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Civil War Timespan
The timespan of the United States Civil War. -
South Carolina secedes from the Union
In 1860, the state of South Carolina officially breaks away from the Unites States of America. -
Confederation is Official
The southern states that seceded create a government at Montgomery, Alabama, and the Confederate States of America are formed. -
Jefferson Davis is Elected President
Jefferson Davis is appointed the first President of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama, a position he will hold until elections can be arranged. -
Lincoln is Elected
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the sixteenth president of the United States in Washington, DC. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Forces from the Confederate States of America attacked the United States military garrison at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Less than two days later, the fort surrendered. No one was killed. The battle, however, started the Civil War. -
Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Philippi formed part of the Western Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War and was fought in and around Philippi, Virginia. A Union victory, it was the first organized land action of the war, though generally viewed as a skirmish rather than a battle. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run, or the First Battle of Manassas, takes place near Manassas in northern Virginia and ends in a Confederate rout of Union forces. -
Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries
This battle was the first combined operation of the Union Army and Navy in the American Civil War, resulting in Union domination of the strategically important North Carolina Sounds. -
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia in which Union Army forces under Major General George B. McClellan suffered a humiliating defeat. -
Battle of Belmont
The Battle of Belmont was fought in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S. president, who was fighting Major General Leonidas Polk. -
Battle of Mill Springs
The Battle of Mill Springs, also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek, and the Battle of Logan's Cross Roads in Union terminology, was fought in Wayne and Pulaski counties, near current Nancy, Kentucky. The decisive Union victory at the Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky, on January 19, 1862, led to the total collapse of the eastern sector of the Confederate defensive line established to defend the Upper South and hopefully secure Kentucky's allegiance to the Southern cause. -
Battle of Fort Henry
The Battle of Fort Henry was fought in Donelson, Stewart County, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. It was the first important victory for the Union and Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in the Western Theater. -
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. The Union capture of the Confederate fort near the Tennessee–Kentucky border opened the Cumberland River, an important avenue for the invasion of the South. The Union's success also elevated Brig. -
Battle of Hampton Roads
The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the American Civil War. -
First Battle of Kernstown
The First Battle of Kernstown was fought in Frederick County and Winchester, Virginia, the opening battle of Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. -
Siege of Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown, joint Franco-American land and sea campaign that entrapped a major British army on a peninsula at Yorktown, Virginia, and forced its surrender. The siege virtually ended military operations in the American Revolution. -
Battle of Shiloh-First Day
This was the first day of the Battle of Shiloh; it was the Confederacy's best chance at holding off the Union army and keeping them out of Mississippi. The Confederacy also lost an important General in Albert Sydney Johnston. Though they suffered 13,000 casualties, this was an important victory for the Union -
Battle of Shiloh-Last Day
This was the second day of the Battle of Shiloh, as well as the last day of fighting. -
Battle of Fort Pulaski-First Day
This was the first day of the Battle of Fort Pulaski. This battle began with the seige of Fort Pulaski. Early in the first day of fighting 10-inch and 13-inch mortar shells exploded high in the air or fell outside the fort. -
Battle of Fort Pulaski-Second Day
This was the second day of the Battle of Fort Pulaski, as well as the final day. The siege of Fort Pulaski concluded with the Battle of Fort Pulaski fought during the American Civil War. Union forces on Tybee Island and naval operations conducted a 112-day siege, then captured the Confederate-held Fort Pulaski after a 30-hour bombardment. -
The Capture of New Orleans
The capture of New Orleans during the American Civil War was a turning point in the war, which precipitated the capture of the Mississippi River. Union troops officially take possession of New Orleans, completing the occupation that had begun four days earlier. The capture of this vital southern city was a huge blow to the Confederacy. -
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station in Henrico County, Virginia, nearby Sandston, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was a two-day battle in the Peninsular Campaign, in which Confederate attacks were repulsed, fought 6 miles (10 km) east of the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. -
Battle of Memphis
The First Battle of Memphis was a naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately North of the city of Memphis, Tennessee on June 6, 1862, during the American Civil War. The engagement was witnessed by many of the citizens of Memphis. Its primary historical importance is that it was the last time civilians with no prior military experience were permitted to command ships in combat. As such, it is a milestone in the development of professionalism in the United States Navy. -
Battle of Beaver Dam Creek
The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, also known as the Battle of Mechanicsville or Ellerson's Mill in Hanover County, Virginia, was the first major engagement of the Seven Days Battles during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Fitz John Porter's V Corps, which occupied defensive works behind Beaver Dam Creek. Confederate attacks were driven back with heavy casualties. -
Battle of Gaines' Mill
