List of American Civil War battles - Wikipedia.Civil War Battles | Map of Battles of the American Civil War
February , : One of the first major Union victories was then-Brig. Gen Ulysses S. The Confederates initially repulsed an attack by union gunboats, and planned a bold counterattack against the Union troops to clear a path for escape. The Confederates seemed on the verge of success when they halted and retreated to their fortifications.
That gave Grant time to figure out a weak point in the Confederate line—and attack it. Confederate generals Gideon Pillow and John B.
Floyd fled, leaving behind 13, soldiers, who waved a white flag above their fortifications. The victory, along with the capture of nearby Fort Henry, opened up the state of Tennessee to Union invasion, and helped turn Grant into a national hero. McClellan at his headquarters at Antietam, October 3, September 17, : Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia invaded Maryland in an attempt to knock the Union back on its heels.
President Abraham Lincoln sent Maj. George McClellan and his Army of the Potomac to stop him. The two forces initially collided at dawn in a cornfield in Sharpsburg, Maryland, where their movements were obscured by the tall corn stalks as they fired upon one another.
The battle eventually shifted to a stone bridge along Antietam Creek, where Union troops had to storm a Confederate position three times before finally capturing it. An estimated 22, men on both sides were killed, wounded, captured or went missing.
That gave Lincoln enough confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation , which redefined the Civil War from a struggle to preserve the Union to one focused on ending slavery. The Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia, May , : Lee achieved one of his greatest triumphs at Chancellorsville , Virginia, where he divided his forces and sent Lt.
Joseph Hooker. After several days of fighting, the Union troops were forced to retreat. It was a decisive victory for Lee and the South—but it came at a high cost. Jackson was wounded by friendly fire and died four days after the battle. That forced him to settle into a long siege, in which he bombarded Vicksburg with artillery and fire from Union gunboats, and forced Confederate defenders and the civilian population to endure hunger and illness.
May 26 — June 4, Battle of Pickett's Mill. Battle of Haw's Shop. May 28 —30, Battle of Totopotomoy Creek. May 31 — June 12, Battle of Old River Lake. Colton Greene failed to prevent Union advance. June 6 — July 3, First Battle of Petersburg. Battle of Brice's Crossroads. June 11 —12, Union Brig. Stephen Gano Burbridge defeated Confederate Brig. John Hunt Morgan. Most Confederate soldiers were casualties, though Morgan escaped.
Battle of Trevilian Station. Confederate victory, George Armstrong Custer nearly surrounded and has to be rescued by Sheridan. June 15 —18, Second Battle of Petersburg. June 17 —18, June 21 —24, Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road. Union siege lines extended for Siege of Petersburg. Battle of Kolb's Farm. Battle of Saint Mary's Church. Battle of Staunton River Bridge. Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
Battle of Sappony Church. First Battle of Ream's Station. William Mahone and Brig. Battle of Monocacy Battle of Monocacy Junction. July 11 —12, Battle of Fort Stevens.
Failed Confederate attempt to capture Washington, D. July 14 —15, Confederate forces under Stephen D. Lee are defeated and Nathan Bedford Forrest is wounded in action. July 18 —19, Joseph Thoburn led a full retreat after being surrounded by Confederate forces. Battle of Peachtree Creek. Battle of Rutherford's Farm. Confederates under Jubal Early caught by surprise and defeated. Atlanta Campaign Sherman turns back Hood's attack east of Atlanta. Second Battle of Kernstown.
July 27 —29, First Battle of Deep Bottom. Atlanta Campaign Confederate attack on Union army northwest of Atlanta fails to gain element of surprise, finding entrenched Union forces.
Union victory. July 28 —29, Battle of Killdeer Mountain. August 1, Battle of Folck's Mill. August 2 —23, David Farragut takes port, says "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead". August 5 —7, Atlanta Campaign Indecisive battle on Union right flank near Atlanta. August 7, August 14 —15, Second Battle of Dalton.
August 14 —20, Second Battle of Deep Bottom. The Confederates drove back the Union threat, but at a cost of diluting their forces as the Union had hoped. August 16, Federals successfully counterattacked against the Confederates, resulting in a chaotic Confederate retreat. August 18 —21, Battle of Globe Tavern. August 20, Battle of Lovejoy's Station. August 21, Second Battle of Memphis. Battle of Summit Point.
