List of American Civil War battles
Battles of the American Civil War were fought between April 12, 1861, and May 12–13, 1865 in 19 states, mostly Confederate (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia[A]), the District of Columbia, and six territories (Arizona Territory (also Confederate Arizona)[B], Colorado Territory, Dakota Territory, Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), New Mexico Territory, and Washington Territory), as well as naval engagements. Virginia in particular was the site of many major and decisive battles. These battles would change the standing and historical memory of the United States.
For lists of battles organized by campaign and theater, see the list below:
- Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
- Western Theater of the American Civil War
- Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
- Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War
- Lower Seaboard Theater of the American Civil War
- Category:Battles of the American Civil War
Some battles have more than one name; e.g., the battles known in the North as Battle of Antietam and Second Battle of Bull Run were referred to as the Battle of Sharpsburg and the Battle of Manassas, respectively, by the South. This was because the North tended to name battles after landmarks (often rivers or bodies of water), whereas the South named battles after nearby towns.
Battles rated by CWSAC
The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) was established within the United States National Park Service to classify the preservation status of historic battlefield land. In 1993, the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWSAC) reported to Congress and the ABPP on their extensive analysis of significant battles and battlefields. Of the estimated 8,000 occasions in which hostilities occurred in the American Civil War, this table and related articles describe the 384 battles that were classified in CWSAC's Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. In addition to the status of battlefield land preservation (not included in this table) CWSAC rated the military significance of the battles into four classes, as follows:[1][2]
Class A – Decisive: A general engagement involving field armies in which a commander achieved a vital strategic objective. Such a result might include an indisputable victory on the field or be limited to the success or termination of a campaign offensive. Decisive battles had a direct, observable impact on the direction, duration, conduct, or outcome of the war. Class B – Major: An engagement of magnitude involving field armies or divisions of the armies in which a commander achieved an important strategic objective within the context of an ongoing campaign offensive. Major battles had a direct, observable impact on the direction, duration, conduct, or outcome of the campaign. Class C – Formative: An engagement involving divisions or detachments of the field armies in which a commander accomplished a limited campaign objective of reconnaissance, disruption, defense, or occupation. Formative battles had an observable influence on the direction, duration, or conduct of the campaign. Class D – Limited: An engagement, typically involving detachments of the field armies, in which a commander achieved a limited tactical objective of reconnaissance, defense, or occupation. Limited battles maintained contact between the combatants without observable influence on the direction of the campaign.
Date | Battle | State | CWSAC | Outcome | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victory | Notes | ||||
April 12–13, 1861 | Battle of Fort Sumter | South Carolina | A | Confederate | Beauregard takes Charleston Federal fort in the first battle of the American Civil War. |
May 18–19, 1861 | Battle of Sewell's Point | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Union gunboats fight inconclusive battle with Confederate artillery. |
May 29 – June 1, 1861 | Battle of Aquia Creek | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Confederate artillery hit by naval bombardment, later withdrawn. |
June 3, 1861 | Battle of Philippi (West Virginia) | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
D | Union | Union forces rout a small Confederate detachment in Western Virginia. |
June 10, 1861 | Battle of Big Bethel | Virginia | C | Confederate | Union attack on Confederate positions near a church repelled. |
June 17, 1861 | Battle of Boonville (Missouri) | Missouri | C | Union | Union forces defeat pro-Confederate governor's Missouri State Guard. |
July 2, 1861 | Battle of Hoke's Run | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
D | Union | Robert Patterson defeats Jackson's Confederates but fails to capitalize on his victory. |
July 5, 1861 | Battle of Carthage | Missouri | C | Confederate | Confederate victory in Missouri during U.S. Civil War. |
July 11, 1861 | Battle of Rich Mountain | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
B | Union | Confederate forces under Gen. Robert S. Garnett split in half mid-battle by Union forces under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan. One half surrenders; the other escapes. |
July 18, 1861 | Battle of Blackburn's Ford | Virginia | C | Confederate | Irvin McDowell's recon-in-force defeated at Manassas. |
July 21, 1861 | First Battle of Bull Run or First Manassas |
Virginia | A | Confederate | McDowell loses to J.E. Johnston, Beauregard; Jackson named "Stonewall". |
August 10, 1861 | Battle of Wilson's Creek or Oak Hills | Missouri | A | Confederate | Union forces under Nathaniel Lyon and Samuel D. Sturgis lose to Confederates under Sterling Price and Benjamin McCulloch. Lyon is killed. First major battle west of the Mississippi. |
