Download Events and Battles

Theme - Events and Battles of the Civil War
1861
Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
The bombardment/siege and ultimate surrender of Fort Sumter by Brig. General
P.G.T. Beauregard was the official start of the Civil War.
Philippi, Barbour County, Virginia (now West Virginia)
The Battle of Philippi, fought June 3, 1861, in what is now West Virginia, is known as
the "first land battle of the Civil War" or the "first inland battle of the Civil War." A
minor affair that lasted less than 20 minutes and resulted in no fatalities, it would
barely be a footnote of the American Civil War except that it marked the first inland
clash between significant numbers of troops. It also was an important step on
George B. Philippi an’s road to becoming commander of the Army of the Potomac,
the largest Union army.
On November 8, 1861, Confederate diplomatic envoys James Mason (1798-1871) of
Virginia and John Slidell (1793-1871) of Louisiana were aboard the Trent, a British
mail steamer, sailing through the Bahama Channel (between the Bahamas and
Cuba), when the vessel was intercepted by the USS San Jacinto, captained by Charles
Wilkes (1798-1877). Mason and Slidell and their secretaries, who were headed to
England and France to lobby for recognition of the Confederacy, were arrested,
transported to Boston and imprisoned at Fort Warren. The Trent was allowed to
continue its journey after the men’s arrest. Lincoln had the envoys released and
averted a war with Britain.
Manassas, Virginia. Fairfax County and Prince William County
July 21, 1861
Union: Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell
Confederate: Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard & Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
The First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) was the first major land-based confrontation
of the American Civil War. The Union army commander in Washington, Brigadier
General Irvin McDowell, gave in to great pressure to begin campaigning before his
men’s 90-day enlistments expired, although he did not feel the army was adequately
trained yet, leading to a stunning Confederate victory and ending northern hopes of
a quick end to the war.
One of the most interesting Battle of Bull Run facts is that many spectators made
their way to watch the battle. Reporters, government officials, and average citizens
packed lunches and made a day of it. The day took a turn for the worse as these
spectators got caught up in the craziness of the Union retreat.
Theme - Events and Battles of the Civil War
March 8 – 9, 1862
The Battle of Hampton Roads, aka the Battle of the Ironclads (Monitor and
Merrimack), was fought March 8-9, 1862 near Hampton Roads, Virginia. It is the
most famous naval battle of the American Civil War, pitting the nation’s first
ironclad ships against each other.
The two ships fought each other to a standstill, but Virginia retired.
Henrico County, Virginia
June 25 – July 1, 1862
Union: George B. McClellan
Confederate: Gen. Robert E. Lee
The Seven Days Battle or Seven Days Campaign took place from June 25 to July 1,
1862 and featured six different battles along the Virginia Peninsula east of
Richmond. The Union Army of the Potomac, led by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan,
was over 100,000 men strong yet was steadily driven away from the ultimate goal of
Richmond and back to the James River by Confederates led by a new field
commander—Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Second Battle Of Bull Run Facts
Location: Manassas, Virginia
Dates: August 28 – 30, 1862
Generals: Union: Major General John Pope | Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
n this second battle, Major General John Pope, appointed by President Abraham
Lincoln in March 1862 to command the newly formed Army of Virginia, was soundly
beaten by Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, due in part to Pope’s
misapprehension of the battlefield, confused orders and the reluctance of other
Union commanders to come to his aid. Confederate lieutenant general Thomas J.
"Stonewall" Jackson and Lt. Gen. James Longstreet hemmed in and crushed the
Federals. Unlike the full-scale rout of inexperienced Union troops that occurred
during the First Battle of Bull Run, in Second Bull Run, Pope and his more
experienced troops made a determined stand that allowed the army to retreat in an
orderly fashion after darkness fell.
Sharpsburg, Washington County, Maryland
September 17, 1862
Union: Major General George B. McClellan
Theme - Events and Battles of the Civil War
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
The Battle of Antietam, a.k.a. Battle of Sharpsburg, resulted in not only the bloodiest
day of the American Civil War, but the bloodiest single day in all of American
history. Fought primarily on September 17, 1862, between the town of Sharpsburg,
Maryland, and Antietam Creek, it ended Gen. Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of a
northern state.
Though far from a decisive victory, the success of the Union army at Antietam
prompted President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation
Fredericksburg, Virginia
December 11-15, 1862
Union: Maj. General Ambrose E. Burnside
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
The Battle of Fredericksburg was an early battle of the civil war and stands as one of
the greatest Confederate victories. Led by General Robert E. Lee, the Army of
Northern Virginia routed the Union forces led Maj Gen. Ambrose Burnside. Burnside
ordered one futile frontal attack after another against the entrenched Confederate
forces on the high ground of Marye’s Heights, generating astounding Union
casualties that eventually reached twice that of Confederate casualties.
