Major Battles of the Civil War

Fort SumterApril 12, 1861

South Carolina

The first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter. Major Robert

Anderson of the United States Army had moved his troops to the base because he feared a Confederate attack. In the early

morning of April 12, 1861, the Confederates launched an attack. Northern troops under Anderson’s command returned fire, but were

ineffective. The Confederacy continued its attack with prolonged gunfire, and the Union troops in the fort surrendered a day

later. One Confederate soldier and four Union soldiers were killed in the battle.

Casualties:

Union - 11Confederacy - 4

First Bull Run/ManassasJuly 21, 1861

Virginia

The First Battle of Bull Run took place on July 21, 1861. General Irvin McDowell led

the Union army toward Richmond, Virginia. General P.G.T. Beauregard’s

Confederate troops intercepted them. The battle lasted about five hours. Confederate forces began to retreat due to losses, except General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson who

continued to fight until reinforcements arrived. The reenergized Confederates

pushed McDowell’s forces out of the area. Union casualties were high, almost three thousand; and the Confederates suffered

two thousand casualties.

Casualties:

Union – 2,896Confederacy – 1,982

The War at Sea The Battle of the Ironclads also is known

as the Battle of Hampton Roads and the Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack.

This battle was fought off Sewell’s Point near Hampton Roads, Virginia. It was the first

naval battle between two ironclad ships, the Union’s USS Monitor and the Confederacy’s

CSS Virginia, which was rebuilt from the USS Merrimack.

The battle took place over two days, and the Virginia destroyed many of the Union’s

wooden ships. The next day, the two ironclads clashed at sea, and the Virginia was damaged. Neither side claimed victory in this

battle, but the battle revealed the future of naval warfare. Ironclad, steam-driven ships

were at a decisive advantage against wooden sailing vessels.

Casualties:

Union – 240 & 2 shipsConfederacy - 25

AntietamSeptember 17, 1862

Maryland

The Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, was fought on September 16–18, 1862. It was a confrontation between Union and

Confederate forces under Generals George McClellan and Robert E. Lee.

Federal armies brutalized the Confederacy; the combined casualties were more than twenty-three thousand. The Union pushed Lee and his troops

back to Antietam Creek, but the stubborn Confederate general

counterattacked with all his troops. The two sides fought to a standstill,

and both armies withdrew.

Casualties:

Union – 12,401Confederacy - 10,134

FredericksburgDecember 13, 1862

Virginia

Fredericksburg was the site of a battle in December 1862. Union General Ambrose Burnside led a march on

Richmond, but was delayed for more than two weeks because of late-arriving supplies. General Lee

positioned his army, deploying snipers to pick off Federal troops. Confederate

artillery decimated Union forces in their attempts to capture Marye’s

Heights. Many Union soldiers were left in the open after crossing military

pontoon bridges, and they became easy prey for Confederate troops. Burnside had no choice but to retreat with the

remnants of his army.

Casualties:

Union – 12,600Confederacy – 5,300

GettysburgJuly 1-3, 1863

Pennsylvania

The Battle of Gettysburg began as the Battle of Vicksburg was ending.

Confederate General Lee forced federal troops, under General George C. Meade’s

command, to lose ground as the Confederate forces attempted to take the

city. Lee planned several attacks, including attacks at Peach Orchard and Devil’s Den. The Union army fought

back, repelling Confederate attacks and sending them back to Culp’s Hill. Lee

was relentless and sent his army back into battle, but to no avail. He eventually began a retreat toward Williamsport.

Casualties:

Union – 23,000 +Confederacy – 28,000 +

VicksburgMay 2-July 9, 1863

Mississippi

The lengthy Battle of Vicksburg began in Warren County on May 13,

1863. The North and the South considered Vicksburg an important

stronghold. Union General Ulysses S. Grant launched massive assaults on

Vicksburg and terrorized the inhabitants. Confederates achieved a minimal victory at Milliken’s Bend

against untrained black troops. Federal troops pushed Confederate forces back as the size of the Union

forces continued to increase. Confederate General John Pemberton surrendered to Grant on July 3, 1863.

Casualties:

Union – 9,000 +Confederacy – 9,000 +

Sherman’s March to the SeaNovember 15-December 20, 1864

Union General William T. Sherman already had captured Atlanta, but he wanted to leave sixty thousand troops there while he marched the rest of his army to the Atlantic Ocean through

Savannah, Georgia. During this time, Confederate General John Hood had led troops in a raid on Tennessee, leaving Sherman’s soldiers to face fewer than five thousand Confederate soldiers.

Sherman’s troops burned buildings and infrastructures along the way,

destroying many towns and cities. Sherman’s troops defeated the depleted Confederate army and took Savannah

on December 22, 1864.

As the Union army moved through the South, they destroyed train tracks by heating the rails and bending them

into a bow. This became known as “Sherman’s Neckties”

Casualties:

Union – 2,100 +Confederacy – 1,000 +

Surrender at AppomattoxApril 9, 1865

General Lee surrendered his Confederate army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865. Lee’s army had diminished,

which contributed to Union General Grant’s many victories near the end of

the war. In a sign of respect, Grant allowed Lee to keep his saber and

horse.

General Joseph Johnston was the last Confederate general who continued to fight. He still believed that the South could win the war. Johnston’s troops

eventually fell to federal troops, and he surrendered to General Sherman on

April 26, 1865.

Virginia

Casualties:

Union – 1,312Confederacy -8,200 – 28,231 surrendered