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Cival War Battles
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Fort Sumter
Lincoln sent supplie to a starving Fort Sumter with a promise to the South that he would sent no munitions or troops unless the supply ships were attacked. With Anderson refusing to surender the for to Confederate troups bombarded it for two days, thus starting the war. -
Battle of Philippi
Fought on June 3, 1861, in and around Philippi, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Western Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first organized land action in the war, but is often treated dismissively as a skirmish rather than a significant battle where the Union claimed victory. -
First Manassas - Bull Run
About 25 miles southwest of Washington the first major battle of the Civil War pits Irvin McDowell [US] against P. G. T. Beauregard [CS] and Joe Johnston [CS] The loss of the battle shocked the North into the realization that it would not be a three-month war. The battle falsely buoyed the South's hopes of negotiating an end to the war. -
Battle of Camp Allegheny
The Battle of Camp Allegheny, also known as the Battle of Allegheny Mountain, took place in Pocahontas County, Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. Union soldiers withstood the attack, no victor was apparent. -
Battle of Chustenahlah
The Battle of Chustenahlah was fought in Osage County, Oklahoma, (then Indian Territory). A band of 9,000 pro-Union Native Americans was forced to flee to Kansas in bitter cold and snow in what became known as the Trail of Blood on Ice. -
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle was fought from February 11 to February 16, 1862. The capture of the fort by Union forces opened the Cumberland River as an avenue for the invasion of the South. The success elevated Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant from an obscure and largely unproven leader to the rank of major general, earning him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" Grant in the process (using his first two initials, "U.S."). -
Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing)
The Battle of Shiloh was a major battle in Civil War, fought April 6 – 7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and was encamped principally at Pittsburg Landing on the west bank of the river. Confederate forces under Generals Albert Johnston and Beauregard launched a surprise attack on Grant there. The Confederates achieved considerable success on the first day, but were ultimately defeated on the second day. -
Seven Days Retreat
The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia. General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George McClellan, away from Richmond and into a retreat down the Virginia Peninsula. Neither side was overwhelmingly victorious. -
Enlistment of David Cotton Bodine
David Cotton Bodine, my great-great grandfather, enlisted in Company A, 100th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers on 06 August, 1862, and he was a musician, Corporal, and Sergeant. He saw service in the battles of Hollow Springs, Vicksburg, Missionary Ridge, where he was wounded, and was with Sherman on his March to the sea. He was in Grant's army on the campaign down the Mississippi valley. He also took part in the grand review at Washington following the close of the war. -
Battle of Prairie Grive
The battle resulted in a tactical stalemate but essentially secured northwest Arkansas for the Union.
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Battle of Hollow Springs
Early on the morning of Dec. 20, the Confederates under Van Dorn surprised the town of Holly Springs. Little resistance was made by the garrison under Col. R. C. Murphy, of the 8th Wis. infantry, the larger portion of the command being in bed when the town was attacked. The enemy captured and paroled some 1,500 men and destroyed $400,000 worth of property. Among the Union soldiers was my great-great grandfather David Cotton Bodine. -
Second Battle of Springfield
The Second Battle of Springfield was in Springfield, Missouri. It is sometimes known as The Battle of Springfield. (The First Battle of Springfield was fought on October 25, 1861, and there was also the better-known Battle of Wilson's Creek, fought nearby on August 10, 1861.) Fighting was urban and house-to-house, which was rare in the war. It ended in a Union victory. -
Battle og Grand Gulf
In the Vicksburg Campaign of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Union naval forces under Rear Adm. David D. Porter led seven ironclads in an attack on the Confederate fortifications and batteries at Grand Gulf, downriver from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Although the Confederates withstood the Union bombardment and prevented infantry from landing against their fortification, the defeat was only a minor setback to Grant's plan to cross the Mississippi River and advance against Vicksburg. -
The Siege of Vicksburg