Fort Henry Facts
Location: Ft. Henry, Stewart County and Henry County, Tennessee
Dates: February 6, 1862
Generals/Commanders: Union: Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant (Army),
Flag Officer Andrew H. Foote (Navy)
Confederate: Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman
The Battle of Fort Henry was the first significant Union victory of the American Civil
War. Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant’s success here, along with his victory at Fort
Donelson, paved the way for the Union to capture Nashville, Tennessee near the end
of February. The fighting at Fort Henry also marked the first combat involving
ironclad gunboats during the Civil War.
Fort Donelson Facts
Location: Fort Donelson, Tennessee
Dates: February 11-16, 1862
Generals: Union: Ulysses S. Grant | Confederate: John B. Floyd
The Battle of Fort Donelson involved the capture of Ft. Donelson, Tennessee and
provided access to the Cumberland River as a means of invading the Confederacy. It
was fought from February 11 to February 16, 1862 and established General Ulysses
S. Grant as a major figure of The Civil War
Theme - Events and Battles of the Civil War
Location: Pittsburg Landing. Hardin County, Tennessee
Dates: April 6-7, 1862
Union:
Ulysses S. Grant, Army of the Tennessee
Don Carlos Buell, Army of the Ohio
Confederate:
Albert Sidney Johnston, Army of the Mississippi
P.G.T. Beauregard (following Johnston’s death)
The casualty totals of the Battle of Shiloh shocked Americans both North and South,
with the two-day total exceeding that of all previous American wars combined. The
battle turned back a Confederate attempt to re-capture Middle Tennessee and
contributed to Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant’s reputation as a leader who
would keep fighting even in adverse circumstances.
Vicksburg, Mississippi. Warren County
May 18-July 4, 1863
Union: Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate: Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton
The Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi, also called the Siege of Vicksburg, was the
culmination of a long land and naval campaign by Union forces to capture a key
strategic position during the American Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln
recognized the significance of the town situated on a 200-foot bluff above the
Mississippi River. He said, "Vicksburg is the key, the war can never be brought to a
close until that key is in our pocket." Capturing Vicksburg would sever the TransMississippi Confederacy from that east of the Mississippi River and open the river to
Northern traffic along its entire length.
Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania County, Virginia
April 30 – May 6, 1863
Union: Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Theme - Events and Battles of the Civil War
Confederate: Gen. Robert E. Lee’s
The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30–May 6, 1863, resulted in a Confederate
victory that stopped an attempted flanking movement by Maj. Gen. Joseph "Fighting
Joe" Hooker’s Army of the Potomac against the left of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of
Northern Virginia. The Southern victory was diminished by the loss of Lt. Gen.
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, mortally wounded by his own men who mistook him
and his staff for Union cavalry, a loss that would have far-reaching effects on the
Civil War.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County
Union General: George G. Meade
Confederate General: Robert E. Lee
The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (July 1–July 3, 1863), was the largest battle
of the American Civil War as well as the largest battle ever fought in North America,
involving around 85,000 men in the Union’s Army of the Potomac under Major
General George Gordon Meade and approximately 75,000 in the Confederacy’s Army
of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert Edward Lee. Casualties at
Gettysburg totaled 23,049 for the Union (3,155 dead, 14,529 wounded, 5,365
missing). Confederate casualties were 28,063 (3,903 dead, 18,735 injured, and
5,425 missing), more than a third of Lee’s army.
These largely irreplaceable losses to the South’s largest army, combined with the
Confederate surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, marked what is widely
regarded as a turning point—perhaps the turning point—in the Civil War
September 19-20, 1863
Catoosa and Walker counties, Georgia
Union: Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans | Confederate: Gen. Braxton Bragg,
The Battle of Chickamauga in North Georgia not far from Chattanooga, Tennessee,
was the largest battle fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It is
second only to the Battle of Gettysburg in the number of casualties. Braxton Bragg’s
Confederate Army of Tennessee, reinforced by a corps from the Army of Northern
Virginia, routed the forces of Major General William S. Rosecrans. Bragg’s failure to
follow up aggressively reduced an overwhelming Confederate victory to merely a
tactical one.
Battle Of Chattanooga Facts
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee, Hamilton County
Dates: November 23-25, 1863
Generals: Union: Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant | Confederate: Gen. Braxton Bragg
Theme - Events and Battles of the Civil War
The Battle Of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was an important Union victory in the The
Civil War. The city was a vital rail hub that, once taken, became the gateway for later
campaigns in the Deep South, including the capture of Atlanta and Sherman’s March
to the Sea. A Confederate soldier called the Battle of Chattanooga "the death knell of
the Confederacy."
