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First Battle of Bull Run
Called the Battle of Manassas by the Confederacy, this was the first large battle of the Civil War. The of Bull Run took place in Manassas, Virginie, pretty close to the Nation's capital of Washington, D.C. It is written down as a win for the Confederacy, but both sides had many casualties and were not yet ready for a full scale war due to lack of preparation. -
Battle of Shiloh
Taking place along the Tennessee River, the Battle of Shiloh was one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War. The casualties numbered upwards of 23,000. Although the Confederates retreated, it was a very evenly fought battle, with each side making strong offensive attacks and counter attacks. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
Although it was fought in the same place as the first, the second time around at Bull Run lasted longer and resulted in many more deaths. This battle lasted three days, from August 28-30. This time the Confederacy won sure handedly. They had almost half the amount of deaths that the Union had(14,000 Union deaths compared to 8,000 Confederate deaths). Due to conflicts with other generals, Union Generel John Pope was defeated by General Robert E. Lee badly. -
Battle of Antietam
The bloodiest day in the entire Civil War, the Battle of Antietam ended in a draw, with 23,000 deaths. Many historians give the victory to the Union and President Abraham Lincoln, however, simply because of the Confederate retreat. It was fought in Sharpsburg, Maryland, and gave the opportunity of President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Murfreesboro (Stones River)
This three day battle was one of the smaller battles to take place in the South, despite the fact that the battle had significant impact on the fight over Tennessee. General Bragg(Confederate) and General Rosecrans(Union) met with their armies in a field in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Both had thought of strategies and battle plans, but Bragg struck first. However, the Union forces would win the battle. This relieved northern supporters, as they had begun to worry about the campaign in the South. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville is widely considered to be General Robert E. Lee's most successful victory in the Civil War. The battle took seven days, but much of that was armies repositioning themselves in the woods. The defeat in Spotsylvania, Virginia was devastating for the Union, as they had over 18,000 casualties. Stonewall Jackson died in this battle. -
Siege of Vicksburg
This was not as much of a battle as much as it was a military campaign on the city of Vicksburg. The Union soldiers, led by Ulysses S. Grant, surrounded Vicksburg and the Confederate army led by John Pemberton. After almost two months of being trapped, the confederate army surrendered from inside the city. This was a decisive victory for the Union, because it essentially split the Confederate army into two parts, and gave more control of the Mississippi River to the Union. -
Battle of Gettysburg
An estimated 51,000 soldiers died in the Battle of Gettysburg. It was a three day battle that pitted General George Meade of the Union against General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy. The Confederacy had planned to launch an assault on Gettysburg and gain a substantial victory in the North, but they were forced to retreat on the third day. Following the battle, Abraham Lincoln gave his historic "Gettysburg Address." -
New York Draft Riots
The New York Draft Riots were a three day span of riots, where working class men revolted against the new laws set by Congress regarding the enlistment of these workers. The laws were passed so that more men would be drafted into the Civil War. The revolts were very violent, and only added to the fire of the Civil War. -
Battle of Chickamauga
Although this battle was smaller than others comparatively, the Battle of Chickamauga had an impact on the positioning of armies in the Southern states of Tennessee and Georgia. General Bragg of the Confederate army was attacking the Union army in Georgia to try and gain traction so his army could recapture Chattanooga. They had been forced out of Chattanooga a few weeks previously, and they wanted to gain it back.They succeeded in defeating the Union forces at Chickamauga. -
Battle of the Wilderness
This battle was of the Union Army of the Potomac versus the Northern Army of Virginia. The fighting took place in the thikets and backcountry of Spotsylvania, Virginia. The result was a stalemate, with both sides receiving thousands of casualties. Despite this, the Union army continued to march deeper into the South.