In May and June of 1863, Grant’s armies converged on Vicksburg, investing the city and entrapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. Pemberton. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations. This was the culmination of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. With the loss of Pemberton’s army and this vital stronghold on the Mississippi, the Confederacy was effectively split in half. Among the Union soldiers was David Cotton Bodine, my great-great Grandfather -
Gettysburg
George Meade won the largest and most costly battle in American history fought on the farms and hillsides of southern Pennsylvania. The Union victory ended Lee's belief that a single massive victory would defeat the Army of the Potomac. -
The Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by Gen. Braxton Bragg. Soldiers included my great-great grandfather David Cotton Bodine. -
Battle of Athens
On the morning of January 26, 1864, at around 4:00 a.m., 600 Confederate cavalrymen attacked Athens, which was being held by a Union force of only 100. Even though the Union defenders had no fortifications and were outnumbered six to one, they were able to repulse the Confederate attack and force them into a retreat after a two-hour battle. -
Battle of Olustee
The Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida on 20 February 1864. It was the largest battle fought in Florida during the war. Union troops were unsuccessful in taking Florida. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Grant's Overland Campaign during the Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles. Thousands of Union soldiers were killed or wounded in a hopeless frontal assault against the fortified positions of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's army. -
Second Battle of Petersburg
The Second Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Assault on Petersburg, was fought June 15–18, 1864, at the beginning of the Richmond–Petersburg Campaign (popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg). Union forces under Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant attempted to capture Petersburg, Virginia, before Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia could reinforce the city. -
Battle of Fort Stevens
Fought July 11–12, 1864, in Northwest Washington, D.C., between forces under Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early and Union Maj. Gen. Alexander McD. McCook. Although Early caused consternation in the Union government, reinforcements under Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright and the strong defenses of Fort Stevens minimized the military threat and Early withdrew after two days of skirmishing without attempting any serious assaults. The battle is noted for the personal presence of President Abraham Lincoln -
Battle of Byram's Ford
The Battle of Byram's Ford was a minor engagement comprising two separate skirmishes on October 22–23, 1864, in Jackson County, Missouri. It formed a part of the larger Battle of Westport, which ultimately resulted in a Union victory and the end of all major Confederate operations in Missouri. -
Battle of Natural Bridge
Fought in what is now Woodville, Florida, near Tallahassee, on March 6, 1865. A small band of Confederate troops and volunteers, mostly composed of teenagers from the nearby Florida Military and Collegiate Institute, and the elderly, protected by breastworks, prevented Union forces from crossing the Natural Bridge on the St. Marks River. This action prevented the Union from capturing the Florida capital. -
Battle of Spanish Fort
On March 27, 1865, Canby’s forces rendezvoused at Danley's Ferry and immediately undertook a siege of Spanish Fort. The Union had enveloped the fort by April 1, and on April 8 captured it. Most of the Confederate forces, under the command of Brig. Gen. Randall L. Gibson, escaped and fled to Mobile, but Spanish Fort was no longer a threat. -
Battle of Cumberland Church
Near 2 p.m. on April 7, the advance of the Union II Corps encountered Confederate forces entrenched on high ground near Cumberland Church. The Union forces attacked twice but were repulsed, and darkness halted the conflict. Union Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Smyth was mortally wounded nearby, and Brig. Gen. John Irvin Gregg was captured north of Farmville, Virginia. This clash is sometimes characterized as the final victory of the Army of Northern Virginia. -
Battle of Columbus
The Battle of Columbus, Georgia is widely regarded to be the last battle of the American Civil War. The Georgia State government has officially declared this battle the "last battle of the war between the states." The Battle of Columbus is referred to as the "closing conflict of the war." -
Battle of Palmito Ranch
The Battle was fought on May 12–13, 1865. It was the last major clash of arms in the war. Many historians consider the Battle to be a post-Civil War encounter, with the Battle of Columbus in April being the recognized last battle of the Civil War. The battle was fought on the banks of the Rio Grande east of Brownsville, Texas. In the kaleidoscope of events following the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army on April 9, Palmito Ranch was nearly ignored, and was a victory for the Confederates.
