Key Battles 1861-1864
Fort Sumter
April 12, 1861
Leaders:
North & South
North = Major Anderson
South = General Beauregard
Charleston Harbor, South Carolina
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Island fort
Bombardment of the fort
Geography
No casualties
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
Northern troops surrendered
South Won the Fort
Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
July 21, 1861
Leaders:
North & South
North = General McDowell
South = Stonewall Jackson, General
Beauregard
Manassas, Virginia
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Union troops were poorly trained
Geography
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
North = 2,700
South = 2,000
South won – showed war would be long and
bloody.
The War at Sea
Hampton Roads-Monitor v. Merrimack
March/April, 1862
None mentioned.
Leaders:
North & South
Off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Ships plated with iron.
Geography
Neither ship was seriously damaged.
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
No clear winner
Changed Naval warfare forever
Battle of Shiloh
• April 6-7, 1862
• One of the bloodiest battles of the war
• Grant & Union forces were surprised by a
Confederate attack
• Reinforcements arrived to help Grant –
Pushed back Confederates
• Won greater control of Mississippi Valley
***What role did the Battle of Shiloh
play in the Union’s strategy?
Battle of Shiloh
April 6-7, 1862
Leaders:
North & South
North = General Grant, General Sherman
South = General Johnston & General
Beauregard
Shiloh Church, Tennessee
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Confederates launched surprise attack
Near Mississippi R.
Geography
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
North = over 13,000 dead
South = over 10,000 dead
Union won
One of the bloodiest battles
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
Sept. 17, 1862
Leaders:
North & South
North = General McClellan
South = General Lee
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Lee was hoping for a Confederate victory in
the North.
Geography
Over 23,000 (23,100)
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
North claimed victory – Confederate
advance was stopped.
Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
December 1862
Leaders:
North & South
North = General Burnside
South = General Lee
Richmond, VA
Set-Up:
Union hoped to capture Richmond
Location, Strategy, or Confederates withdrew to a nearby hill – Union
Geography
forces charged up the hill and were shot down
6 times.
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
Union: 13,000
Confederate: 5,300
Union had to retreat, suffered another
defeat. (Confederates won.)
Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
May 18, 1863
Leaders:
North & South
North = General Hooker
South = General Lee & General Jackson
Confederates attack Union forces in
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Virginia.
Geography
Casualties:
North & South
Union: 18,400
Confederate: 13,000
Stonewall Jackson was shot by friendly fire.
Final Outcome
Union lost and had to retreat. (Confederate
victory)
Battle of Vicksburg
• Ended July 4, 1863
• 6 week siege of Vicksburg
• Confederate forces were surrounded – supplied
ran out – forced to eat horses, dogs, and cats. 
• Confederates surrendered to General Grant
• Union gained full control of the Mississippi
River
***How do you think this battle & Shiloh affected
Grant’s standing in the Union army?
Battle of Vicksburg
Ended July 4, 1863
Leaders:
North & South
North = General Grant
South = General Pemberton
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Union surrounded city for 6 weeks
Geography
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
Union – over 10,000
Confederates – over 9,000
Union won – Gained control of Mississippi
River – Split South in 2.
Grant put as General-in-chief of Union
Discussion Question…
How might Lee’s brilliant wins
at Fredericksburg and
Chancellorsville have
contributed to his defeat at
Gettysburg???
Battle of Gettysburg
• July 1-3, 1863
• Confederates were led by General Lee north into
Pennsylvania
• They hoped to defeat the Union Army in the North
and then be able to attack Washington D.C.
• Union forces set up on the high ground outside
Gettysburg
• 1st Day = Union Calvary held the high ground
until more troops could arrive (fish hook)
Battle of Gettysburg
• 2nd Day = Confederates attacked both ends of the
Union line
• Union line held
• 3rd Day = Confederates attacked the center of the
Union line (Pickett’s famous charge across 1 mile)
• Great Union victory
• Turning point of the war – From Union defeats to
Union victories
• South never came close to winning the war after.
Battle of Gettysburg
• Bloodiest battle in American History = 53,000
combined losses
• Lincoln traveled to the battlefield afterward and
delivered the Gettysburg Address (“Four score and
seven years ago…”)
• Gettysburg Address reminded Americans that “All
men are created equal…”
Battle of Gettysburg
July 1-3, 1863
Leaders:
North & South
South = General Lee & General Pickett
Gettysburg, PA
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Lee hoped to invade the North, mistakenly
came upon Union troops.
Geography
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
Union – 23,000
Confederates – 28,000
Union won. Turning point of the war.
Gettysburg Address reminded Americans
that “all men are created equal.”
End of the War
Battle of Atlanta
July 22, 1864
Leaders:
North & South
North = General Sherman
South = General Hood
Atlanta, Georgia
Set-Up:
Location, Strategy, or Union surrounded city & wore down
Confederates.
Geography
Casualties:
North & South
Final Outcome
Union – over 3,600
Confederates – over 8,400
Union won – showed that the end of the war
was in sight.