Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About the Fort Pillow Massacre?

Q#1 – Where is Fort Pillow located?

Q#2 – Who constructed Fort Pillow?

Q#3 – Why did the Confederates construct Fort Pillow?

Q#4 – What was a major defensive design flaw in the fort’s construction?

Q#5 – When did Union forces capture Fort Pillow?

Q#6 – Why were Union forces able to capture Fort Pillow?

Q#7 – After its capture by Union forces, how large was the military garrison at Fort Pillow?

Q#8 – What Confederate General led the attack on Fort Pillow?

Q#9 – What was the overall Confederate strategy that eventually led up to the attack on Fort Pillow?

Q#10 – What battle preceded the Confederate attack on Fort Pillow?

Q#11 – What tactic did Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest attempt to get Union forces to surrender at a military engagement that preceded the attack on Fort Pillow?

Q#12 – Approximately how many Confederate forces participated in the attach on Fort Pillow? (Note: the estimate is a range of 1,000 troops!)

Q#13 – What significant Union casualty early in the Confederate attack on Fort Pillow aided in losing the battle?

Q#14 – What occurred at the end of the Battle for Fort Pillow?

Q#15 – After the Battle of Fort Pillow what reason did the Confederates give for the high number of Union troops killed during the battle?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About the Civil War in the New Mexico Territory?

Q#1 In 1861, the New Mexico Territory was comprised of which current States?

Q#2 The New Mexico Territory provided more soldiers to the Union, than any other western state or territory. Approximately how many Union soldiers came from the New Mexico Territory?

Q#3 In 1861, the Confederacy claimed the southern half of the vast New Mexico Territory as its own Arizona Territory. What was the main objective behind this claim?

Q#4 At the start of the Civil War, what was the general political attitude by those inhabiting the Nex Mexico Territory regarding supporting secession?

Q#5 Which geographic portion of the New Mexico Territory had the strongest support for the Confederacy?

Q#6 What was a major influencing Union support in the northern geographic portion of the New Mexico Territory?

Q#7 In 1861 in the town of Tucson, southern sympathizers living in the New Mexico Territory established what they called the Arizona Territory What was the name of the man named governor?

Q#8 What significant events in July 1861 occurred in the town of Mesilla, New Mexico Territory?

Q#9 On January 13, 1862, what action was taken by Confederate President Davis with regards to the New Mexico Territory?

Q#10 In March 1862, the U.S. House of Representatives, took what political action regarding New Mexico Territory?

Q#11 In what mountain range was the Battle of Glorieta Pass fought in?

Q#12 The Battle of Glorieta Pass began with a skirmish on March 26 between advance elements from each army, with the main battle occurring on March 28. Although the Confederates were able to push Union forces back through the pass, what was the reason they had to retreat?

Q#13 Years after the Civil War ended, what name was given to the Battle of Glorieta Pass?

Q#14 What military engagement is often considered the westernmost engagement of the Civil War?

Q#15 While the Battle of Valverde was technically a Confederates victory, why did Confederate General Henry Sibley decide to abandon his attempt to capture the fort, thus ceding the battlefield back to Union control?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About Civil War General Benjamin Butler?

Q#1 – Where was Benjamin Butler born and on what date?

Q#2 – What military event did Butler’s father, John Butler serve in?

Q#3 – Who was Butler named after?

Q#4 – Butler was awarded a scholarship to Phillips Exeter Academy, where he spent one term. How was described by his schoolmates?

Q#5 – In 1844, Butler was elected to what organization?

Q#6 – What reputation did Butler earn as a criminal defense lawyer?

Q#7 – Although Butler represented workers in legal actions, he also sometimes represented mill owners. This adoption of both sides of an issue manifested itself when he became more politically active. What landmark labor working condition for laborers did Butler advocate for?

Q#8 – Butler, as a Democrat, supported the Compromise of 1850 and regularly spoke out against the abolition of slavery. At the 1860 Democratic National Convention at Charleston, South Carolina, who did Butler support as the Democratic Party’s candidate for President of the United States?

