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The Battle of Fort Sumter
When the Fort Sumter was resupplied on April 12th, Confederate troops began shelling it from the mainland. The bombardment lasted for 34 hours striaght, until the Union soldiers surrendered. Surprisingly, no soldiers on either side were killed by enemy fire. -
The Battle at Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the war. It occurred near Manassas, Virginia. Union forces from Washington, DC totaling 28,450, under the command of General Irvin McDowell, attempted to surprise 32,230 Confederate troops. The Union suffered nearly 3,000 casualties. This is the battle that earned "stonewall" Jackson his name. -
Battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in Tennessee
Both of these battles happened in the same month 10 miles apart from eachother. The Confederate’s Fort Henry fell on Feb 5th, General Ulysses S. Grant‘s troops and 7 gunboats from the Union began shelling the fort. The Confederate troops evacuated Fort Henry and moved to Fort Donelson 10 miles away, and Grant’s troops followed them. Union casualties were 2,331 while the Confederacy suffered more than 15,000. The Union could now head south through Tennessee. This was the Unions first victory -
Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack
The Battle of Hampton Roads was the most famous and well-known naval battle of the Civil War. It was also the first battle between two ironclad ships, the Monitor and the Merrimack. In the end neither side was declaired the winner. But this battle got nationwide attenion and also revolutionized how warships were build. -
Battle of Hampton Roads
On March 9, the Union (John Worden) ironclad Monitor initiated the first engagement of ironclads in history. The two ships fought each other to a standstill, but Virginia retired. The results of this battle was inconclusive. The Confederates were lead by Lt.Catesby R. Jones. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Union was commanded by Major General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General Don Carlos Bue, while the Confederates were commanded by General Albert Sidney Johnston and General P.G.T. Beauregard. Confederate forces attacked the Union at Pittsburg Landing.On the second day of the battle, Grant launched a counterattack and the Confederates retreated to Corinth. This was a victory for the Union. -
Battle and Capture of New Orleans
The Capture of New Orleans by Union forces was a major turning point in the war. New Orleans was the Confederacy’s largest city, and, given its location at the mouth of the Mississippi River, a trading location with a powerful and economical port. -
Second Battle at Bull Run
This battle took two days from Aug 28 to Aug 30. This battle was also known as the Battle of the second Manassas. The confederate was the victor of this battle. -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the first battle of the war to take place on Northern soil. It was the the bloodiest day in the American Civil War, with a total of over 23,000 casualties including more than 4,800 killed. (In fact, more Americans were killed on this day than on any other day in American military history) -
Battle of Fredricksburg
The Union (commanded by Burnside) laid five pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock under their fire. On December 12th, the Federal army crossed over. On December 13, Burnside mounted a series of frontal assaults on Prospect Hill and Marye’s Heights that resulted in staggering casualties. This battle ended in a Confederate (commanded by Robert E. Lee) victory.