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First Battle of Bull Run
Date: July 21, 1861. The union was on their way to Richmond Virginia to take over the capital and all the confederates. The union was about to win when Thomas Jackson, a general for the confederates, led the confederates to run at the union soldiers screaming and ready to fight. This caused them to surrender. -
The Battle of Shiloh
Date: April 6, 1862 - April 7, 1862. This battle allowed Union troops to penetrate the Confederate interior. This was located in Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee and the Union ended up winning. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
Date: August 29, 1862 - August 30, 1862. This was a Confederate win and it cemented General Robert E. Lee's reputation as a tactician. This was important because he led them to their first invasion of the Union. -
Battle of Antietam
Date: September 17, 1862. This battle was another win for the union. This was a very close battle. The union was ahead but then the confederates came in with a counter attack, the union was outnumbered but still managed to win. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Date: December 11, 1862 - December 15, 1862. This was the first battle that Urban warfare was used during the war. The Confederates won and it pushed the Union away from becoming a step closer to invading the Confederate capital in Richmond. -
Battle of Stones River
Date: Dec 31, 1862 - Jan 2, 1863 - This was a very bloody battle located in Tennessee. The union managed to get the victory, but it was not easy. This was a very important battle because it gave the union control of Tennessee. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Date: Apr 30, 1863 - May 6, 1863. This battle was a huge win for the confederate forces. Although, Confederate General Thomas Jackson, got mortally injured during the battle. This was a big deal because they finally won a battle but not that big because Jackson was very impactful and they no longer had him. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Date: May 18, 1863 - July 4, 1863. This battle made the Confederacy become divided. This helped the Union win and it was very important because it gave them control of the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Date: July 1, 1863 - July 3, 1863. This battle was located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and it was a turning point in the war. This was because the Confederates' plan to invade the Union and force an end to the war failed and the plan was thrown away. -
Battle of Chickamauga
Date: September 18, 1863 - September 20, 1863. This battle was the second costliest battle in the war and the deadliest battle fought in the west. The confederates outnumbered and surprised the union forces but the union still pulled out a win. -
Battle of Chattanooga
Date: November 23, 1863 - November 25, 1863. This was a very intense battle fought at Chattanooga on the Tennessee River. This resulted in a Union victory and it was very important because it got Confederate troops away from Chattanooga, Tennessee, into Georgia. -
Battle of the Wilderness
Date: May 5, 1864 - May 7, 1864 - This battle was thought to be the end of the war (union victory). Although, it ended with no one winning. Both sides had many people injured and there were more than 5,000 people killed. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse
Date: May 8, 1864 - May 21, 1864 - This was a very costly battle located in Virginia. Both the confederacy and the union claimed victory, so there was no real conclusion to this battle. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
Date: May 31, 1864 - Jun 12, 1864 - This battle was a dramatic loss for the union. The union general said that this was his biggest mistake because he ordered frontal assault on the confederates with weapons. This resulted in 7,000 soldiers being dead or injured in 1 hour. But, the union was not going to back down, they were driving their way to the Confederate capital in Virginia weather they were winning or losing the battles. -
Battle of Atlanta
Date: July 22, 1864 - The union won this battle. This was really important because Atlanta was a big hub for military operations and supplies and the union captured it. This was a key step of the Anaconda Plan.