American Civil War
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American Civil War Major Battles & Minor Engagements 1861-1865 1861 ........ p. 2 1862 ........ p. 4 1863 ........ p. 9 1864 ........ p. 13 1865 ........ p. 19 CIVIL WAR IMPRESSIONIST ASSOCIATION 1 Civil War Battles: 1861 Eastern Theater April 12 - Battle of Fort Sumter (& Fort Moultie), Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The bombardment/siege and ultimate surrender of Fort Sumter by Brig. General P.G.T. Beauregard was the official start of the Civil War. https://www.nps.gov/fosu/index.htm June 3 - Battle of Philippi, (West) Virginia A skirmish involving over 3,000 soldiers, Philippi was the first battle of the American Civil War. June 10 - Big Bethel, Virginia The skirmish of Big Bethel was the first land battle of the civil war and was a portent of the carnage that was to come. July 11 - Rich Mountain, (West) Virginia July 21 - First Battle of Bull Run, Manassas, Virginia Also known as First Manassas, the first major engagement of the American Civil War was a shocking rout of Union soldiers by confederates at Manassas Junction, VA. August 28-29 - Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina September 10 - Carnifax Ferry, (West) Virginia September 12-15 - Cheat Mountain, (West) Virginia October 3 - Greenbrier River, (West) Virginia October 21 - Ball's Bluff, Virginia October 9 - Battle of Santa Rosa Island, Santa Rosa Island (Florida) The Battle of Santa Rosa Island was a failed attempt by Confederate forces to take the Union-held Fort Pickens. November 7-8 - Battle of Port Royal Sound, Port Royal Sound, South Carolina The battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War. December 13 - Camp Alleghany, (West) Virginia December 20 - Cranesville, Virginia 2 Western Theater September 19 - Barbourville, Kentucky October 21 -Wildcat Mountain (Wildcat Camp), Kentucky December 17 - Rowlett's Station, Kentucky Trans-Mississippi June 17 - Booneville, Missouri August 10 - Battle of Wilson's Creek, Wilson's Creek/Oak Hills, Missouri The Battle of Wilson's Creek, aka Battle of Oak Hills, was the first major battle of the Western Theater and is often called the "Bull Run of the West." September 13-20 - Siege of Lexington, Missouri October 25 - Springfield, Missouri November 7 - Battle of Belmont, Belmont, Missouri General Ulysses S. Grant took command and began his Civil War career. November 19 - Round Mountain, Indian Territory December 9 - Chusto -Talasah, Indian Territory December 26 - Chustenahlah, Indian Territory December 28 - Mount Zion Church, Missouri 3 Civil War Battles: 1862 Eastern Theater February 8 - Roanoke Island, North Carolina March 8-9 - Battle Of Hampton Roads (& Fort Monroe). Hampton Roads, Virginia First battle between the ironclad warships; often called the battle between the Monitor & the Merrimack, the Merrimack had already been renamed Virginia when it was converted to an ironclad by the Confederacy. (Navy) March 14 - New Berne, North Carolina March 23 - Kernstown, Virginia March 23-April 26 - Siege of Fort Macon, North Carolina April 5-May 4 - Siege of Yorktown, Virginia April 10-11 - Fort Pulaski, Georgia May 5 - Williamsburg, Virginia May 7 - Eltham's Landing, Virginia May 8 - McDowell, Virginia May 15 - Drewry's Bluff, Virginia May 23 - Front Royal, Virginia May 25 - Battle Of Winchester, Winchester, Virginia The town of Winchester, Virginia's strategic location makes it the site of numerous Civil War engagements. May 27 - Hanover Courthouse, Virginia May 31-June 1 - Seven Pines, Virginia June 5 - Tranter's Creek, North Carolina June 8 - Cross Keys, Virginia June 9 - Port Republic, Virginia June 16 - Secessionville, South Carolina 4 June 21 - Simmon's Bluff, South Carolina June 25 - Oak Grove, Virginia June 26 - Beaver Dam Creek, Virginia* June 27 - Gaines Mill, Virginia* June 27-28 - Garnett's Farm and Golding's Farm, Virginia* June 29 - Savage Station and Allen's Farm, Virginia* June 30 - White Oak Swamp, Virginia* June 30 - Glendale, Virginia* July 1 - Malvern Hill, Virginia* June 25-July 1 *The Seven Days Battle, Henrico County, Virginia The Seven Days Battle was a series of battles in the Peninsula Campaign consisting of a Confederate counter-offensive which drove the Union Army away from the Confederate capitol of Richmond down the Virginia Peninsula. The list of individual battles appears above, beginning with Beaver Dam Creek and ending with Malvern Hill. August 9 - Cedar Mountain, Virginia August 22-25 - Rappahannock Station, Virginia August 25-27 - Manassas, Virginia (Prelude to Second Bull Run/Manassas) August 28 - Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia August 28-30 - Second Battle of Bull Run, Manassas, Virginia Also called Second Manassas, resulted in a second defeat for Union troops in the area of First Bull Run (First Manassas), though it was not a complete rout like the first battle. The victory set the stage for Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North. September 1 - Battle of Ox Hill, Chantilly, Virginia The Battle of Ox Hill, aka Battle of Chantilly, was the final battle of the NoVa Campaign. September 12-15 - Harpers Ferry, (West) Virginia September 14 - Battle of South Mountain, Frederick & Washington Counties, MD The Battle of South Mountain, aka the Battle of Boonsborough Gap, was part of the Maryland Campaign and found Robert E. Lee delaying George McClellan's army of Northern Virginia through three mountain passes. 