Q#9 – In 1857 what position did then Secretary of War Jefferson Davis appointed Butler to at West Point?

Q#10 – Although he sympathized with the South, what statement did Butler make as he sought to serve in the Union Army??

Q#11 – After Abraham Lincoln was elected president in November 1860, Butler traveled to Washington, D.C. When a secessionist South Carolina delegation arrived in Washington, what did Butler do?

Q#12 – At the start of the Civil War, Butler managed to be named Brigadier General of the 8th Massachusetts Regiment. What was the first action Butler participated in April 1861?

Q#13 – In May 1862, Butler commanded the force that conducted the capture of New Orleans after its occupation by the Navy following the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. In the administration of that city, what did Butler initially implement?

Q#14 – In November 1863, Butler was given command of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina based in Norfolk, Virginia. In January 1864, what activity did Butler play a pivotal role in regarding the creation of ??

Q#15 – What do many Civil War historians’ cite as a major contributing factor for Andrew Johnson being acquitted at his impeachment trial?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About John Brown?

Q#1 –When and where was John Brown born?

Q#2 – How did Brown’s parents, Owen Brown and Ruth Mills describe their son, John Bron?

Q#3 – When the Brown family moved to Hudson, Ohio, what was the name of the man who ingrained in a young John Brown the seeds of Abolition?

Q#4 – John Brown’s father became a leading and wealthy citizen of Hudson and operated a tannery. Which future US President’s father was employed at the tannery?

Q#5 – With no school beyond the elementary level in Hudson at that time, how did John Brown acquire additional academic education?

Q#6 – When he was 12 years old and away from home moving cattle, what incident did he witness that John Brown decided to dedicate his life to improving African Americans’ condition?

Q#7 – Where did John Brown plan to get his higher education?

Q#8 – After returning home, what profession did John Brwon teach himself from a book?”

Q#9 – John Brown knew the Bible thoroughly and could catch even small errors in Bible recitation. After the Bible, what were his favorite books read?

Q#10 – In 1836, what incident further reinforced John Brown’s Abolitionist fervor?

Q#11 – In 1850, the United States passed the Fugitive Slave Act, a law mandating that authorities in free states aid in the return of escaped slaves and imposing penalties on those who aid in their escape. What action did John Bron take in response to this new law?

Q#12 – The Pottawatomie massacre occurred in Kansas during the night of May 24 and the morning of May 25, 1856. Under John Brown’s supervision, his sons and other abolitionist settlers did what?

Q#13 – At the start of the raid at Harper’s Ferry, what initial actions did John Brown perform?

Q#14 – After experiencing some initial success, what mistake did Brown make that led to Federal and State forces being alerted to the raid?

Q#15 – Why was John Brown’s trial conducted by the State of Virginia and not by the Federal Government?

What Do You Know About the Civil War Peace Conference?

Q#1 – When was the Civil War Peace Conference held?

Q#2 – What historical name has been traditionally given to the conference?

Q#3 – What unique facility was used to hold the Conference?

Q#4 – Who was the Lead Union Representative?

Q#5 – Who was the Lead Confederate Representative?

Q#6 – What position did the Confederate representative hold in the Confederate government?

Q#7 – Who else besides the Lead Union representative attended the Conference for the Union?

Q#8 – There were two additional individuals other than the Lead Confederate Representative that attended the Conference on behalf of the Confederacy. Who were they?

Q#9 – In response to pressure from some in the Confederate government to seek a peaceful versus military end to the war, Confederate President Jefferson Davis extended what proposal to President Lincoln.

Q#10 – In preparation for the Conference, Jefferson Davis gave his three commissioners instructions to explore all options except one; what was that exception?

Q#11 – What was the main reason that the Union Congress was shaken by the news of possible peace negotiations with the Confederacy?

Q#12 – What was the main reason that the Radical Republicans in Congress were opposed to the Conference?

Q#13 – After the Conference began, the Union representatives put forth several conditions that were mandatory in order to end the war through peace negotiations – what were these conditions?

Q#14 – During the negotiations, the question of slavery was discussed, specifically Emancipation Proclamation. How did the Union representatives describe the scope of the Proclamation?