August 26, 1861 | Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
D | Confederate | Confederates under John B. Floyd surprise and defeat Union forces under Erastus B. Tyler. |
August 28–29, 1861 | Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries | North Carolina | C | Union | Union forces capture two North Carolina forts. |
September 2, 1861 | Battle of Dry Wood Creek | Missouri | D | Confederate | Union cavalry from Kansas defeated by Missouri State Guard. |
September 10, 1861 | Battle of Carnifex Ferry | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
B | Union | Confederates withdraw by night after several hours of fighting. |
September 12–15, 1861 | Battle of Cheat Mountain | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
B | Union | 300 Union troops withstand uncoordinated Confederate attacks. |
September 13–20, 1861 | First Battle of Lexington | Missouri | C | Confederate | Union forces badly defeated by Missouri State Guard. |
September 17, 1861 | Action at Blue Mills Landing | Missouri | D | Confederate | Minor Missouri State Guard victory. |
September 19, 1861 | Battle of Barbourville | Kentucky | D | Confederate | Zollicoffer raided a Federal recruitment camp and brought a counter-thrust. |
October 3, 1861 | Battle of Greenbrier River | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
D | Inconclusive | Confederates withdraw after inconclusive battle. |
October 9, 1861 | Battle of Santa Rosa Island | Florida | C | Union | Union forces repel Confederate attempt to capture island. |
October 21, 1861 | Battle of Camp Wildcat | Kentucky | C | Union | Confederates chased from Cumberland Gap |
October 21, 1861 | Engagement at Fredericktown | Missouri | D | Union | Missouri State Guard defeated. |
October 21, 1861 | Battle of Ball's Bluff or Leesburg | Virginia | B | Confederate | 550 Union soldiers captured. |
October 25, 1861 | First Battle of Springfield | Missouri | D | Union | Union forces capture town. |
November 7, 1861 | Battle of Belmont | Missouri | C | Inconclusive | Ulysses S. Grant captures and destroys Confederate supplies near Cairo, Illinois. |
November 8, 1861 | Battle of Ivy Mountain | Kentucky | D | Union | Union forces routed Confederate forces. |
November 19, 1861 | Battle of Round Mountain | Oklahoma (Indian Territory at the time) |
D | Confederate | Opothleyahola's Unionist Creeks and Seminoles defeated near present-day Stillwater. |
December 9, 1861 | Battle of Chusto-Talasah | Oklahoma (Indian Territory at the time) |
D | Confederate | Opothleyahola defeated near present-day Tulsa. |
December 13, 1861 | Battle of Camp Allegheny | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
C | Inconclusive | Confederates withstand Union attack. |
December 17, 1861 | Battle of Rowlett's Station | Kentucky | D | Inconclusive | Union soldiers hold area, but do not launch any counter thrusts. Confederates and Texas Rangers retreat. |
December 20, 1861 | Battle of Dranesville | Virginia | C | Union | Union defeats Confederate forces under J.E.B. Stuart. |
December 26, 1861 | Battle of Chustenahlah | Oklahoma (Indian Territory at the time) |
B | Confederate | Opothleyahola defeated, flees to Kansas. |
December 28, 1861 | Battle of Mount Zion Church | Missouri | D | Union | Union victory in Northeastern Missouri. |
January 3, 1862 | Battle of Cockpit Point | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Inconclusive Civil War battle in Virginia. |
January 5–6, 1862 | Battle of Hancock | Maryland | D | Inconclusive | Unsuccessful Confederate attack on Maryland town. |
January 8, 1862 | Battle of Roan's Tan Yard | Missouri | D | Union | Confederates routed. |
January 10, 1862 | Battle of Middle Creek | Kentucky | C | Union | Union forces under James A. Garfield defeat Confederates under Humphrey Marshall. |
January 19, 1862 | Battle of Mill Springs | Kentucky | B | Union | Felix Zollicoffer killed. |
February 6, 1862 | Battle of Fort Henry | Tennessee | B | Union | Grant and Foote's gunboats gain control of Tennessee River by defeating Lloyd Tilghman |
February 7–8, 1862 | Battle of Roanoke Island | North Carolina | B | Union | Union forces under Ambrose E. Burnside capture island from Henry A. Wise |
February 11–16, 1862 | Battle of Fort Donelson | Tennessee | A | Union | Confederate army under Simon Bolivar Buckner surrenders to Grant, Union gains control of Cumberland River |
February 20–21, 1862 | Battle of Valverde | New Mexico (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
B | Confederate | Union forces routed in New Mexico Territory. |
February 28 – April 8, 1862 |
Battle of Island Number Ten (Battle of New Madrid) |
Missouri | A | Union | Union victory by Pope over John P. McCown. |
March 6–8, 1862 | Battle of Pea Ridge or Elkhorn Tavern | Arkansas | A | Union | Union victory by Samuel Ryan Curtis over Earl Van Dorn ensured continued Union control of Missouri. |
March 8–9, 1862 | Battle of Hampton Roads | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | USS Monitor battles CSS Virginia, battle ends in a draw. |
March 14, 1862 | Battle of New Bern | North Carolina | B | Union | Union troops disembark from ships and capture the town. |
March 23, 1862 | First Battle of Kernstown | Virginia | B | Union | Union forces defeat Confederates under "Stonewall" Jackson. |
March 23 – April 26, 1862 | Battle of Fort Macon | North Carolina | C | Union | Confederate fort surrenders after Union artillery bombardment. |
March 26–28, 1862 | Battle of Glorieta Pass | New Mexico (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
A | Union | Tactical draw. Union strategic victory. Dubbed the "Gettysburg of the West". |
April 5 – May 4, 1862 | Siege of Yorktown (1862) (Battle of Yorktown) |