August 25, Second Battle of Ream's Station. August 25 —29, Battle of Smithfield Crossing. Confederate forces routed a small Union detachment, but a Union counterattacked stopped the Confederates; ultimately ending the last engagement in West Virginia of the Civil War.
August 31 — September 1, Battle of Jonesborough. William J. Hardee 's Confederates defeated, resulting in Atlanta's fall the following day. September 3 —4, At the same time Confederate Lt. Jubal A. Early sent Maj. Joseph B. Darkness ended the fighting. The next morning, Early, seeing the strength of the Union's entrenched line, retreated behind Opequon Creek. Battle of Opequon Third Battle of Winchester.
September 21 —22, Battle of Fisher's Hill. September 27, September 29 —30, September 30 — October 2, Battle of Peebles' Farm. First Battle of Saltville. October 7, Battle of Darbytown and New Market. John Gregg is killed, Confederates withdraw to Richmond. Battle of Tom's Brook. Battle of Darbytown Road. October 15, Battle of Glasgow. Second Battle of Lexington. Battle of Little Blue River. October 22 —23, Battle of Byram's Ford. Second Battle of Independence. October 23, Battle of Marais des Cygnes.
Battle of Marmiton River. October 26 —29, October 27 —28, Battle of Boydton Plank Road. October 28, Second Battle of Newtonia. James G. Blunt defeats Joseph O. November 4 —5, Battle of Johnsonville. November 11 —13, Battle of Bull's Gap. November 22, Battle of Griswoldville. November 24, Battle of Buck Head Creek. Colorado Colorado Territory at the time.
Colorado War : U. November 30, John P. Hatch that attempted to cut off the Charleston and Savannah Railroad in support of Sherman's projected arrival in Savannah. Hood attacks Schofield but suffers crushing losses; Pickett's Charge of the West.
December 4, Battle of Waynesboro, Georgia. December 5 —7, Third Battle of Murfreesboro. December 7 —27, First Battle of Fort Fisher. Second Battle of Fort McAllister. December 15 —16, December 17 —18, December 20 —21, Second Battle of Saltville. Confederate forces retreated, and General George Stoneman 's troops entered the town and destroyed the saltworks. January 13 —15, Second Battle of Fort Fisher. Battle of Rivers' Bridge. February 5 —7, Battle of Hatcher's Run. Battle of Wilmington North Carolina.
Battle of Waynesboro, Virginia. Remnants of Confederate Army of the Valley are destroyed. Battle of Natural Bridge. March 7 —10, March 10, Battle of Monroe's Cross Roads.
Confederates delayed Federal Calvalry movement towards Fayetteville. March 16, Battle of Averasborough. March 19 —21, Battle of Fort Stedman. March 27 — April 8, Battle of Spanish Fort. March 29, Battle of Lewis's Farm. March 31, Battle of White Oak Road.
Confederate forces under Richard H. Anderson defeated. Battle of Dinwiddie Court House. Third Battle of Petersburg. Battle of Sutherland's Station. Battle of Namozine Church. Several Confederates captured, Custer 's brother earns Medal of Honor. Battle of Amelia Springs. Confederates forced Union troops to retreat, however Union forces linked up and prevented another counter-attack. Battle of Rice's Station. Confederate forces are caught off guard by John Gibbon 's forces.
Battle of Sayler's Creek or Sailor's Creek. Union forces thwart Lee's attempts to burn bridges and to resupply, Grant proposes that Lee surrender, but he refuses. Battle of Cumberland Church. Battle of Appomattox Station. Battle of Appomattox Court House. Battle of Fort Blakeley. May 12 —13, Battle of Palmito Ranch. Last battle in Texas during final phases of the Civil War.
Southernmost battle on land in Civil War. Battle of Gloucester Point. Earliest exchange of gunfire between the Union Navy and organized Rebel forces after the surrender of Fort Sumter. Battle of Cole Camp. Battle of Mathias Point. Confederates repulse the Union attack and kill Commander James H. Battle of Corrick's Ford. Confederate Brig. Garnett is the first general killed in the Civil War.
