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Battle of Fort Sumter Pt1
The battle of Fort Sumter was the bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina. Following South Carolina’s declaration of sucession on December 20, 1860, the South Carolina militia demanded that the U.S. Army withdrawals from its facilities in the Charleston Harbor. In return, on December 26th, Major Robert Anderson of the U.S. Army moved his small command to Fort Sumter in an attempt to control the Charleston Harbor. -
Battle of Fort Sumter Pt2
Then on April 12th, the Confederates bombarded the fort with artillery. The Union was outgunned, short on supplies and weak, so Major Anderson agreed to evacuate. This resulted in the first battle of the Civil War. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War. On July 21, 1861, just north of the Manassas, the Unions forces were slow in positioning themselves. This allowed Confederate reinforcements time to arrive. Each side had about 18,000 poorly trained and led troops. This resulted in a conferate victory, followed by a messy retreat of the Union. The Union had 481 casualties, 1,011 wounded and 1,216 missing. While the confederate had 387 deaths, 1,582 wounded and 13 missing. -
Battle of Fort Henry
On February 4 and 5, Grants army of 2 divisions arrived just north of Fort Henry on the Tennesse River. The plan for Grant was to attack Fort Henry of foot while the fort was attacked by Union gunboats led by Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote. With the effective gunboat fire, heavy rain and the bad positioning of the fort, General Lloyd Tilghman of the Confederate Army surrendered before Grants Army could arrive. This opened up the Tennesse River for Union traffic south of the Alabama border. -
Battle of Yorktown
On April 5th, while marching from Fort Monroe, General George McClellans army encountered General John B. Magruders small army at Yorktown. The union forces assembled sieges against the confederate. In the meantime, General Joseph E. Johnson of the confederate army brought reinforcements. -
Battle of Shiloh
Also known as the Battle of Pittsburgh Landing, the Battle of Shiloh took place in southwestern Tennesse. Two Union armies combined to defeat the Confederate Army of Mississippi. The Confederate army hoped to defeated Grants Army of Tennesse before it could be reinforced and resupplied but the Confederate Armt wasn’t fast enough. The Union had 1,754 deaths, 8,408 wounded and 2,885 captured/missing. The confederate had 1,728 deaths, 8,012 wounded and 959 captured/missing. -
Battle of Gaines’ Mill
On June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army launched several attacks against the Union. With about 57,000 in six divisions, the Confederates attacked in a disjointed manner which resulted in heavy casualties. As Stonewall Jackson’s Army arrived as reinforcements, the Union retreated, abandoning the advance on Richmond. In total the Union suffered 7,337 casualties and the Confederates suffered 7,993 casualties. -
Battle of Antietam
On September 17, 1862, the first field army-level engagement took place on Union Soil. It remains the bloodiest day in American History. With the Union capturing a stone bridge over Antietam Creek and advancing against the Confederate, Confederate General A.P. Hill launched a surprise counterattack driving back Burnside and ending the battle. McCellan successfully turned Lee’s invasion back, making it a Union victory. The Union suffered 12,410 casualties and the Confederate suffered 10,317. -
Battle of the Wilderness
On May 5-7, 1864, the first battle of Ulysses S. Grant’s Virginia campaign against Robert E. Lee. In the wilderness of Spotsylvania the Union attacked the Confederate in an attempt to invade Richmond. Suffering casualties, Grant disengaged and moved southeast, intending to leave the Wilderness to cut off Lee’s Army and Richmond. The Union suffered 17,666 casualties and the Confederate suffered 11,033 casualties. -
Battle of Cedar Creek
The fighting took place on October 19, 1864 in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia. Gen. Philip Sheridan of the Union was able to recapture their soldiers and artillery weapons including the Confederates artillery. The battle ruined the Confederates attempt at maneuvering down the valley into the Union capital city of Washington D.C. and other northern states. The victory aided the reelection of Abraham Lincoln. The Union had 5,665 casualties and the Confederates had 2,910 casualties. -
Battle of Columbus
The Battle of Columbus was the last conflict in the Union campaign through Alabama and Georgia. Gen. James H. Wilson was ordered to destroy the city of Columbus which was a major Confederate manufacturing center. While in the dark of the night, Wilson’s troops confused the Confederates and bombarded the Confederates with cannon fire. This battle was known as one of, if not the last deciding battles of the Civil War. The Union suffered 60 casualties and the Confederates suffered 151 casualties.