explanation did Sherman provide for how he was given his middle name of Tecumseh?

Q#4 – What famous American Founding Father was Sherman distantly related to?

Q#5 – Sherman’s father, Charles Robert Sherman, died unexpectedly in 1829. At the time, what legal position in did Sherman’s father hold?

Q#6 – When Sherman entered West Point in 1836, what future famous Union Civil War general was his roommate?

Q#7 – After graduating from West Point in 1840, in what conflict did Sherman experience his first military action?

Q#8 – Did Sherman see any combat action in the Mexican–American War of 1846-48?

Q#9 – In 1850, Sherman married Eleanor Boyle (“Ellen”) Ewing. How many children did they have?

Q#10 – In 1853, Sherman resigned his captaincy in the United States Army. What position did he assume in the private sector?

Q#11 – In 1859, what important administrative position in the academic sector was Sherman appointed to?

Q#12 – In June 1865, Sherman received his first post Civil War command. What was that command?

Q#13 – In 1875, Sherman published a two-volume book of his memoirs. What was the title of the memoirs?

Q#14 – In retirement, Sherman was much in demand as a colorful speaker at dinners and banquets. What famous playwright was Sherman fond of quoting?

Q#15 – In 1891, what famous Confederate general served as a pallbearer at Sherman’s funeral and died one month later of pneumonia?

Civil War Quiz – What Happened During the Month of May, 1861-1865?

Q#1 – The Battle of Seven Pines was fought on what dates?

Q#2 – What are the primary dates for when the Battle of Chancellorsville was fought?

Q#3 – Stonewall Jackson died on May 10, 1863, from his wounds. What were his last words?

Q#4 – Two major battles were fought in May of 1864 at the start of what was called the Union’s Overland Campaign. What are their names and the dates they were fought?

Q#5 – On May 4, 1865, a significant event regarding President Lincoln occurred. What was that event?

Q#6 – On May 20, 1861, what major political decision was made by the Confederate government?

Q#7 – On May 20, 1862, what important legislation did President Lincoln sign into law? Hint: It was not a military related act

Q#8 – On May 16, 1863, General U.S. Grant fought and won what battle as part of his Vicksburg Campaign?

Q#9 – On May 11, 1864, the Battle of Yellow Tavern, Virginia was fought. What important commander was mortally wounded in that battle?

Q#10 – On May 15, 1864, a battle was fought where the entire cadet corps from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) made up a portion of the Confederate forces. What was the name of that battle?

Q#11 – On May 2, 1865, the United States Government issued a monetary reward for the arrest of Jefferson Davis. How much was that award?

Q#12 – On May 10, 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by U.S. troops. What is the name of the location where Davis was captured?

Q#13 – On May 29, 1865, then President Andrew Johnson took what action regarding most ex-Confederates?

Q#14 – What major event occurred in Washington, DC, on May 23-24, 1865?

Q#15 – On May 12, 1865, the last land engagement of the Civil War was fought. Where did this action occur?

Civil War Quiz – What Do You Know About George Henry Thomas?

Q#1 – In what state was George Henry Thomas born?

Q#2 – In 1831, what incident occurred that forced the Thomas family to flee from their home and hide in the nearby woods?

Q#3 – While a cadet at the West Point Military Academy, what nickname did the other cadets give to George Thomas?

Q#4 – What person who would gain enormous fame fighting for the Union during the Civil War was Thomas’s roommate and close friend?

Q#5 – After graduating from West Point in 1840, what military unit in the army was Thomas first assigned to?

Q#6 – In 1851, Thomas returned to West Point in what capacity?

Q#7 – When Thomas returned to West Point in 1851, who was the Academy Superintendent with whom Thomas would eventually establish a close professional and personal relationship?

Q#8 – During Thomas’s long military career both before and during the Civil War, what was the only wound he suffered in combat?

Q#9 – At the outbreak of the Civil War, being a Southerner, Thomas struggled with the decision on which side to join, but opted to remain with the United States. What was thought to have been the main factor in his decision-making?

Q#10 – On January 18, 1862, where did Thomas win the first important Union victory in the war defeating Confederate Brig. Generals George B. Crittenden and Felix Zollicoffer?

Q#11 – In the fall of 1862, what military command did Thomas refuse to accept?

Q#12 – After the battle what future president who was a field officer for the Army of the Cumberland was instrumental in Thomas becoming became widely known by the nickname “The Rock of Chickamauga”?

Q#13 – Prior to the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, why did General US Grant send Maj. Gen. John A. Logan to Tennessee with an order to replace Thomas?

Q#14 – After Thomas’s decisive victory at the Battle of Nashville, what other nickname was given to him?

Q#15 – Thomas died on March 28, 1870, at the age of 53 while serving in San Francisco, California, as commander of the Military Division of the Pacific with headquarters at the Presidio. What was the cause of death?