Q#15 – What was Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s reaction to what the Union representatives had proposed at the Conference?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About Union Support in the South During the Civil War?

Q#1 – Not all people living in the Confederacy supported secession. Those opposed were know by five names – can you name at least two?

Q#2 – During the post-Civil War period called “Reconstruction”, what was the different derogatory name given to Southerners who supported the Union?

Q#3 – Which three Confederate states has the largest number of people supporting the Union?

Q#4 – In which Confederate state was the “Free State of Jones” located?

Q#5 – Prior to the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, people living in the South that supported the Union were counting on what action by President Lincoln to avoid an armed conflict?

Q#6 – Virginia is known for providing many of the best Confederate officers such as Robert E Lee, Thomas, “Stonewall” Jackson, AP Hill, JEB Stuart, among others. However, many southern soldiers in the US Army remained loyal when their states seceded. As is the case of Virginia, what percentage Virginian officers in the United States military stayed with the Union?

Q#7 – Approximately how many Southerners served in the Union Army during the Civil War?

Q#8 – Every Southern state except one formally raised military organizations of white troops; which state did not?

Q#9 – Which state provided the most southerners to the Union Army?

Q#10 – In what role were Southerners who joined the Union Army extensively used in areas of the Confederacy that became occupied by the Union?

Q#11 – Other than being opposed to slavery, what was another major reason many Southerners were opposed to secession and sided with the Union?

Q#12 – Among Southerners of German ancestry, what actors played an important role in many of them refusing to serve in the Confederate armed forces ?

Q#13 – He became known as the founding father of West Virginia who described secession as “self-murder” and “an insult to all reasonable living humanity, and a crime against God.” What was this person’s name?

Q#14 – As the Civil War dragged on, one critical factor drove many Southern white women to move to the forefront of another kind of Unionism?

Q#15 – What were the four Southern states that initially voted against secession?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address?

Q#1 – When did President Lincoln give his Second Inaugural Address?

Q#2 – How many words are contained in Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address?

Q#3 – Lincoln makes numerous religious references in his Second Inaugural Address. How many times does Lincoln mention the word “God”?

Q#4 – Lincoln used his second inaugural address to touch on the question of “Divine Providence: Why?

Q#5 – In the speech, what does Lincoln make reference to regarding the causes for the ongoing Civil War?

Q#6 – What is the main point of Lincoln’s second inaugural address?

Q#7 – What was unique about Lincoln’s second inaugural address?

Q#8 – With his speech, what was Lincoln’s main message to people living in the North?

Q#9 – Regarding the people living in the South, what was Lincoln attempting to accomplish with his speech?

Q#10 – What was unique about Lincoln’s second inaugural address?

Q#11 – In the speech, in what context did Lincoln use the phrase “scourge of war”?

Q#12 – In the crowd present in front of the East Portico of the United States Capitol where the speech was given, what two special groups were in attendance?

Q#13 – The closing paragraph contains two additional glosses from scripture “let us strive on to… bind up the nation’s wounds.” It is a reworking of what Psalm from the Old Testament of Bible?

Q#14 – What was Lincoln’s appeal to his audience in the second inaugural address?

Q#15 – What was the general reaction to Lincoln’s second inaugural address in his home state of Illinois?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About The Mason Dixon Line?

Q#1 – Which four states’ borders were defined by the Mason Dixon Line?

Q#2 – Why was the Mason Dixon Survey needed?

Q#3 – What was the timeline of the survey?

Q#4 – Why were the Native Americans opposed to surveyors?

Q#5 – Jeremiah Dixon was the surveyor. What was Charles Mason’s profession and how did he contribute to the survey?

Q#6 – What is the length of a surveyor’s chain?

Q#7 – What other surveying equipment was used by Mason Dixon?

Q#8 – What natural barrier formed part of the Mason Dixon Line?

Q#9 – In addition to the Mason Dixon Line what else defined the borders between the free and slave states?

Q#10 – What states south of the Mason Dixon Line stayed with or joined the Union prior to 1865?