The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. His bloody victory at Gaines' Mill would be the first of many for Robert E. Lee and his aggressive tactics in the Seven Days would force McClellan's army away from the Confederate capital. At the Battle of Gaines' Mill, Robert E. Lee's soldiers had made a number of attacks against Porter's lines. -
Battle of Glendale
The Battle of Glendale, also known as the Battle of Frayser's Farm, Frazier's Farm, Nelson's Farm, Charles City Crossroads, New Market Road, or Riddell's Shop, took place in Henrico County, Virginia, on the sixth day of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. The battle at Glendale was Lee's best chance to cut off the Union army from the James River, but the Union army successfully stopped Lee's forces from overrunning its retreat, repulsing the Confederates. -
Battle of Malvern Hill
The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, was fought between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the Union Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan. It was the final battle of the Seven Days Battles. After the battle, McClellan and his forces withdrew from Malvern Hill to Harrison's Landing, where he remained until August 16. His plan to capture Richmond had been thwarted. -
Battle of Cedar Mountain
Gen. Nathaniel Banks's Second Corps of Pope's army tangled at Cedar Mountain with the Federals gaining an early advantage. A Confederate counterattack led by Hill on the Union right repulsed the Federals and won the day. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
This was the first day of the second Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Second Battle of Manassas. Despite heavy Confederate casualties (9,000), the Battle of Second Bull Run (known as Second Manassas in the South) was a decisive victory for the rebels, as Lee had managed a strategic offensive against an enemy force (Pope and McClellan's) twice the size of his own. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
This was the last day of the Second Battle of Bull Run, or the Second Battle of Manassas. The Second Battle of Manassas was larger in scale and greatly exceeded the number of casualties than the First Battle of Manassas, which was fought on the same ground in July 1861. -
Battle of Chantilly
The Battle of Chantilly took place in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the concluding battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. The Battle of Chantilly was a tactical draw. The Union Army suffered approximately 1,300 casualties compared to 800 casualties for the Confederacy. Strategically, however, the engagement was a Union victory. -
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain—known in several early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap—was fought as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Though the Battle of South Mountain was ultimately a Union victory, the day-long fighting gave Lee time to reunite his troops. On September 15, Jackson's army successfully defeated Colonel Dixon S. Miles's army at Harper's Ferry. -
Battle of Antietam
Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. It also gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of strength rather than desperation. -
Battle of Perryville
Around 38,000 men fought in the Battle of Perryville on that day. The result of fighting in Perrville that day was one of a Union Army victory. This victory, is sometimes referred to as the “Battle for Kentucky.” Confederate General Bragg withdrew to neighboring Tennessee soon after the battle. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 was one of the most significant battles of the war. It was a battle with many Union casualties, the largest river crossing of the war, and it also acted as a boost for the Confederate hopes of victory. -
Battle of Stones River
This was the first day of the Battle of Stones River. Also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was a battle fought in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. -
Battle of Stones River
This was the last day of the Battle of Stones River. The Union squeaked out a victory in a bloody conflict at Stones River, which boosted morale in the North and gave the Federals control of central Tennessee. Of the major battles in the Civil War, Stones River had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides -
Battle of Arkansas Post
This was the first day of the Battle of Arkansas Post. The Battle of Arkansas Post, also known as Battle of Fort Hindman, was fought near the mouth of the Arkansas River at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. -
Battle of Arkansas Post
This was the last day of the Battle of Arkansas Post. Union General John McClernand and Admiral David Porter capture Arkansas Post, a Confederate stronghold on the Arkansas River. The victory secured central Arkansas for the Union and lifted Northern morale just three weeks after the disastrous Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a huge victory for the Confederacy and General Robert E. Lee during the Civil War, though it is also famous for being the battle in which Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was mortally wounded. -
Battle of Raymond
The Battle of Raymond was fought near Raymond, Mississippi, during the Vicksburg campaign. Initial attempts to capture the strategically important Mississippi River city of Vicksburg failed. The Union victory near this small town, west of Jackson, Mississippi, prompted General Ulysses S. Grant to modify his plans for the capture of Vicksburg and gain control of the Mississippi River. -
Siege of Vicksburg
A victory at the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, gave the Union control of the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. Following the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant's Union army moved south. Grant hoped to secure control of the Mississippi River for the Union. -
Siege of Port Hudson
The siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, was the final engagement in the Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. It gave Union forces control of the Mississippi River and was a significant turning point in the Civil War. -
Battle of Brandy Station
The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This was the day that the Battle of Gettysburg began. It would continue for three days. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This was the final day of fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. The Union's eventual victory in the Battle of Gettysburg would give the North a major morale boost and put a definitive end to Confederate General Robert E. Lee's bold plan to invade the North. -
Siege of Vicksburg
