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1st Bull Run https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Bull_Run
Where: Fairfax County, Virginia
Who: General Irvin McDowell for the Union, and P. G. T. Beauregard for the Confederacy
What: The Union forces and Confederate forces were lead by inexperianced generals. With Confederate reinforcements arriving the Union forces were quickly destroyed.
So What: The Union forces retreated in the direction of Washington DC. Union forces lost nearly double the amount of casualties. -
Battle of Wilson's Creek https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wilson%27s_Creek
Where: West of the Mississippi River
Who: General Nathaniel Lyon (Union), Sterling Price, Benjamin McCulloch (Confederate)
What: This was the first battle of the Trans- Mississippi Theatre of the Civil War. There was 1,300 deaths on the Union side, including the general Lyon. The successor of Lyon, Major Samuel Sturgis ordered a retreat.
So What: This Confederate victory "carried Sterling Price and his Missouri State Guard as far as Lexington"(Wiki). -
Battle of Fort Donelson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_fort_donelson
Where: Fort Donelson, Tennessee
Who: Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew H. Foote (Union), Simon Bolivar, Gideon J Pillow (Confederate)
What: After the failure of their all out attack aimed to break through Grants investment lines, 12 thousand Confederate soldiers surrendered unconditionally.
So What: It was one of the first significant Union victories leading the way to capture Nashville. -
Capture of New Orleans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_New_Orleans
Where: New Orleans and St. Bernard's Parish Louisiana
Who: David Farragut (Union), Mansfield Lovell (Confederate)
What: By the time Union forces arrived at New Orleans unopposed, they had already fought through Forts Jackson and Forts Philip. The power of the Union ships turned the tide of this fight towards the north.
So What: The Union capture of the largest Confederate city was a pivotal moment for the north during the war. -
2nd Bull Run https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Bull_Run
Who: General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (confedaracy), John Pope (Union)
Where: Prince William County Virginia
What: Jackson lead his soldiers more effectively and while Pope thought he had Jackson in a lock, Jackson launched and crushed the Union forces.
So What: It was the start of of Robert E. Lee's Maryland Campaign -
Battle of Richmond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Richmond
Where: Richmond, Kentucky
Who: William "Bull" Nelson (Union), Kirby Smith (Confederate)
What: This was a major stun as the Confederate Won the battle. Confederate forces only lost about 450 troops compared to an astonishing 5,350 soldiers lost on the Union side. Obviously the Confederates won
So What: It was the first significant battle of the Kentucky Campaign and many lives were lost. -
Battle of Anteitam https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-antietam
Who: General Robert E. Lee vs. Union general George McClean
What: This battle was fought in Sharpsburg, Maryland, and was the deadliest battle in United States history with 22,717 soldiers either dying or being injured. General McClean launched an attack on the confederate forces near Anteitam Creek. McClean's forces outnumbered Lee's and he continously pushed his army back but failed to destroy them.
So What: Lee made the best of a bad situation, McClean ended up gaining a valuable position. -
The Battle of Frederickburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fredericksburg
Where: Frederickburg, Virginia
Who: Ambrose Burnside (Union), Robert E. Lee (Confederate)
What: Union Army's attack came on December 13 against confederates on the Heights beyond the city, Union casualties were more than three times as heavy as the confederates. Robert E. Lee proved his great skills as a general yet again
So What: This resulted in a Major early Confederate Victory and most lopsided defeats of the Civil War. -
Battle of Shiloh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shiloh
Where: Hardin County Tennessee
Who: Ulysses S. Grant (Union), Albert Johnston, P.G.T. Beauregard (Confederate)
What: The Confederate Army of Mississippi launched an attack on the US Union. The Union forces retreated to the "Hornet's Nest" where they were reinforced by an Ohio Army and defeated the Confederates. It was not a surprise that the battle was going to occur.