Q#11 – How was the Mason Dixon Line marked?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About the Ironclads Monitor and Merrimac?

Q#1 – While the concept of ships protected by armor existed before the advent of the ironclad Monitor, the need for iron plating on ships arose only after the invention of what new form of armament?

Q#2 – After the Civil War began, what event caused the Union Navy’s attitude towards ironclads to quickly change?

Q#3 – In August 1861 how much money did Congress appropriate to build one or more armored steamships?

Q#4 – The Monitor was designed by Swedish-born engineer and inventor John Ericsson. Where was the Monitor constructed and how many days did it take to build it?

Q#5 –The top of the armored deck of the Monitor was only about 18 inches above the waterline. It was protected by two layers of 1⁄2-inch wrought iron armor. What material was used and what were their dimensions to protect the sides of the Monitor?

Q#6 – What was the size of the Monitor’s crew?

Q#7 – On the morning of the Battle of Hampton Roads, what Union ship was the Monitor protecting that prevented the Merrimack (now named the CSS Virginia) from destroying it?

Q#8 – After the Battle of Hampton Roads, what was the next military engagement the Monitor participated in?

Q#9 – What was the name of the ship that was towing the Monitor to join in a planned attack on Wilmington, North Carolina, when the Monitor sunk in heavy seas off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in December 1862?
The Merrimack (aka Virginia)
Q#10 – When the Merrimack was first built in 1854, where did the name “Merrimack” come from?

Q#11 – As still part of the Union Navy in September 1857, what role was the Merrimack assigned?

Q#12 – In April 1861, with the attack on Ft Sumter, the Secretary of the US Navy issued orders to have the Merrimack moved to Philadelphia. What action by the Confederates prevented the Merrimack from leaving Norfolk?

Q#13 – When the US Navy realized they could not sail the Merrimack out of Norfolk, what action did they take?

Q#14 – The Confederacy, in desperate need of ships, raised Merrimack and rebuilt her as an ironclad ram. What were the Confederate plans to use the now renamed CSS Virginia?

Q#15 – What led to the Confederate decision to scuttle the CSS Virginia?

Civil War Quiz: What Do You Know About The 54th Massachusetts Regiment?

Q#1 – What Federal government action authorized the general recruitment of African Americans for service in the Union Army?

Q#2 – Who was the Federal government official that instructed the Governor of Massachusetts, John A. Andrew, to begin raising regiments including “persons of African descent” on January 26, 1863?

Q#3 – We all know that Robert Gould Shaw was selected to be the regiment’s colonel. What was the name of the person who was selected to be the regiment’s lieutenant colonel?

Q#4 – Like What was Robert Gould Shaw’s rank in the Union Army before he was appointed to lead the 54th Massachusetts Regiment?

Q#5 – Who were the two prominent black abolitionists that actively recruited African Americans to join the 54th?

Q#6 – Where did the 54th Massachusetts Regiment perform their training?

Q#7 –When news reached the South that the Union was going to recruit African Americans into the Union Amy, what action did Confederate President Jefferson Davis initiate?

Q#8 – The enlisted men of the 54th were recruited on the promise of pay and allowances equal to their white counterparts. This was supposed to amount to subsistence and $13 a month. What happened when the 54th arrived in South Carolina?

Q#9 – When the 54th arrived in Beaufort, South Carolina what military unit were they joined with and who was in charge of that unit?

Q#10 – On July 16, 1863, where did the 54th first real military engagement take place?

Q#11 – What geographic and terrain conditions made the assault on Fort Wagnor so difficult and caused a significant number of 54th casualties before they even reached the fort?

Q#12 – The 54th’s Regimental Commander, Robert Gould Shaw was killed in the attack on Fort Wagner. Who took over command of the regiment?

Q#13 – After Fort Wagner, what was the 54th’s next military action and where did that take place?

Q#14 – At the November 1864 Battle of Honey Hill that the 54th was participated in, what was the outcome of that battle?

Q#15 – In mid-April 1865, the 54th fought in what proved to be one of the last engagements of the war; what was that engagement and were did it occur?