This was the last day of the Siege of Vicksburg. It was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign. A victory at the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1863 gave the Union control of the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. Following the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant's Union army moved south. Grant hoped to secure control of the Mississippi River for the Union. -
Siege of Port Hudson
This was the final day of fighting in which Port Hudson was finally seiged. It was the final engagement in the Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River. The capture of Port Hudson in Louisiana gave Union forces control of the Mississippi River and was a significant turning point in the Civil War. -
First Battle of Fort Wagner
The First Battle of Fort Wagner was fought on Morris Island in Charleston harbor during the American Civil War. An attempt by the Union Army to capture Fort Wagner was repulsed. It was the Union attack led by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of the first major American military units made up of black soldiers. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw led the 54th Massachusetts on foot while they charged, and was killed in the assault. -
Second Battle of Fort Wagner
The Second Battle of Fort Wagner, also known as the Second Assault on Morris Island or the Battle of Fort Wagner, Morris Island. Union Army troops were commanded by Brig by this point. Gen. Quincy Gillmore launched an unsuccessful assault on the Confederate fortress of Fort Wagner, which protected Morris Island, south of Charleston Harbor. The battle came one week after the First Battle of Fort Wagner. -
Battle of Chickamauga
This was the first day of the Battle of Chickamauga. It marked the end of a Union offensive, in the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. Also note that Chickamauga is a Creek or Cherokee word that means “River of Death.” -
Battle of Chickamauga
This was the second and final day of the Battle of Chickamauga. It was the largest Confederate victory in the Western theater. At the end of a summer that had seen the disastrous Confederate loss at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the triumph of the Army of Tennessee at Chickamauga was a well-timed turn around for the Confederates. Bragg's decisive victory at Chickamauga came at a high cost, with more than 20 percent of his forces killed or wounded, including 10 generals. -
Delivery of the Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln wrote and delivered the Gettysburg Address to commemorate a new national cemetery at Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The Gettysburg Address's significance is that it sought to give meaning to the sacrifice of soldiers who died during the war -
Battle of Chattanooga
This was the first day of the Battle of Chattanooga. The fighting would continue for three days. It was a decisive engagement fought at Chattanooga on the Tennessee River in late November 1863, which contributed significantly to victory for the North. Chattanooga had strategic importance as a vital railroad junction for the Confederacy. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea lasted through November and December of 1864. The march began after Sherman captured, evacuated, and burned Atlanta in the fall of 1864. The purpose of it was to frighten Georgia's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. Sherman's soldiers did not destroy any of the towns in their path, but they stole food and livestock and burned the houses and barns of people who tried to fight back. -
Battle of the Wilderness
This was the day fighting began at the Battle of the Wilderness; it lasted for three days. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. The Battle of the Wilderness ended inconclusively, though the Union Army suffered more than 17,500 casualties over the two days of fighting, some 7,000 more than the toll suffered by the Confederates. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse
This was the first day of the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. This battle lasted for 13 days. Sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 1864 Overland Campaign. The United States declared victory because the Federal offensive continued and Lee's army suffered losses that could not be replaced. There were almost 32,000 casualties on both sides. -
Battle of Resaca
The Battle of Resaca was fought in Gordon County. Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston's troops were able to slow, but not halt, the progress of Union general William T. Sherman's forces into Georgia. The fighting at Resaca demonstrated that the outnumbered Confederate army could only slow but not stop the advance of Union forces into Georgia. -
Battle of New Market
The Battle of New Market was fought in Virginia during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. A makeshift Confederate army of 4,100 men defeated the larger Army of the Shenandoah under Major General Franz Sigel, delaying the capture of Staunton by several weeks. The Confederate victory allowed the local crops to be harvested for Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and protected Lee's lines of communications to western Virginia. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse
This was the final day of the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. Sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 1864 Overland Campaign. The United States declared victory because the Federal offensive continued and Lee's army suffered losses that could not be replaced. With almost 32,000 casualties on both sides, Spotsylvania was the costliest battle of the campaign. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
This was the first day of the Battle of Cold Harbor. The fighting lasted for 13 days. It was fought near Mechanicsville, Virginia with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was a disastrous defeat for the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–65) that caused some 18,000 casualties. Continuing his relentless drive toward the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, General Ulysses S. The fighting finally ended on 6/12 of the same year. -
Battle of Atlanta
Battle of Atlanta was part of the Union's summer Atlanta Campaign. Union Major Generals William Tecumseh Sherman and James B. McPherson successfully defended against a Confederate offensive from Lieut. This battle eventually cut off a main Confederate supply centre and influenced the Federal presidential election of 1864. It was a union victory. -
Second Battle of Kernstown