Battle Of The Wilderness Facts
Location: Spotsylvania and Orange Counties,
Virginia
Dates: May 5-7, 1864
Generals: Union: Lt. Gen Ulysses S. Grant | Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
he Battle of the Wilderness began Lt. Gen Ulysses S. Grant’s 1864 Overland
Campaign against the Confederate army of Northern Virginia that ultimately, after
many weeks and horrendous casualties, forced Gen. Robert E. Lee’s men back to the
defenses at Richmond. The fighting took place in an area of Virginia where tangled
underbrush and trees had grown up in long-abandoned farmland, near the old
Chancellorsville battlefield. Close-quarters fighting among the dense woods created
high casualties, but the battle proved inconclusive for both sides. It produced an
important strategic event, however; whereas before Union commanders had
withdrawn their armies after failing to achieve victory south of the Rappahannock
River, Grant did not retreat. Instead, he attempted to outflank Lee by moving to the
left, setting the stage for the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse.
Battle Of Spotsylvania Courthouse Facts
Location: Spotsylvania County, Virginia
Dates: May 8 – May 21, 1864
Generals: Union: Ulysses S. Grant | Confederate: Robert E. Lee
he Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was fought May 8 – May 21, 1864 as part of Lt.
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War.
Sherman’s March Toward Atlanta
Battle of Peachtree Creek - Conflict & Date:
The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought July 20, 1864, during the American Civil
War (1861-1865).
Armies & Commanders
Union
Major General William T. Sherman
Major General George H. Thomas
21,655 men
Confederate
General John Bell Hood
Rocky Face Ridge
Other Names: Combats at Buzzard Roost, Mill Creek, Dug Gap
Location: Whitfield County
Campaign: Atlanta Campaign (1864)
Theme - Events and Battles of the Civil War
Date(s): May 7-13, 1864
Principal Commanders:Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman [US]; Gen. Joseph E. Johnston
[CS]
Under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, the Army of Tennessee had retired south of
Peachtree Creek, an east to west flowing stream, about three miles north of Atlanta.
Sherman split his army into three columns for the assault on Atlanta with George H.
Thomas’s Army of the Cumberland moving from the north. Johnston had decided to
attack Thomas, but Confederate President Jefferson Davis relieved him of command
and appointed John B. Hood to take his place. Hood attacked Thomas after his army
crossed Peachtree Creek. The determined assault threatened to overrun the Union
troops at various locations. Ultimately, though, the Yankees held, and the Rebels fell
back.
Union victory (Union casualties were high, but they did force the Confederates off
Rocky Face Ridge.) This battle paved the way for the eventual capture of Atlanta.
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
July 22, 1864
Union: William T. Sherman
Confederate: John Bell Hood
Battle Of Atlanta Summary: The Battle of Atlanta was fought on July 22, 1864, just
southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman,
wanting to neutralize the important rail and supply hub, defeated Confederate
forces defending the city under John B. Hood. After ordering the evacuation of the
city, Sherman burned most of the buildings in the city, military or not. After taking
the city, Sherman headed south toward Savannah, beginning his Sherman’s March
To The Sea.
The battle is known not only for it strategic and military significance but for its
political importance. The victory greatly increased northern morale and is credited
for aiding the reelection of Abraham Lincoln over George Mcclellan
Battle Of Mobile Bay Facts
Location: Mobile Bay, Alabama
Dates: August 5, 1864
Generals: Union: David Farragut | Confederate: Franklin Buchanan
The Battle of Mobile Bay was fought August 5, 1864 in Mobile Bay, Alabama. The
Union fleet, commanded by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, attacked a Confederate
fleet that guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay. This was another devasting loss for
the South.
Theme - Events and Battles of the Civil War
Petersburg, Virginia
June 9, 1864 – March 25, 1865
Union: Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate: Gen. Robert E. Lee
The Battle of Petersburg (aka Siege of Petersburg) was a series of battles around the
cities of Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25,
1865, during the civil war.
Beginning after the unsuccessful attack of the city of Petersburg by Ulysses S. Grant,
Grant then construction trenches around the eastern portion of Richmond to the
outskirts of Petersburg. The city was a major supply hub to the confederate army
led by Robert E. Lee, who finally abandoned the city in 1865 and retreated, which
led afterward to his ultimate surrender at Appomattox Court House.
The Siege of Petersburg continues to be known as an early example of trench
warfare, which would be used extensively in World War I.
Appomattox Courthouse Battle Facts
Location: Appomattox Courthouse,
Virginia
Dates: April 9, 1865
Generals: Union: Ulysses S. Grant | Confederate: Robert E. Lee
The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse was the Army of Northern Virginia’s final
battle and was the beginning of the end of the American Civil War. Though the actual
battle took place on April 9, 1865, it followed the 10-month Battle of Petersburg and
concluded General Robert E. Lee’s thwarted retreat during the Appomattox
Campaign.
Camp Sumter (Andersonville Prison)
From February 1864 until the end of the American Civil War (1861-65) in April
1865, Andersonville, Georgia, served as the site of a notorious Confederate military
prison. The prison at Andersonville, officially called Camp Sumter, was the South’s
largest prison for captured Union soldiers and known for its unhealthy conditions
and high death rate. In all, approximately 13,000 Union prisoners perished at
Andersonville, and following the war its commander, Captain Henry Wirz (182365), was tried, convicted and executed for wa r crimes.