5 September 17 - Battle of Antietam, Sharpsburg, Maryland The bloodiest single day in American history, the Battle of Antietam turned back Robert E. Lee's first Northern invasion. Though tactically a draw, it was enough of a win to permit President Abraham Lincoln to announce his Emancipation Proclamation in its wake. When Lee's adversary, Major General George B. McClellan failed to pursue following the battle, Lincoln removed him from command. September 19-20 - Battle of Shepherdstown, Shepherdstown, (West) Virginia The Battle of Shepherdstown, aka Battle of Boteler's Ford, was the final battle of the Maryland Campaign. December 11-15 - Battle of Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg, Virginia More troops were present at the Battle of Fredericksburg than at any other battle of the American Civil War, including Gettysburg. Poor coordination of attacks by Union commanders, combined with strong Confederate defensive positions, resulted in a lopsided slaughter of Federal troops. December 14 - Kinston, North Carolina December 16 - White Hall, North Carolina December 17 - Goldsborough Bridge, North Carolina Western Theater January 19 - Mill Springs, Kentucky February 6 - Battle of Fort Henry. Fort Henry, Tennessee The Battle of Fort Henry was the first major victory for the Union in the Western Theater, led by Brig. General Ulysess S. Grant. February 11-16 - Battle of Fort Donelson, Fort Donelson, Tennessee The Battle of Fort Donelson saw Union General Ulysses S. Grant capture the fort, gaining him recognition as well as the nickname "Unconditional Surrender." March 3-April 8 - Siege of New Madrid and Island No. 10, Missouri (Mississippi River) April 6-7 - Battle of Shiloh, Shiloh, Tennessee The casualty totals shocked Americans both North and South, with the two-day total exceeding that of all previous American wars combined. The battle turned back a Confederate attempt to re-capture Middle Tennessee and contributed to Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant's reputation as a leader who would keep fighting even in adverse circumstances. May 25-30 - Siege of Corinth, Corinth, Mississippi Henry Halleck took Corinth after a month-long siege. 6 June 28, Battle of Vicksburg. Vicksburg, Mississippi (Navy) "The Confederate Gibraltar" had to be captured before Union ships could safely traverse the entire length of the Mississippi. The Vicksburg Campaign lasted many months, leading to the Battle of Vicksburg in May 1863. After Federal assaults repulsed on May 19 and 22, the Union commander, Ulysses S. Grant, settled into siege warfare. August 29 - Battle of Richmond, Richmond, Kentucky The Battle of Richmond was the first major battle of the Kentucky Campaign and a stunning victory for Confederate forces. September 14-17 - Siege of Munfordville, Kentucky September 19 - Iuka, Mississippi October 3-4 - Battle of Corinth, Corinth, Mississippi Two months after the Siege of Corinth, Maj. General William S. Rosecrans defeated the Confederate Army. October 5 - Hatchie's Bridge, Tennessee October 8 - Battle of Perryville, Perryville, Kentucky. Account of the 21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment's harrowing fight. December 19 - Jackson, Tennessee December 26-29 - Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi December 31 - Parker's Crossroads, Tennessee December 31-January 2 - Battle of Stones River, Murfreesboro, Tennessee The culmination of the Stones River Campaign, the battle resulted in a 29% casualty rate, the same percentage as Chickamauga and behind only Gettysburg's 31 %. Trans-Mississippi February 20-21 - Valverde, New Mexico March 8 - Battle of Pea Ridge, Pea Ridge, Arkansas The Battle of Pea Ridge, also called the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, in Arkansas, marked a failed attempt by Confederate major general Earl Van Dorn to destroy the Union Army of the Southwest under Brigadier General Samuel Curtis. The victory solidified Union control over the state of Missouri for the next two years. March 26-28 - Glorietta Pass, New Mexico June 17 - Saint Charles, Arkansas 7 July 7 - Hill's Plantation, Arkansas August 6-9 - Kirksville, Missouri August 11 - Independence, Missouri August 15-16 - Lone Jack, Missouri September 24-25 - Sabine Pass, Texas September 30 - Newtonia, Missouri October 4 - Galveston,