So What: Albert Johnston bled to death on the battlefield and a Union victory occurred. -
Battle of Chancellorsville https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-chancellorsville
Where: Spotsylvania County, Virginia
Who: General Joseph Hooker (Union), Robert E. Lee (Union)
What: The Chancellorsville Campaign put Union forces against a Confederate army that was less than half its size. Chancellorsville is the battle which Lee is most known for because of his risky decision that led the Confederate forces to victory.
So What: Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, one of the Confederates best generals was hit by friendly fire and died of pneumonia shortly after the battle. -
Siege of Vicksburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Vicksburg
Where: Warren County Mississippi
Who: Ulysses S. Grant (Union), John C. Pemberton (Confederate)
What: Vicksburg was the last major Confederate hold on the Mississippi River. The Union, launched an attack trying to trap a Confederate army under their own territory. Consequences of the war were huge, Union now had full control of the Mississippi River.
So What: Confederate forces were now isolated and the Union had full control of the Mississippi River. -
Battles of Donaldsonville https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Donaldsonville
Where: Ascension Parish Louisiana
Who: Joseph D. Bullen, David D. Farragut (Union), Tom Green, Philippe Landry (Confederacy)
What: Union Built and developed Fort Butler which made it so the Confederates had to push into their land. Attack began after midnight, confederates dominating the beginning but turned out the Union Won.
So What: After this battle, the very important waterway of the Mississippi River belonged to the Union and occupied by the Union. -
Battle of Gettysburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg
Where: Gettysburg Pennsylvania
Who: George G Meade (Union), Robert E. Lee (Confederate)
What: A Union Victory that put an end to Confederate General Robert E Lee’s second take over of the North 50 thousand men fell of casualties during the span of three days. This is possibly the most famous battle of the Civil War.
So What: This battle is often considered the turning point of the entire Civil War and involved the most number of causalities in the war. -
Battle of Fort Wagner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Fort_Wagner
Where: Morris Island, South Carolina.
Who: Quincy A. Gilmore (Union), P.G.T Beaurgard (Confederate)
What: Union army troops launched an unsuccessful attack on the Confederate Fort Wagner. Two battles took play over the week period resulting in the Confederate Victory.
So What: The confederate army was able to keep Fort Wagner and also took out Robert Gould Shaw, who was a key figure in the Union campaign. -
Battle of Chattanooga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Chattanooga
Where: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Who: Ulysses S. Grant (Union), Braxton Bragg (Confederate)
What: After a loss at Chickmauga, the Union army retreated to Chattanooga. Due to poor execution of orders on both sides soldiers were confused with what they were to do. In the end, due to poor placing of trenches, the confederates were defeated and forced to retreat.
So What: Chattanooga was secured by Union forces, and thousands were lost on both sides. -
Battle of Wilderness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Wilderness
Where: Orange County, Virginia
Who: Ulysses S. Grant (Union), Robert E. Lee (Confederate)
What: The terrain of this ongoing battle was very harsh and was thickly wooded so it gave the Union an advantage of 115,000 - 65,000 soldiers making it nearly impossible for the Confederates to advance this Battle. In the end, the battle was won by neither side but the Union offensive kept pushing on.
So What: The battle was, "a tactical Confederate victory, but a strategic victory for the Union army"(Wiki) -
Battle of Cold Harbor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cold_Harbor
Where: Hanover County Virginia Area
Who: Ulysses S. Grant (Union), Robert E. Lee (Confederacy)
What: The battle itself was an assault on the Confederate side resulting in as many as 7,000 Union casualties after nearly an hour. So What: Remembered as one of the bloodiest, dominated war of all time. -
Battle of Petersburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Petersburg
Where: Petersburg, Virginia
Who: Ulysses S. Grant, George Meade (Union), Robert E. Lee, P.G.T. Beauregard (Confederate)
What: Nine months of trench warfare, Petersburg was destroyed. These battles over this period were fought in attempt to cut off the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad. The Union Won.
So What: Significance was that the US Union was able to take over the Railroad City of Petersburg, a valuable position in battle-ridden Virginia.