Virginia | B | Inconclusive | Confederate army slips away after four week siege near site of decisive Revolutionary War battle. |
April 6–7, 1862 | Battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing | Tennessee | A | Union | Grant and reinforcements under Buell repulse Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard. A.S. Johnston is killed. |
April 10–11, 1862 | Battle of Fort Pulaski | Georgia | B | Union | Union blockade closes Savannah, Georgia. Parrott rifle makes masonry forts obsolete. |
April 18–28, 1862 | Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip | Louisiana | A | Union | Decisive battle for possession of New Orleans. |
April 19, 1862 | Battle of South Mills | North Carolina | D | Inconclusive | Confederates thwart attempt to destroy a canal. |
April 25 – May 1, 1862 | Capture of New Orleans | Louisiana | B | Union | Union forces capture city. |
April 29 – May 30, 1862 | Siege of Corinth | Mississippi | A | Union | Union forces capture town, Beauregard tricks Union in order to escape to Tupelo. |
May 5, 1862 | Battle of Williamsburg | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | McClellan and Longstreet fight inconclusive battle. |
May 7, 1862 | Battle of Eltham's Landing | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Inconclusive Civil War battle in Virginia. |
May 8, 1862 | Battle of McDowell | Virginia | C | Confederate | Stonewall Jackson's Confederates defeat Union forces. |
May 15, 1862 | Battle of Drewry's Bluff | Virginia | B | Confederate | Union naval attack repelled by Confederate artillery. |
May 15–17, 1862 | Battle of Princeton Court House | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
C | Confederate | Jacob Dolson Cox withdrew after attempting to take control of the East Tennessee and Virginian Railroad. |
May 23, 1862 | Battle of Front Royal | Virginia | C | Confederate | Stonewall Jackson threatens the Union rear, forces their retreat. |
May 25, 1862 | First Battle of Winchester | Virginia | A | Confederate | Stonewall Jackson defeats Nathaniel P. Banks. |
May 27, 1862 | Battle of Hanover Court House | Virginia | C | Union | Union victory during U.S. Civil War. |
May 31 – June 1, 1862 | Battle of Seven Pines | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | J.E. Johnston attacks Union forces, wounded, inconclusive |
June 5, 1862 | Battle of Tranter's Creek | North Carolina | D | Union | Confederate forces retreat after Colonel Singletary is killed. |
June 6, 1862 | Battle of Memphis | Tennessee | B | Union | Union forces capture the city. |
June 7–8, 1862 | First Battle of Chattanooga | Tennessee | D | Union | Union forces bombard the town. |
June 8, 1862 | Battle of Cross Keys | Virginia | B | Confederate | John C. Fremont defeated by elements of Stonewall Jackson's force. |
June 9, 1862 | Battle of Port Republic | Virginia | B | Confederate | Costly victory for Stonewall Jackson. |
June 16, 1862 | Battle of Secessionville | South Carolina | B | Confederate | Union repulsed, Union commander later court-martialed for disobeying orders. |
June 17, 1862 | Battle of Saint Charles | Arkansas | C | Union | The USS Mound City is hit by Confederate shore gun and explodes. |
June 21, 1862 | Battle of Simmon's Bluff | South Carolina | D | Union | Union forces raze a campsite; Confederates flee. |
June 25, 1862 | Battle of Oak Grove | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | (Seven Days Battles) Indecisive battle between McClellan and Lee. |
June 26, 1862 | Battle of Beaver Dam Creek or Mechanicsville | Virginia | B | Union | (Seven Days) Robert E. Lee defeated. |
June 27, 1862 | Battle of Gaines' Mill or Chickahominy River | Virginia | A | Confederate | (Seven Days) Lee defeats McClellan. |
June 27–28, 1862 | Battle of Garnett's & Golding's Farm | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | (Seven Days) Indecisive battle between Lee and McClellan. |
June 29, 1862 | Battle of Savage's Station | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | (Seven Days) Union forces withdraw. |
June 30 – July 1, 1862 | Battle of Tampa | Florida | D | Confederate | Union gunboat attacks, but later withdraws. |
June 30, 1862 | Battle of Glendale | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | (Seven Days) McClellan retreats from Lee's Confederates. |
June 30, 1862 | Battle of White Oak Swamp | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Indecisive artillery duel. |
July 1, 1862 | Battle of Malvern Hill | Virginia | A | Union | (Seven Days) McClellan defeats Lee but withdraws after battle. |
July 7, 1862 | Battle of Cotton Plant (Battle of Hill's Plantation) |
Arkansas | D | Union | Union victory in Arkansas. |
July 13, 1862 | First Battle of Murfreesboro | Tennessee | C | Confederate | Confederates disrupted Union supply lines, and tore up railroad track. Union forces going to Chattanooga are divided. |
August 5, 1862 | Battle of Baton Rouge | Louisiana | B | Union | Union troops repulse attempt to recapture Baton Rouge. |
August 6–9, 1862 | Battle of Kirksville | Missouri | D | Union | Union forces capture town. |
August 9, 1862 | First Battle of Donaldsonville | Louisiana | D | Union | Union Navy bombarded Donaldsonville with no resistance. |
August 9, 1862 | Battle of Cedar Mountain | Virginia | B | Confederate | Union forces repelled by Confederate counter-attack. |
August 11, 1862 | First Battle of Independence | Missouri | D | Confederate | Confederate victory near Kansas City. |
August 15–16, 1862 | Battle of Lone Jack | Missouri | D | Confederate | Confederate victory, Union commander killed. Rebels forced to withdraw after battle. |
August 21–22, 1862 | Battle of Fort Ridgely | Minnesota | C | Union | Dakota War of 1862: Failed Santee Sioux attack on Union controlled fort. |
