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Battle of Fort Sumter
On Thursday, April 1, 1861, Confederate Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard demanded Robert Anderson to surrender his fort, but Anderson refused. When Beauregard heard of this, he and his men opened fire upon the fort and everyone in it early the next morning. This lasted for thirty-six hours, marking the beginning of the war. No one was killed, but eventually, Anderson was forced to surrender. Fort Sumter -
First Battle of Bull Run/First Battle of Manassas
The war may have officially begun on April 12, 1861, but the first major battle fought between the two sides was the Battle of Bull Run. It began when the Union, under the direction of Brigadier General Irvin McDowell attacked the Confederate's left flank on Matthews Hill. Fighting here continued throughout the day. However, when the Confederates broke the Union's right flank, the Union retreated. -
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries
This battle, also known as the Battle of Forts Hatteras and Clark, was quite significant for the Union in the early months of the war. These two forts, which belonged to the Confederates, were located on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Within just days, they both were subject to assault attacks by the Union. Because these forts were not well armed, the Confederates chose to surrender, encouraging the Union soldiers greatly. -
Battle of Ball's Bluff
On the evening of October 20, 1861, Brigadier General Charles Stone sent out some of his soldiers to scout the Confederates near Leesburg, Virginia. The leader of these soldiers at this time mistook the trees he saw for being an unguarded camp. After soldiers came and they all realized this was untrue, they ordered more troops to come in a new attempt to attack near Leesburg. Once again though, through all the confusion, the Confederates were able to prepare and capture several Union troops. -
Battle of Fort Henry
Prior to the 6th of February, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant set up two divisions just north of Fort Henry near the Tennessee River. While Grant and his troops advanced directly up upon the fort, gunboats lead by Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote attacked it as well. Because the Union used such great tactics, the Confederates surrendered, giving the Union a significant win. Fort Henry -
Battle of Hampton Roads
The Battle of Hampton Roads, also known as the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack or the Battle of Ironclads, is considered to be the most important naval battle of the American Civil War. The two ships, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, fought each other hard for several hours. However, in the end, not one specific side gained the victory, for each side claimed victories of their own. -
Siege of Yorktown
While marching, Union leader, Major General George B. McClellan, and his army came upon Confederate leader, Major General John B. Magruder, and his small army at Yorktown. Here, the Union continued to march and prepare their siege attack and siege fire arms. However, Confederate reinforcements came along, eventually making the Union's goal harder to achieve. In the end, no clear victory was won for either side. -
Battle of Seven Pines
Confederate leader, General Joseph E. Johnston, and his army attempted to overpower two Union divisions just south of the Chickahominy River. Even though the Confederates were not well coordinated, they managed in driving the two divisions back. During this, they suffered many casualties, but after reinforcements came, troops from both sides continuously went into action. -
Battle of Beaver Dam Creek
Robert E. Lee first initiated his offense against Major General George B. McClellan's right flank located north of the Chickahominy River. While this was going on, other Confederate leaders ran attacks against Brigadier General Fitz John Porter and his troops, who were located behind Beaver Dam Creek. These Confederate attacks, however, were driven back by the
Union, thus giving the Union a victory in this battle. -
Battle of Malvern Hill
The Union stopped at the James River and made this their defensive position. Being greatly confident in their naval warships and such, Major General George B. McClellan invited a Confederate attack. General Robert E. Lee gladly agreed to this and responded with several assault attacks. However, once he and his men suffered a great defeat, they ended the battle giving a great victory to the Union. Malvern Hill -
Second Battle of Bull Run/Second Battle of Manassas
To engage Union leader, Major General John Pope, into the action, General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, ordered an attack. When Pope assumed that he had the Confederates trapped, he brought up several assault attacks, causing heavy casualties on both sides. From here, Major General James Longstreet took position on Jackson's right flank. When the Union attempted to fight back against the Confederates, Longstreet and his men recorded the largest mass assault attack in the entire war. -
Battle of South Mountain
After victory was won at the Second Battle of Bull Run, General Robert E. Lee decided to split up his men, sending one half to Maryland and the other half to capture the Union at Harper's Ferry. This plan was grand indeed, but it was soon spoiled when revealed to Major General George B. McClellan. At this point, McClellan just took his men through three passages in the South Mountain. Here, they encounted the Confederates, and intense fighting took place. The Union claimed victory. -
Battle of Perryville
Confederate leader, General Braxton Bragg, had begun to distract the Union by setting off an invasion near Kentucky. This plan may have not entirely worked, but ultimately, it did cause the Union to fall behind in battle preparation and such. From here, though, the Confederates took control of the battle. They used their great tactical advantages to win even after the Union did fight back heavily. Because of this, therefore, the Union had no choice but retreat and leave Kentucky. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
After General Robert E. Lee found out about Major General Ambrose Burnside and his men's station near Fredericksburg, he reacted by placing his men behind the town. Burnside later ordered a series of assault attacks resulting in several casualties. The Union's left flank was then even able to penetrate General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson's line but were driven back by counterattacks shortly later. Because the Union were suffering losses of leaders and soldiers, they decided to retreat. -
Battle of Stones River
The forces under Union leader, Major General William Starke Rosecrans, fought a tough battle with General Braxton Bragg and his men. While Bragg struck hard in action first, Rosecrans stood his ground and wouldn't back down. General John Breckinridge, ordered by Braggs, later on attempted to achieve a victory but were hit with an extreme assault brought upon by the Union and their reinforcements. Stones River