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Battle of Fort Sumter
Confederate Brigadier General P.G.T Beauregard sent aides to Union Major Anderson at Fort Sumter demanding the fort's surrender. Anderson refused and on the morning of April 12, 1861, Confederate soldiers opened fire in Fort Sumter on the Union soldiers stationed there. The fighting lasted for 34 hours before the Union surrendered the fort. Fort Sumter was a Union fort in South Carolina. So, the shots fired in Fort Sumter were the first shots of the Civil War. -
Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War. The battle was fought in Virginia just miles from Washington D.C. The battle resulted in a Confederate victory and convinced President Lincoln that this war would be long and costly. Also, after this battle, George B. McClellan began his career as commander of the Union army. -
Battle of Port Royal Sound
After the Confederacy seized control of Fort Sumter, Abraham Lincoln ordered that all Southern ports be blocked. This was put into place to slowly strangle the South into submission. So, the U.S. Navy blocked all major Southern ports. -
Battle of Belmont
This battle marked the beginning of Ulysses S. Grant's command of the Union army. He planned to capture a Confederate stronghold in Kentucky by driving Confederate soldiers from Belmont. The Union army was forced to flee when additional Confederate troops arrived. Although Grant claimed a victory for the Union, thye gained no ground and left that section of the Mississippi River in the firm control of the Confederacy. -
Seven Days Battle
THis battle lasted for 7 days and consisted of the Confederate army driving back the 10,000 soldiers of the Union army from their capital of Richmond, Virginia. This battle was the beginning of Robert E. Lee's career over the Confederate army. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam turned back Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North. It was enough of a win for the Union to allow President Abraham Lincoln to announce his Emancipation Proclamation in its wake. When Major General George B. McClellan failed to pursue the Confederate soldiers following the battle, Lincoln removed him from command. This was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. 23,000 men died, were wounded, or went missing over the course of the single-day battle. -
Battle of Gettysburg
On July 1, the Confederates engaged the Union’s Army of the Potomac at the crossroads town of Gettysburg. The next day saw even heavier fighting, as the Confederates attacked the Federals on both sides. On July 3, Lee ordered an attack on the enemy’s center at Cemetery Ridge. The assault managed to pierce the Union lines but eventually failed, at the cost of thousands of rebel casualties. Robert E. Lee was forced to retreat with his battered army towards Virginia. -
Battle of Atlanta
The Union forces were commanded by William T. Sherman, who wanted to neutralize the Confederate's important rail and supply hub. After ordering the evacuation of the city, Sherman burned most of the buildings in the city. After taking the city, Sherman headed south toward Savannah. This was the beginning of Sherman’s March To The Sea. The Union victory greatly increased northern morale and is credited for aiding the reelection of Abraham Lincoln. -
Battle of Mobile Bay
With blockade runners carrying critical supplies from Cuba, into Mobile, Union General Ulysses S. Grant made the capture of the port a top priority after assuming command of all U.S. forces in early 1864. Union Admiral David Farragut led his floating militia through the Confederate defenses at Mobile, Alabama, to seal one of the last major Southern ports. The fall of Mobile Bay was a major blow to the Confederacy. -
Battle of Palmito Ranch
The Battle of Palmito Ranch was the last land battle of the American Civil War. By the time the Battle of Palmito Ranch took place, the war was long over. On April 9 Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House and on April 15 Lincoln died after being shot the night before by John Wilkes Booth.