August 22–25, 1862 | First Battle of Rappahannock Station | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Union supplies destroyed during skirmish. |
August 25–27, 1862 | Battle of Manassas Station Ops. | Virginia | B | Confederate | Jackson turns into Pope's rear area; destroys Manassas Station. |
August 28–30, 1862 | Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas |
Virginia | A | Confederate | Lee defeats Pope's Army of Virginia |
August 28, 1862 | Battle of Thoroughfare Gap | Virginia | C | Confederate | Longstreet defeats small Union force to arrive at Manassas battlefield. |
August 30, 1862 | Battle of Richmond (Kentucky) | Kentucky | B | Confederate | Edmund Kirby Smith routs Union army under Brig. Gen. William "Bull" Nelson. |
September 1, 1862 | Battle of Chantilly or Ox Hill | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | Union forces nearly being cut off, Isaac Stevens and Philip Kearny are killed. |
September 12–15, 1862 | Battle of Harpers Ferry | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
B | Confederate | Stonewall Jackson captures Union garrison under Dixon S. Miles |
September 14–17, 1862 | Battle of Munfordville | Kentucky | B | Confederate | Union force surrenders. |
September 14, 1862 | Battle of South Mountain or Boonsboro | Maryland | B | Union | McClellan defeats Lee. |
September 17, 1862 | Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg | Maryland | A | Union | McClellan ends Lee's first invasion of North, bloodiest single day of the war. |
September 19–20, 1862 | Battle of Shepherdstown | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
C | Confederate | Confederate brigades counterattack and defeat pursuing Union brigades. |
September 19, 1862 | Battle of Iuka | Mississippi | C | Union | Rosecrans is victorious over Price near Mississippi town. |
September 23, 1862 | Battle of Wood Lake | Minnesota | C | Union | Dakota War of 1862: Overwhelming defeat of Santee Sioux forces during the Dakota War of 1862. |
September 24, 1862 | First Battle of Sabine Pass | Texas | C | Union | Union Navy successfully bombards an established Confederate fort. |
September 30, 1862 | First Battle of Newtonia | Missouri | C | Confederate | Union forces panic under bombardment from Confederate artillery. |
October 1–3, 1862 | Battle of Saint John's Bluff | Florida | D | Union | Union troops seize a Confederate Battery. |
October 3–4, 1862 | Second Battle of Corinth (Battle of Corinth) |
Mississippi | B | Union | Confederate attack fails. |
October 4, 1862 | Battle of Galveston Harbor (1862) (First Battle of Galveston) |
Texas | D | Union | Galveston is taken by the Union forces after Confederates evacuate following a truce. |
October 5, 1862 | Battle of Hatchie's Bridge | Tennessee | C | Inconclusive | Confederate force under Earl Van Dorn escapes across river. |
October 8, 1862 | Battle of Perryville or Chaplin Hills | Kentucky | A | Inconclusive | Tactical indecisive battle that ended Bragg's Kentucky campaign. |
October 22, 1862 | Battle of Old Fort Wayne | Oklahoma (Indian Territory at the time) |
D | Union | Confederate forces go into Full retreat under Douglas H. Cooper, with the Union gaining control of the Indian territory. |
October 27, 1862 | Battle of Georgia Landing | Louisiana | C | Union | Confederate forces fled to Labadieville. |
November 7, 1862 | Battle of Clark's Mill | Missouri | D | Confederate | Union force surrenders to larger Confederate force. |
November 28, 1862 | Battle of Cane Hill | Arkansas | C | Confederate | Small Confederate force delays Union while larger force escapes. |
December 7, 1862 | Battle of Prairie Grove | Arkansas | B | Union | Union secures NW Arkansas. |
December 7, 1862 | Battle of Hartsville | Tennessee | C | Confederate | Disguised in Union uniforms, Confederates infiltrate and defeat Union forces. |
December 13, 1862 | Battle of Fredericksburg | Virginia | A | Confederate | Lee beats back repeated frontal assaults by Burnside. |
December 14, 1862 | Battle of Kinston | North Carolina | D | Union | Union forces under John G. Foster defeat Confederates under Nathan Evans. |
December 16, 1862 | Battle of White Hall | North Carolina | D | Inconclusive | Foster fights indecisive battle with Beverly Robertson. |
December 17, 1862 | Battle of Goldsboro Bridge | North Carolina | C | Union | Foster defeats Confederates and destroys the bridge. |
December 19, 1862 | Battle of Jackson, Tennessee | Tennessee | D | Union | Confederate feint to distract Union forces. |
December 26–29, 1862 | Battle of Chickasaw Bayou | Mississippi | B | Confederate | (Vicksburg Campaign) Pemberton defeats Sherman; Union attack on Confederate right flank thwarted. |
December 31, 1862 | Battle of Parker's Cross Roads | Tennessee | C | Confederate | Confederates repel Union double-pronged assault. |
December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863 |
Battle of Stones River (Second Battle of Murfreesboro) |
Tennessee | A | Union | Bragg forced to withdraw after losing 11,739 men. |
January 1, 1863 | Battle of Galveston (Second Battle of Galveston) |
Texas | B | Confederate | John B. Magruder expels occupying Union troops from Galveston, Texas. |
January 8, 1863 | Second Battle of Springfield | Missouri | D | Union | Confederates enter town, but are unable to take nearby fort. |
January 9, 1863 | Battle of Arkansas Post (Battle of Fort Hindman) | Arkansas | C | Union | Part of Vicksburg Campaign, fight for control of mouth of Arkansas River. |
January 9–11, 1863 | Battle of Hartville | Missouri | D | Confederate | Confederates are victorious, but unable to continue raid. |
January 29, 1863 | Bear River Massacre | Idaho (Washington Territory at the time) |
C | Union | American Indian Wars: Shoshone forces massacred by Union troops. |
