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April 12, 1861 - April 14, 1861
The battle at Fort Sumter was fought April 12th through the 14th in South Carolina. With Union Major Robert Anderson in control of the fort, the confederacy demanded that they evacuate. The union declines and confederate troops attack forcing the evacuation. Results of only one casualty but it lead to the Union uniting. -
July 21 1861- July 21 1861
On July 21st the Union force struck. In the beginning the Union had thought they had won. But by late afternoon the amount of troops on both sides evened out. The Confederates had eventually managed to break the Union line. This battle is considered to be a Confederate victory, but they were unable to perform another attack on the retreating Union troops. -
March 9, 1862
The battle of Hampton Roads took place on March 9th of 1862. This was the first duel ever between ironclad warships. The North’s Monitor battled the South’s Merrimack in a southern effort to break the blockade around Southern ports. The battle gave the Union a sense of relief and provided the South with a false hope that they could break the naval blockade. -
April 6 1862- April 7 1862
The Battle of Shiloh is also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. On April 6th confederates launched a surprise attack on Grant’s forces. Although they had initial success they could not hold their positions and were forced back which resulted in a Union Victory. Although this was a Union victory, both sides were immobilized for the next three weeks because of the large amount of casualties, about 10,000 men on each side. -
September 17 1862- September 18 1862
The first battle of the American Civil war fought on northern soil, also known as the Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862. This day is known as the bloodiest day in American History with more than 22,000 Casualties. General Lee had a plan that divided his outnumbered force, but disaster struck when a lost copy of this plan reached the Union commander. In the end the Union prevailed, which allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. -
December 11, 1862 – December 13, 1862
The battle of Fredericksburg was fought from December 11th to December 13th of 1862. The Union appointed Ambrose Burnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac and he wasted no time advancing towards Richmond, Virginia. Confederate troops managed to stop the Union in Fredericksburg. Union troops put up a good fight but mismanagement from their General lost them the battle. The Confederates morale was restored after this victory. -
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July 1st, 1863 - July 3rd, 1863
The battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1st, 1863 to July 3rd, 1863 starting with the Confederacy positioning in Gettysburg after hearing of the Unions approach. The confederate troops tried to attack the union’s Army of the Potomac but they were beaten and the remaining confederates retreated. -
May 18th 1863 – July 4th 1863
It was important for the Confederacy to keep Vicksburg because it was the key remaining point of their defense of the Mississippi River.Grant’s forces reached the Grand Gulf and prevented the small confederate army near Jackson from linking up with Vicksburg forces. The surrender of Vicksburg gave the North another victory.This event was a turning point in the war because of the North's victory at Vicksburg and their Victory at Gettysburg which was the previous day. -
May 5, 1864 – May 7, 1864
The battle of the Wilderness was fought from May 5th through the 7th of 1864. The battle was fought in dense woodlands and was the first battle of Ulysses S. Grant, the commander in chief of all union armies. Wilderness was the first battle where the Union used the war of attrition strategy. After two days fighting in the dense woodlands, both sides were back where they started. Wilderness was inconclusive and led to the battle of Spotsylvania. -
May 8, 1864 – May 21, 1864
From May 8th to the 21st the Confederacy made an effort to stall the union. In the battle of Spotsylvania, the United States witnessed some of the bloodiest fighting of the civil war. The death of a Confederate General and 20 hours straight fighting have the union forcing back the confederates. With changes in the strategies on both sides, the sides were equally set with heavy losses. Finally Grant pulled back his troops accepting he couldn’t break their line. -
November 15, 1864 – December 21, 1864
Sherman’s March to the Sea lasted from November 15 to December 21, 1864. Union’s Major General William Sherman led his troops through the south leaving a wave of destruction. The troops traveled from Atlanta to Savannah, then later from Savannah to Charleston with few Rebel troops in the way. The Union destroyed all that the confederacy relied on in an effort to teach them a lesson. Sherman’s March to the Sea was the beginning of the end of the Civil War. -
June 9 1864- April 9 1865
Petersburg was an important rail center and also a strategic point for the defense of the Confederate Capital. On June 9th the Union army began a siege on the city. In a series of battles that took place throughout the summer Union losses were heavy. In March of 1865 the Confederate were driven back at the Battle of Fort Stedman, which left Lee with 50,000 troops and Grant with 120,000. Lee eventually surrendered to Grant on April 9th. So this was another Union victory. -
April 14, 1865 - April 15, 1865
On April 14th the president was at a theater. John Wilkes Booth snuck into the president’s box and shot him. He escaped and the president was left mortally wounded. After 9 hours, on April 9th, the Abraham Lincoln died. This assassination devastated the country.
