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Battle at Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was a Union fort, and one that was running low on essential supplies. Lincoln sent a ship with medical supplies, food, and more to sustain life at the fort. Jefferson Davis, leader of the Confederacy, did not want to attack an unarmed ship with only the intention of bringing supplies. That would have looked very bad on his part. So he decided to take the fort, and he did with ease. A confederacy win with the addition of the fort. -
Battle of Bull Run
The first battle of the Civil War was at Bull Run. It wasn't really a major battle, however it was the very first one. Bull Run was a Confederacy win, which surprised many people, considering the Union had more man power, weaponry, and training. -
Battle of Shiloh
The battle of Shiloh was one of the early major battles of the Civil War. 23,000 lives total were lost during this battle. The Confederates had initially used a surprise attack on the Union to gain the win, but could not hold their position. The Union then pushed back and earned themselves a win. -
Battle of Antietam
This was a very bloody battle for the Union. Up to almost 23,000 lives were lost, wounded, or missing when the battle was over. Under McClellan's power, the Union was losing to the Confederacy. R. Lee was beating the Union, who was supposed to have easy wins against the South. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
This battle was the third bloodiest throughout the entire civil war. "Stonewall" Jackson lost his life during this battle, when he was accidentally shot by one of his own men. This was a Confederate win overall. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle had by far many more casualties than most others. The Union's count was near 23,000, while General Lee's army was up to 28,000. That is more than a third of Lee's army, which means it is a big hit. The Union won however, even though the casualties on both sides were extreme. This kind of defeat crushed any chances the Confederacy had of foreign aid or foreign acceptance of them becoming an actual country. -
Battle of Richmond and Petersburg
Lieutenant Grant was still in charge of the Union army at this time. Grant's army had trekked 50 plus miles to Richmond and Petersburg, but the Confederacy had ended up winning. However, Grant had obtained the Weldon Railroad, impacting imported and exported goods for the South. -
Battle of Cedar Creek
This was not a major battle, however the North obtained the Shenandoah Valley. Because the North could resist Confederate movement, this insured the re-election of Lincoln in the upcoming election. -
Battle of Natural Bridge
This was not a major battle, however this was considered to be one of the last Confederate wins during the war. The Confederates kept the Union from moving past the Natural Bridge in Florida, near Tallahassee. This prevented the Union from taking the capital of Florida, making it the last standing Confederate capital that is East of the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Five Forks
A Union victory, but not one of the major battles in the civil war. Five Forks was what controlled the South Side Railroad, and the Union now won control over that. The Union had killed over 1,000 soldiers and took more than 4,000 prisoners.