February 3, 1863 | Battle of Dover | Tennessee | D | Union | Failed Confederate attack on town. |
March 5, 1863 | Battle of Fort McAllister (1863) | Georgia | C | Confederate | Confederate forces held off Union Naval sieges |
March 5, 1863 | Battle of Thompson's Station | Tennessee | C | Confederate | Earl Van Dorn defeats John Coburn |
March 13–15, 1863 | Battle of Fort Anderson | North Carolina | D | Union | Daniel H. Hill leads unsuccessful Confederate attack on New Bern. |
March 17, 1863 | Battle of Kelly's Ford | Virginia | C | Confederate | Indecisive cavalry battle during Civil War. |
March 20, 1863 | Battle of Vaught's Hill | Tennessee | D | Union | Union forces withstand attack by John Hunt Morgan's Confederates. |
March 25, 1863 | Battle of Brentwood | Tennessee | D | Confederate | Union force surrenders. |
March 30 – April 20, 1863 | Battle of Washington, NC | North Carolina | D | Inconclusive | Hill unable to take North Carolina town from Union forces. |
April 7, 1863 | First Battle of Charleston Harbor | South Carolina | C | Confederate | Charleston fails to fall to the Union; Fort Sumter holds; USS Keokuk is sunk. |
April 10, 1863 | Battle of Franklin (1863) | Tennessee | D | Union | Confederates withdraw after rearguard defeat. |
April 11 – May 4, 1863 | Battle of Suffolk (Hill's Point) (Battle of Fort Huger) |
Virginia | C | Union | Confederate forces captured from a rear attack. |
April 11 – May 4, 1863 | Battle of Suffolk (Norfleet House); Siege of Suffolk |
Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Twin battles fought over Suffolk. |
April 12–13, 1863 | Battle of Fort Bisland | Louisiana | D | Union | Confederate forces retreat from Fort Bisland. |
April 14, 1863 | Battle of Irish Bend | Louisiana | C | Union | Richard Taylor retreats from Fort Bisland. |
April 17, 1863 | Battle of Vermillion Bayou | Louisiana | D | Union | Richard Taylor, being vastly outnumbered, retreats after an artillery skirmish. |
April 26, 1863 | Battle of Cape Girardeau | Missouri | D | Union | Confederate attack fails. |
April 29, 1863 | Battle of Grand Gulf | Mississippi | C | Confederate | Unsuccessful naval attack by Grant's forces. |
April 29 – May 1, 1863 | Battle of Snyder's Bluff | Mississippi | D | Confederate | Union feint during Vicksburg Campaign. |
April 30, 1863 | Battle of Day's Gap | Alabama | C | Union | Union victory during a raid in Alabama. |
April 30 – May 6, 1863 | Battle of Chancellorsville | Virginia | A | Confederate | Lee defeats Hooker's Army of Potomac, Jackson mortally wounded. |
May 1, 1863 | Battle of Port Gibson | Mississippi | B | Union | in Vicksburg campaign, Grant defeats Confederates |
May 1–2, 1863 | Battle of Chalk Bluff | Arkansas | D | Confederate | Confederates win but can't continue raid. |
May 3, 1863 | Second Battle of Fredericksburg | Virginia | B | Union | Union forces under John Sedgwick defeat Confederate forces left to guard the town by Lee. |
May 3–4, 1863 | Battle of Salem Church | Virginia | B | Confederate | Lee defeats Sedgwick. |
May 12, 1863 | Battle of Raymond | Mississippi | B | Union | Failed Confederate attempt to protect Vicksburg from approaching Federals. |
May 14, 1863 | Battle of Jackson, Mississippi | Mississippi | B | Union | Sherman, McPherson defeat Johnston |
May 16, 1863 | Battle of Champion Hill | Mississippi | A | Union | Grant defeats Pemberton. |
May 17, 1863 | Battle of Big Black River Bridge | Mississippi | B | Union | Confederate forces trapped in Vicksburg. |
May 18 – July 4, 1863 | Siege of Vicksburg | Mississippi | A | Union | the siege ends; Grant accepts surrender of second Confederate army under Pemberton. |
May 21, 1863 | Battle of Plains Store | Louisiana | C | Union | Union victory near Baton Rouge. |
May 21 – July 9, 1863 | Siege of Port Hudson | Louisiana | A | Union | last Confederate stronghold on Mississippi surrenders; Gardner surrenders to Banks. |
June 7, 1863 | Battle of Milliken's Bend | Louisiana | C | Union | In the largest battle fought between Confederate and Black troops, after nearly two days of close combat, the Confederates were defeated in their attempt to raise the siege of Vicksburg. |
June 9, 1863 | Battle of Brandy Station | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | Pleasonton surprises J.E.B. Stuart's cavalrymen in their camps near Brandy Station. |
June 9, 1863 | Battle of Lake Providence | Louisiana | D | Union | Confederates withdraw to Floyd, Louisiana. |
June 13–15, 1863 | Second Battle of Winchester | Virginia | B | Confederate | Confederate victory paves way for Lee's invasion of the North. |
June 17, 1863 | Battle of Aldie | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Indecisive battle during Robert E. Lee's march north. |
June 17–19, 1863 | Battle of Middleburg | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | J.E.B. Stuart retreats from engagement with Union cavalry. |
June 20–21, 1863 | Battle of LaFourche Crossing | Louisiana | D | Union | Confederates disengage, and fled to Thibodaux. |
June 21, 1863 | Battle of Upperville | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Indecisive cavalry battle during Lee's invasion. |
June 24–26, 1863 | Battle of Hoover's Gap | Tennessee | C | Union | Union victory prevents Confederates in Tennessee from coming to the aid of Vicksburg. |
June 28, 1863 | Second Battle of Donaldsonville | Louisiana | D | Union | Confederate forces failed to take Fort Butler. |
June 29–30, 1863 | Battle of Goodrich's Landing | Louisiana | D | Inconclusive | Confederates drive Union Black Regiments off of several plantations. |
June 30, 1863 | Battle of Hanover | Pennsylvania | C | Inconclusive | J.E.B. Stuart forced to change his route, delaying his efforts to unite with Lee's force outside Gettysburg. |
