Civil War Timeline

Civil War Major Battles Span

Period: Apr 12, 1861 to Apr 9, 1865

Major Civil War Battles

The Battle at Fort Sumter

Apr 14, 1861

<photo from google images>
Video Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ibiLqb5TQ Generals: Beauregard (Confederates) and Major Anderson
General Beauregard opend fire on the fort and Major Anderson surrendered with no casualties on either sides.
This was the start of the Civil War.

The First battle of Bull Run

Jul 16, 1861

<photo google images> Generals: Irvan McDowell (Union) and Joseph E. Johnston and General Beauregard (Confederates)
This first battle of the Civil War resulted in a very bloody battlefield with 460 killed,1,124 wounded, and 1,312 missing or captured in the Union, and Confederate casualties were 387 killed, 1,582 wounded, and 13 missing.
It was one of the first major battles of the Civil War.

Grant's army captures Fort Henry and Ft. Donelson

Feb 6, 1862

<photo google images> Generals: Commander John B. Floyd and Simon B. Buckner (Confederates) and Union Commander Ulysses S. Grant.
The casualties of this battle were 2,832 for the Union, and 16,623 for the Confederates.
This Battle earned Ulysses S. Grant the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" Grant and the Confederates surrendered much precious equpment there.

McCellan's Peninsular Campaign

Mar 1, 1862

<photo: google images> Generals: George B. McCellan (Union) and General Lee and Stonewall Jackson (Confederates.
Casualties: Union - 16,000 & Confederates - over 20,000
McCellan almost pushed on to Richmond, but hesitated along the way and was pushed back, prolonging the end of the war.

Monitor Battles the Merimac (Virginia)

Mar 9, 1862

<Photo: Google Images> In this battle two ironclad ships squared off against eachother.
The Confederate Merrimac (virginia) and the Union Monitor each fought eachother to see whose ironclad was the best. The Confederates called the Monitor, a "Yankee Cheesebox on a Raft", but in the end, this "Cheesebox" forced the Merrimac to withdrawl.

Battle of Shiloh

Apr 6, 1862

<Photo: google images> Generals: Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard (Confederates) and Ulysses S. Grant (Union)
Cassualties: Union - 13,047 - 1,754 killed, 8,408 wounded, and 2,885 missing
Confederates - 10,699 - 1,728 killed, 8,012 wounded, and 959 missing or captured
After this battle an overpowering fleet of Union warships led by Commodore David G. Ferragut broke through the Confederate defense at the mouth of the Mississippi.

New Orleans falls to the Union

Apr 28, 1862

<Photo: google images> Generals: Officer David G. Farragut (Union) and
Major General Mansfield Lovell (Confederates)
Casualties: None
With the capture of New Orleans the Confederates lost control of the Mississippi River.

Seven Days Battle

Jun 26, 1862

<photo: google images> Generals: George B. McCellan (Union) and General Lee and Stonewall Jackson (Confederates.
Casualties: Union - 16,000 & Confederates - over 20,000
A bloody seven day battle where General Lee pushed General McCellan back down the peninsula.

Second Battle of Bull Run

Aug 28, 1862

<photo: google images> Generals: Union: Major General John Pope
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee, Major General Thomas J. Jackson, and Lieutenant General James Longstreet
Casualties: 10,000 killed on the Union side and 1,300 killed on the Confederates side.
The Confederates won this battle this time.

Battle of Antietam

Sep 17, 1862

<Photo: google images> Generals: Union: Major General George B. McClellan
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
Casualties: The Union had 12,401 casualties with 2,108 dead. Confederate casualties were 10,318 with 1,546 dead.
The result of the battle was inconclusive but the north did win a strategic advantage.

Battle of Fredericksburg

Dec 11, 1862

<photo: google images> Generals: Union: Major General Ambrose E. Burnside
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee
Casualties: The Union army suffered 12,653 casualties (1,284 killed, 9,600 wounded, 1,769 captured and missing).
Burnside unsuccessful attempt to move South to launch an attack against the Southern Capital at Richmond resulted in overwhelming defeat. This led to Burnsides eventual replacement by General Joseph Hooker.

Battle of Gettysburg

Jul 1, 1863

<Photo: google images> Generals: Robert E. Lee (Confederates) and George G. Meade (Union)
Casualties: Union casualties were 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured or missing) and the Confederate casualties came up to an estimate of 28,000.
This battle is said to be the "turning point of the war".

Fall of Vicksburg

Jul 4, 1863

<Photo: google images> Generals: Ulysses S. Grant and Admiral David Dixon Porter (Union) and Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton and General Joseph E. Johnston (Confederates)
Casualties: Union casualties for the battle and siege of Vicksburg were 4,835; Confederate were 32,697.
This battle is significant because the Union took the Mississippi River splitting the Confederacy in two. Also called a turing point.

Battle of Chikamauga

Sep 19, 1863

<photo: google image> General: Union: Major General William S. Rosecrans, Major General George H. Thomas
Confederate: General Braxton Bragg and Lt. General James Longstreet
Casualties: Union losses were 16,170 (1,657 killed, 9,756 wounded, and 4,757 captured or missing), Confederate 18,454 (2,312 killed, 14,674 wounded, and 1,468 captured or missing).
When the Confederates won this battle, they did not press their attack, thus giving Lincoln time to send in reinforcements.

The Battle of Chattanooga

Nov 23, 1863

<Photo: google images> Generals: Union: Major General Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate: General Braxton Bragg
Casualties: Casualties for the Union Army amounted to 5,824 (753 killed, 4,722 wounded, and 349 missing) and Confederate casualties of 6,667 (361 killed, 2,160 wounded, and 4,146 missing, mostly prisoners)
The Union won. With this victory the way was cleared for Union troops to invade Georgia.

Grant seizes Petersburg and Richmond

Aug 1, 1864

<Photo: google images> Generals: Ulysses S. Grant (Union) and Jefferson Davis.
Cassualties: None
When this event occured, Jefferson Davis and his government fled Richmond and the Confederacy dissolved.

Sherman's March Begins

Aug 1, 1864

<Photo: google images> Generals: General William Tecumseh Sherman (Union)
Cassualties: Since most of the Confederate men had died, teenaged cadets attempted to slow down Sherman. The casualties are few if not any at all.

Fall of Atlanta

Sep 2, 1864

<Photo: google images> Generals: Union: Major General William T. Sherman
Confederate: General John Bell Hood
Cassualties: The Union had suffered 3,641 casualties and the Confederates suffered 8,499.
This Fall of Atlanta was a part in Sherman's raid and allowed General Grant to plunder Petersburg and Richmond dissolving the Confederacy.

Surrender at Appomatax

Apr 9, 1865

<Photo: google images> Generals: Robert E. Lee (Confederate) and Ulysses S. Grant (Union)
Casualties: None obviously
This was important because it ended the Civil War.

Battle of Palmito (Texas)

May 12, 1865

<Photo: google images> Generals: Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace, General Barrett, and lieutenant colonel David Branson (Union) and Captain William N. Robinson (Confederates)
Casualties: 115 Union casualties: one killed, nine wounded, and 105 captured and Confederate casualties were reported as five or six wounded, with none killed.
This battle took place a while after Lee surrendered. This battle really didn't have much importance to it.