First Battle of Mesilla. August 19, Battle of Charleston Missouri. September 24 —25, Battle of Canada Alamosa. Battle of Cockle Creek. October 12, Battle of the Head of Passes. November 3 —7, Skirmish at Blackwater Creek. February 10, Battle of Elizabeth City. March 30, Arizona New Mexico Territory at the time. April 15, Battle of Picacho Pass. Battle of Whitney's Lane. Capture of Tucson First Battle of Pocotaligo.
Battle of the Nueces. Battle of Compton's Ferry. Battle of Britton's Lane. September 13, Battle of Charleston Battle of Crampton's Gap. Union broke the Confederate line and drove through the gap.
Confederates were strategically successful in stalling the Union advance and protecting the rear of their forces engaged at Harpers Ferry. Battle of Pocotaligo. October 27 —29, Skirmish at Island Mound. Union forces secure Northwest Arkansas.
February 3 — April 12, Yazoo Pass Expedition. Elaborate amphibious Union flanking maneuver is thwarted by Confederates at Fort Pemberton during the Vicksburg campaign. Battle of Portland Harbor. Battle of Sporting Hill. Small skirmish during the Gettysburg Campaign was the northernmost engagement of Robert E. July 5 —25, Forces under General William T. Sherman clear General Joseph E. Johnston's relief effort from the Vicksburg area. July 13 —16, The Draft Riots caused a strain on the Union army, and vast amounts of corruption within the draft began to spread from New York to the frontlines.
Skirmish near Brooklyn, Kansas. Union forces pursue Quantrill's Raiders after the Lawrence Massacre. August 27, Battle of Cherokee Station. Battle of Brown's Ferry. Battle of Bayou Bourbeux. Confederate District of Western Louisiana troops attack the isolated rear guard during Union withdrawal from Opelousas.
March 18, April 13 —14, Battle of Salyersville. Battle of Calcasieu Pass. Battle of Camden Point. Battle of Brown's Mill. August 17, September 23 —25, Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle. December 24, February 2, Battle of Broxton Bridge. Confederate forces forced to retreat from Broxton Bridge after a failed defense. February 11, Cavalry action between Union Maj. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick and Confederate Maj. Joseph Wheeler. A year later there was a second battle fought in the area known as the Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas depending of the side describing it.
The second Battle of Bull Run was fought in August and was also a defeat for Union forces though it was not as total as the first one. Battle of Shiloh by Thure de Thulstrup. Fought on April , the Battle of Shiloh was a defeat for Confederate forces in southwestern Tennessee. The results of the battle was the failure of Confederate forces to prevent Union forces from advancing into Mississippi River Valley.
Known in the north as the Battle of Antietam and in the south as the Battle of Sharpsburg, this battle fought on September 17 in Maryland was the bloodiest battle ever fought in the history of the United States with a loss of 22, The battle, fought between the forces of Confederate Robert E.
Lee and Union General George McClellan ended in the widthdrawal of Lee's forces from the field so it is counted as a Union victory but the refusal of McClellan to pursue and destroy Lee's army when he had the chance to do so are seen as a massive failure that allowed the war to continue. The immediate aftermath of the battle was enough of a victory to give President Lincoln the confidence to release the Emancipation Proclamation which declared an end to slavery in Confederate territory.
Made possible by the Union victory at Antietam and issued on January 1 , the Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order of President Lincoln that emancipated e. It did not apply to slaves in border states that had remained loyal to the Union including Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware.
Though the proclamation was not applicable until Confederate territory was retaken by Union forces, the order shifted the goal of war from simply reunifying the Union to eliminating slavery. Siege of Vicksburg by Kurz and Allison. The Battleof Vicksburg, fought from May July 4th was a major siege in the western theatre of operations that together with the Battle of Gettysburg which was fought at the same time in the East was considered a major turning point in the Civil War. The capture of Vicksburg ultimately led to the Confederacy being split into two, cutting off the western Confederate states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas from the rest of the Confederacy.
Battle of Chancellorsville by Kurz and Allison. Lee's "perfect battle" because his decisions ultimately led to a Confederate victory.