July 1–2, 1863 | Battle of Cabin Creek | Oklahoma (Indian Territory at the time) |
C | Union | James Monroe Williams forced Confederate forces to flee. |
July 1–3, 1863 | Battle of Gettysburg | Pennsylvania | A | Union | Lee loses to Meade, Pickett's Charge fails, ends second invasion of North. Confederate army arrived in Gettysburg to resupply army, unaware of Union army nearby. |
July 4, 1863 | Battle of Helena | Arkansas | B | Union | Confederate assault on river port fails securing eastern Arkansas for Union. |
July 6–16, 1863 | Battle of Williamsport | Maryland | C | Inconclusive | Meade and Lee fight indecisive battle. |
July 8, 1863 | Battle of Boonsboro | Maryland | D | Inconclusive | Indecisive action at rearguard of Lee's retreat. |
July 9, 1863 | Battle of Corydon | Indiana | C | Confederate | Confederate raid results in civilian casualties, including a Lutheran minister. |
July 11, 1863 | Battle of Fort Wagner | South Carolina | D | Confederate | first of two Union attempts to take Ft. Wagner. |
July 12–13, 1863 | Battle of Kock's Plantation | Louisiana | C | Confederate | Union troops retreat to Fort Butler in Donaldsonville, seized during the Second Battle of Donaldsonville. |
July 16, 1863 | Battle of Grimball's Landing | South Carolina | D | Confederate | Union troops retreat from James Island. |
July 17, 1863 | Battle of Honey Springs | Oklahoma (Indian Territory at the time) |
B | Union | In Indian Territory, two largely Black and American Indian forces meet. Union victory. |
July 18, 1863 | Second Battle of Fort Wagner (Battle of Fort Wagner, Morris Island) |
South Carolina | B | Confederate | second of two Union attempts to take Ft. Wagner fails, heroism of the 54th Massachusetts. |
July 19, 1863 | Battle of Buffington Island | Ohio | C | Union | Confederates captured after failing to find a secure retreat. |
July 23, 1863 | Battle of Manassas Gap | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Indecisive battle by day, Confederates withdraw by night. |
July 24–25, 1863 | Battle of Big Mound | North Dakota (Dakota Territory at the time) |
C | Union | Dakota War of 1862: Union forces defeat Santee and Teton Sioux forces. |
July 26, 1863 | Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake | North Dakota (Dakota Territory at the time) |
D | Union | Sioux Wars/Dakota War of 1862: Sibley defeats Sioux forces. |
July 26, 1863 | Battle of Salineville | Ohio | D | Union | Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan surrenders in Ohio. The northernmost battle in the Civil War. |
July 28, 1863 | Battle of Stony Lake | North Dakota (Dakota Territory at the time) |
D | Union | Dakota War of 1862: Sioux forces escape Union forces in pursuit. |
August 17 – September 9, 1863 |
Second Battle of Fort Sumter | South Carolina | B | Confederate | Union's massive bombardment and naval attack fails to retake the fort. |
July 18 – September 7, 1863 |
Second Battle of Charleston Harbor | South Carolina | B | Inconclusive | Fort Wagner falls to the Union; Confederates still hold Charleston and Fort Sumter. |
August 21 – September 8, 1863 |
Second Battle of Chattanooga | Tennessee | D | Union | Union captures town. |
August 23, 1863 | Lawrence Massacre (Quantrill's Raid) |
Kansas | C | Confederate | Quantrill's Raiders pillage the city. |
September 1, 1863 | Battle of Devil's Backbone | Arkansas | C | Union | Union victory after heavy fighting. |
September 3–5, 1863 | Battle of Whitestone Hill | North Dakota (Dakota Territory at the time) |
D | Union | Sioux Wars/Dakota War of 1862: Union forces defeat several American Indian tribes including the Sioux and Blackfeet. |
September 8, 1863 | Second Battle of Sabine Pass | Texas | B | Confederate | Confederate forces place stakes in river to help aim their guns at Union ships. |
September 10, 1863 | Battle of Bayou Fourche | Arkansas | B | Union | Union victory allows for capture of Little Rock. |
September 10–11, 1863 | Battle of Davis's Cross Roads | Georgia | C | Union | Union forces establish defensive positions prior to Chickamauga. |
September 19–20, 1863 | Battle of Chickamauga | Georgia | A | Confederate | Bragg defeats Rosecrans, George Thomas of US anointed "The Rock of Chickamauga" |
September 22, 1863 | Battle of Blountville (Battle of Blountsville) |
Tennessee | D | Union | Union forces capture town. |
September 29, 1863 | Battle of Stirling's Plantation | Louisiana | C | Confederate | Federal troops surrendered after being encircled by cavalry dressed as Union soldiers. |
October 6, 1863 | Battle of Baxter Springs | Kansas | C | Confederate | Quantrill's Raiders massacre Union Black Troops during U.S. Civil War. |
October 10, 1863 | Battle of Blue Springs | Tennessee | D | Union | Confederate forces overrun. |
October 13, 1863 | First Battle of Auburn | Virginia | D | Union | J.E.B. Stuart escapes by hiding in a ravine. |
October 14, 1863 | Battle of Bristoe Station | Virginia | B | Union | Meade defeats elements of Lee's forces, but Confederates destroy railroad during retreat. |
October 14, 1863 | Second Battle of Auburn | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Confederates attack Union rearguard, indecisive. |
October 16–18, 1863 | Battle of Fort Brooke | Florida | D | Union | Union troops raided the Jean Street Shipyard burning two notorious blockade runners, and disrupting exports. |
October 19, 1863 | Battle of Buckland Mills | Virginia | D | Confederate | Union cavalry caught in ambush, defeated. |
October 25, 1863 | Battle of Pine Bluff | Arkansas | D | Union | Confederate attack fails. |
October 28–29, 1863 | Battle of Wauhatchie | Tennessee | B | Union | Longstreet defeated by Union forces. |
