Civil War Mountains, Hills, and Creeks Quiz

Answer: Lookout Mountain

On the afternoon of November 24, 1863 Grant dispatched reinforcements to Hooker and Sherman to launch a three-pronged attack, against the Confederate position on the fog-shrouded Lookout Mountain. Hooker's men cleared the Confederates from Lookout Mountain and proceeded to Rossville to threaten Bragg's left and rear. On the 25th Sherman's troops attacked the rebel right at Tunnel Hill but were stopped. That same day Thomas's men advanced up Missionary Ridge, and Hooker pummeled Bragg's left.

The Confederate front dissolved, and Bragg prepared to retreat.

Answer: Kennesaw Mountain

On June 27, 1864 at 8:30 a.m. John Logan's XV Corps of about 5,500 men hit the Confederate right center which was held by William Loring (Polk's replacement). The Federal attackers over ran the first rifle pits but were slowed by the steep, rough terrain.

Then they were stopped by the murderous fire of French's Division and its big, supporting guns. A mile and a half to the south, two of Thomas' divisions smashed themselves against a point in the center of the Confederate line soon to be called the "Dead Angle", but they could not break Johnston's line. By noon the battle was over with about 3,000 dead and wounded and nothing to show for it.

Answer: Ball's Bluff

On October 21, 1861 the Union blundered into a Confederate ambush. When they were forced back over the cliff of the steep bluff, several lost their balance and were shot or stabbed with bayonets. Many of the retreating men fell into the river and drowned. The other name given to the battle is Leesburg.

Answer: Chickasaw Bluffs

In this December 29, 1862 attack, Sherman never even had a chance. Pemberton was able to shift men from his main lines to meet Sherman, because he knew Grant could not attack because his Holly Springs supply depot had been sacked. It took Sherman two days to get through the tangled swamps and waterways of the Bayou.

At noon on the 29th the men went in and were repulsed by the fierce enemy artillery from the heights, so Sherman called the attack off.

Answer: Spring Hill

Hood tried to pin down Schofield and attack him before he could unite with Thomas. After some fighting on the 29th of November, the Federals escaped that night and headed for Franklin. Hood blamed the failure at Spring Hill on the timidity that he claimed the troops had learned from Johnston. Some think he was punishing his men for being too timid with the attack at Franklin.

Answer: Chickamauga Creek

One of the things that Thomas had going for him was that one of his units, Wilder's Lighting Infantry, had Colt's revolving rifles. Some of the southerners said that the rate of fire that the Yankees kept up was "so high that we thought that they had a whole division in our front." A reported 43,550 rounds were fired by the Federals.

At the last minute, without orders, Gordon Granger reinforced Thomas. Together they were able to hold on till an orderly retreat could be made. For this heroic stand Thomas would forever more be known as "The Rock of Chickamauga".

Answer: Malvern Hill

Lee massed the bulk of five divisions and sent them in a disorganized attack into 250 Union artillery pieces, and McClellan's infantry on the heights. It was a disaster; the Rebels did not have a chance. The southern batteries were easy counter-battery targets for the Federals. So their men were left unsupported and they had to call off the attack. Even with a victory McClellan retreated.

Answer: Pine Mountain

While just arriving to talk with General's Johnston and Hardee, General Polk was shot in the chest (and out of the saddle) by the crew of a Parrott rifle. He was there to talk over the new lines that the Confederates were about to deploy on Kennesaw Mountain. This was during Sherman's drive on Atlanta outside of Marietta, Georgia.

Answer: Peach Tree Creek

When he took over for Johnston, Hood vowed that troops under his leadership could and would not be as timid and give up as much ground as they had under Johnston. Hood told Davis that he was a man of action and a fighter. Sherman was glad of the change, so he could get at the Confederates. Hood smashed his army into the Federals, until he lost Atlanta.

Answer: Drewery's Bluff

During the May 15, 1862 battle, one of the ships that was being fired on from Fort Darling was the Monitor. Some of the same men that had fired the guns when they were on the Virginia, fired them from Drewery's Bluff at the Monitor. The Monitor, however could not raise its own guns high enough to fire on Fort Darling.

Answer: Wilson's Creek

Lyon attacked a larger force at Wilson's Creek, and was making a stand on "Bloody Hill" after capturing it from the rebels. Then after being wounded twice he was shot dead while attempting to rally his men. Samuel Sturgis took over and retreated, a decision he was very criticized for later.

Answer: Missionary Ridge

The orders were to take the first set of Confederate gun pits. When they were overrun the momentum carried them over the pits and up the hill toward the waiting rebels on top of Missionary Ridge. The surprised Southerners were overrun as well. The whole position was soon given up.

Answer: Antietam Creek

Time after time Burnside sent his IX Corps across the narrow bridge into the well placed rebel guns, and they were thrown back, when at anytime they could have just waded across the Antietam. There were only about 400 men in the heights fighting off regiment after regiment.

By the end of the battle McClellan would have more fresh, unused reserve troops than Lee would have men on the field. Longstreet later said, "McClellan could have taken Lee's whole army and everything in it. But we had luck on our side and they had McClellan on their's."

Answer: Bull Run Creek

P.G.T. Beauregard claimed that his plan at Bull Run was based on Napoleon's plan for the Battle of Austerlitz. The plan was too complex for the new recruits and fell apart quickly. There was much confusion as to who was who, and friendly fire was felt by both sides. Because the Stars and Bars looked to much like the Stars and Stripes, Beauregard would help design a new battle flag, after the battle. Jackson's wife told him that it was a good thing that the battle was on her birthday, so in future years he would remember her birthday.

Answer: Henry House Hill

In the Henry house, Mrs. Judith Henry was bed-ridden and could not be moved. An errant artillery shell hit the house and tore off her foot, killing her,. making her the first civilian battle death of the war. General Bee who had made the famous statement about Jackson, was killed shortly after making it.