The Second Battle of Kernstown was fought at Kernstown, Virginia, outside Winchester, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns. The Confederate Army of the Valley under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early soundly defeated the Union Army of West Virginia under Brig. It set the stage for Jackson's successful Shenandoah Valley Campaign during the American Civil War. While a tactical defeat for the Confederates, and Jackson's only loss, the battle nevertheless was an important strategic victory. -
Battle of the Crater
The Union's ingenious attempt to break the Confederate lines at Petersburg, Virginia, by blowing up a tunnel that had been dug under the Rebel trenches failed. It was the result of an unusual attempt, on the part of Union forces, to break through the Confederate defenses just south of the critical railroad hub of Petersburg, Virginia. -
Battle of Mobile Bay
The fall of Mobile Bay was a major blow to the Confederacy, and the victory was the first in a series of Yankee successes that helped secure the re-election of President Abraham Lincoln later that year. The federal capture of the bay would cut off Confederate blockade runners, thus hindering the South's economy. Mobile Bay was one of the most well-defended of southern ports. -
Battle of Globe Tavern
This was the first day of the Battle of Globe Tavern. It lasted for three days. Also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought south of Petersburg, Virginia, was the second attempt of the Union Army to sever the Weldon Railroad. It was the first Union victory in the Richmond–Petersburg Campaign. It forced the Confederates to carry their supplies 30 miles by wagon to bypass the new Union lines that were extended farther to the south and west. -
Battle of Jonesborough
This was the first day of the two day Battle of Jonesborough. It was fought between Union Army forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign. Following the Battle of Jonesborough, Confederate General John B. Hood evacuated the Army of Tennessee from Atlanta, enabling Union forces to occupy the city on September 2, 1864. -
Battle of Nashville
This was the final day of the two day Battle of Nashville. It was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states. It also shattered the Confederate Army of Tennessee and marked the end of major Confederate offensives in the Western theater during the Civil War. -
Battle of Spring Hill
The Battle of Spring Hill was fought at Spring Hill, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. It was the prelude to the Battle of Franklin. On the night of November 28, 1864, General John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee marched toward Spring Hill to get astride Major General John M. Schofield's Union army's life line. -
Battle of Franklin
The Second Battle of Franklin was fought in Franklin, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign. It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army. The once proud Confederate Army of Tennessee suffers a devastating defeat after its commander, General John Bell Hood, orders a frontal assault on strong Union positions around Franklin, Tennessee. The loss cost Hood six of his finest generals and nearly a third of his force. -
Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought during the American Civil War. The fighting took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, near Cedar Creek, Middletown, and the Valley Pike. It was a pivotal point in the war. It ended southern resistance in the Shenandoah Valley which eliminated the valley as a source of food for the Confederacy. The loss of the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy" was a crushing blow. -
Lincoln is Reelected
Abraham Lincoln is reelected president of the United States. -
Battle of Nashville
This was the first day of the Battle of Nashville. It was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states. The Union victory shattered Hood's Army of Tennessee and effectively ended the war there. Following Nashville, the fall of the Southern Confederacy was now only a matter of time. The Union victory at Nashville shattered Hood's Army of Tennessee and effectively ended the war in Tennessee. -
Second Battle of Fort Fisher
This was the first day of the three day Second Battle of Fort Fisher. It was a successful assault by the Union Army, Navy and Marine Corps against Fort Fisher, south of Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. -
Union Captures Columbia, SC
Sherman's Army captures Columbia, South Carolina while Confederate defenders evacuate Charleston, South Carolina -
Battle of Bentonville
This was the first day of the Battle of Bentonville. It was fought in Johnston County, North Carolina, near the village of Bentonville. It was the last full-scale action of the Civil War in which a Confederate army was able to mount a tactical offensive. This major battle, the largest ever fought in North Carolina, was the only significant attempt to defeat the large Union army of Gen. William T.Nov. -
Attack on Fort Stedman
Touted as "Lee's last offensive", Confederate troops under General John B. Gordon attack and briefly capture the Union fort in the Petersburg siege lines in an attempt to thwart Union plans for a late March assault. By day's end, the southerners have been thrown out and the lines remain unchanged. -
Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, around the road junction of Five Forks, Dinwiddie County, at the end of the Siege of Petersburg. It was the last major battle of the Petersburg Campaign during the American Civil War. By defeating Confederate infantry under George E. Pickett and cavalry under William H. F. -
Battle of Sailor's Creek
Wesley Merritt's cavalry division engaged Ewell on Wright's left, cutting Ewell off from retreating west to Farmville and forcing the Confederate commander to surrender. In all three actions, the Federals overwhelmed the defending Confederates, capturing 7,700 men and depriving Lee of roughly one-fourth of his army. -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
In Appomattox, Virginia, Robert E. Lee surrenders his 28,000 Confederate troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War. -
Lincoln is Assasinated
President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. On the same day, Fort Sumter, South Carolina is re-occupied by Union troops. -
Pres. Davis is Captured
Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia. -
Official End of the Civil War
General Simon Bolivar Buckner enters into terms for surrender of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi, which are agreed to on June 2, 1865.The Civil War officially ends.