November 3, 1863 | Battle of Collierville | Tennessee | D | Union | Abortive Confederate attack on the town. |
November 6, 1863 | Battle of Droop Mountain | West Virginia | B | Union | Union troops forced Confederate forces to retreat to Lewisburg. |
November 7, 1863 | Second Battle of Rappahannock Station | Virginia | B | Union | Union forces surge across river, forcing Lee to retreat. |
November 16, 1863 | Battle of Campbell's Station | Tennessee | D | Union | Confederate double-envelopment attempt fails. |
November 24, 1863 | Battle of Lookout Mountain | Tennessee | A | Union | Joseph Hooker takes Lookout Mountain in the "Battle Above the Clouds". Note: combined with the Battle of Missionary Ridge as Chattanooga III in the CWSAC report. |
November 25, 1863 | Battle of Missionary Ridge | Tennessee | A | Union | Grant routs Braxton Bragg's army ending the siege of Union forces in Chattanooga. Note: combined with the Battle of Lookout Mountain as Chattanooga III in the CWSAC report. |
November 27 – December 2, 1863 |
Battle of Mine Run | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | Meade bombards Lee's Confederates but then withdraws. |
November 27, 1863 | Battle of Ringgold Gap | Georgia | B | Confederate | Confederates under Patrick Cleburne defeat Union forces under Joseph Hooker. |
November 29, 1863 | Battle of Fort Sanders | Tennessee | B | Union | Longstreet unable to take fort due to poor quality gunpowder. |
December 14, 1863 | Battle of Bean's Station | Tennessee | D | Confederate | Union forces withdraw a short distance. |
December 29, 1863 | Battle of Mossy Creek | Tennessee | D | Union | Confederate cavalry forced back. |
January 17, 1864 | Battle of Dandridge | Tennessee | C | Confederate | Union forces withdraw. |
January 26, 1864 | Battle of Athens | Alabama | D | Union | Union victory in Northern Alabama. |
January 27, 1864 | Battle of Fair Garden | Tennessee | C | Inconclusive | Union victory followed by withdrawal. |
February 6–7, 1864 | Battle of Morton's Ford | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Diversionary Union attack. |
February 13, 1864 | Battle of Middle Boggy Depot | Oklahoma (Indian Territory at the time) |
D | Union | Union troops massacred Confederate forces as the Confederates burned their encampments. |
February 14–20, 1864 | Battle of Meridian | Mississippi | C | Union | Sherman occupies town. |
February 20, 1864 | Battle of Olustee | Florida | B | Confederate | Union fails to take Florida. |
February 22, 1864 | Battle of Okolona | Mississippi | B | Confederate | Confederate cavalry, commanded by Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, routed 7,000 cavalry under the command of Brig. Gen. William Sooy Smith. |
February 22–27, 1864 | First Battle of Dalton | Georgia | C | Confederate | After several days of intense skirmishing, Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas's army withdrew upon realizing Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's troops could repel any assault. However, the intelligence garnered from the Battle of Dalton helped pave the way for a Union victory in the summer. |
March 2, 1864 | Battle of Walkerton | Virginia | C | Confederate | controversy surrounding the Dahlgren Affair. |
March 12–14, 1864 | Battle of Fort De Russy | Louisiana | B | Union | Fort DeRussy fell and the Red River to Alexandria was open. |
March 25, 1864 | Battle of Paducah | Kentucky | C | Confederate | Confederate raid by Forrest successful. |
April 3–4, 1864 | Battle of Elkin's Ferry | Arkansas | C | Union | Confederates unable to prevent Union river crossing. |
April 8, 1864 | Battle of Mansfield or Sabine Cross Roads | Louisiana | A | Confederate | Banks Union Red River Campaign halted by the Confederates. |
April 9–13, 1864 | Battle of Prairie D'Ane | Arkansas | B | Union | Frederick Steele defeats Sterling Price. |
April 9, 1864 | Battle of Pleasant Hill | Louisiana | B | Union | Confederate attack fails. |
April 12, 1864 | Battle of Fort Pillow | Tennessee | B | Confederate | N.B. Forrest takes fort, massacres black soldiers. |
April 12–13, 1864 | Battle of Blair's Landing | Louisiana | C | Union | Confederate forces retreated after constant Naval bombardments. |
April 17, 1864 | Battle of Plymouth | North Carolina | C | Confederate | Confederate land forces, supported by naval ram, retake two Union forts near Plymouth, North Carolina. |
April 18, 1864 | Battle of Poison Spring | Arkansas | C | Confederate | Part of Red River Campaign in Arkansas, black troops massacred. |
April 23, 1864 | Battle of Monett's Ferry | Louisiana | C | Union | Confederate forces driven back. |
April 25, 1864 | Battle of Marks' Mills | Arkansas | D | Confederate | Part of Red River Campaign in Arkansas. |
April 30, 1864 | Battle of Jenkins' Ferry | Arkansas | C | Union | Part of Red River Campaign in Arkansas. |
May 5, 1864 | Battle of Albemarle Sound | North Carolina | C | Inconclusive | Indecisive naval battle during U.S. Civil War. |
May 5–7, 1864 | Battle of the Wilderness | Virginia | A | Inconclusive | Grant and Lee meet inconclusively. |
May 6–7, 1864 | Battle of Port Walthall Junction | Virginia | C | Union | Union forces destroy railroad |
May 7–13, 1864 | Battle of Rocky Face Ridge | Georgia | C | Union | Due to a flanking movement by Union troops under Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, Confederates led by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston were forced to evacuate their strong position near Atlanta. |
May 8–21, 1864 | Battle of Spotsylvania Court House | Virginia | A | Inconclusive | Grant and Lee meet inconclusively, Grant writes to Halleck "I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer". |
May 9, 1864 | Battle of Swift Creek | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Union forces damage railroad, but are stopped by Confederate forces. |
May 9, 1864 | Battle of Cloyd's Mountain | Virginia | C | Union | Union victory, Confederate General Albert G. Jenkins killed. |
May 10, 1864 | Battle of Chester Station | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Union forces under Benjamin Butler pushed back. |
May 10, 1864 | Battle of Cove Mountain | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Union forces under William W. Averell fought off Confederate attack and escaped under cover of the night. |
May 11, 1864 | Battle of Yellow Tavern | Virginia | C | Union | Union forces win cavalry battle, J.E.B. Stuart is mortally wounded. |
May 12–16, 1864 | Battle of Proctor's Creek | Virginia | B | Confederate | Beauregard defeats Butler. |
May 13, 1864 | Battle of Resaca | Georgia | C | Inconclusive | Sherman defeats Johnston |
May 15, 1864 | Battle of New Market | Virginia | B | Confederate | Confederate forces halt Union army under Franz Sigel from advance up the Shenandoah Valley. |
May 16, 1864 | Battle of Mansura | Louisiana | C | Union | Confederates are flanked and forced to retreat. |
May 17, 1864 | Battle of Adairsville | Georgia | C | Union | Failed Confederate attempt to destroy part of the Union force approaching Atlanta. |
May 18, 1864 | Battle of Yellow Bayou | Louisiana | C | Inconclusive | Union and Confederate forces traded ground until both sides retired, with no valuable gain from either side. |
May 20, 1864 | Battle of Ware Bottom Church | Virginia | C | Confederate | Beauregard boxes Butler in. |
May 23–26, 1864 | Battle of North Anna | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | Lee outmaneuvers Grant, but because of illness, he is unable to capitalize. |
May 24, 1864 | Battle of Wilson's Wharf | Virginia | D | Union | Confederates under Fitzhugh Lee defeated by two Union black regiments. |
May 25–26, 1864 | Battle of New Hope Church | Georgia | C | Confederate | Hooker's forces defeated. |
May 26 – June 4, 1864 | Battle of Dallas (Georgia) | Georgia | C | Union | Confederate withdrawal in Georgia. |
May 27, 1864 | Battle of Pickett's Mill | Georgia | C | Confederate | Unsuccessful attack by Sherman on Johnston. |
May 28, 1864 | Battle of Haw's Shop | Virginia | C | Union | Union advance halted. |
May 28–30, 1864 | Battle of Totopotomoy Creek | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | Union forces pushed back. |
May 30, 1864 | Battle of Old Church | Virginia | C | Union | Union forces drive Confederates back to Cold Harbor. |
May 31 – June 12, 1864 |
Battle of Cold Harbor | Virginia | A | Confederate | Lee repulses Grant, Confederate soldier says "We felt it was murder, not war". |
June 5, 1864 | Battle of Piedmont | Virginia | B | Union | Union forces under David Hunter defeat Confederate defenses on march to Staunton, Virginia, upper Shenandoah Valley. |
June 6, 1864 | Battle of Old River Lake | Arkansas | C | Union | Colton Greene failed to prevent Union advance. |
June 6 – July 3, 1864 | Battle of Marietta | Georgia | B | Union | Confederates withdrew; Leonidas Polk † is killed. |
June 9, 1864 | First Battle of Petersburg | Virginia | D | Confederate | Beauregard defeats Butler. |
June 10, 1864 | Battle of Brice's Crossroads | Mississippi | B | Confederate | N.B. Forrest routs Union force almost three times as large. |
June 11–12, 1864 | Battle of Cynthiana | Kentucky | C | Union | Union Brig. Gen. Stephen Gano Burbridge defeated Confederate Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan. Most Confederate soldiers were casualties, though Morgan escaped. |
June 11–12, 1864 | Battle of Trevilian Station | Virginia | B | Confederate | Confederate victory, George Armstrong Custer nearly surrounded and has to be rescued by Sheridan. |
June 15–18, 1864 | Second Battle of Petersburg | Virginia | A | Confederate | Lee repulses Grant at back door to Richmond. |
June 17–18, 1864 | Battle of Lynchburg | Virginia | B | Confederate | Fake Confederate reinforcements lead to Union retreat. |
June 21–24, 1864 | Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | Union siege lines extended for Siege of Petersburg. |
June 22, 1864 | Battle of Kolb's Farm | Georgia | C | Union | Confederate attack fails due to poor terrain conditions. |
June 24, 1864 | Battle of Saint Mary's Church | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Union forces fight a successful delaying action. |
June 25, 1864 | Battle of Staunton River Bridge | Virginia | C | Confederate | Union troops failed to take the Staunton River Bridge. |
June 27, 1864 | Battle of Kennesaw Mountain | Georgia | B | Confederate | Johnston repulses Sherman. |
June 28, 1864 | Battle of Sappony Church | Virginia | D | Confederate | Union forces were forced into a chaotic retreat. |
June 29, 1864 | First Battle of Ream's Station | Virginia | C | Confederate | Maj. Gen. William Mahone and Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee defeated Union cavalry raiding Confederate railroads south of Petersburg, Virginia. |
July 9, 1864 | Battle of Monocacy (Battle of Monocacy Junction) |
Maryland | B | Confederate | Union Gen. Lew Wallace slows up Jubal Early, saving DC. |
July 11–12, 1864 | Battle of Fort Stevens | District of Columbia | B | Union | Failed Confederate attempt to capture Washington, D.C., President Lincoln, observing the battle, comes under Confederate fire. |
July 14–15, 1864 | Battle of Tupelo | Mississippi | B | Union | Confederate forces under Stephen D. Lee are defeated and Nathan Bedford Forrest is wounded in action. |
July 18–19, 1864 | Battle of Cool Spring | Virginia | C | Confederate | Joseph Thoburn led a full retreat after being surrounded by Confederate forces. |
July 20, 1864 | Battle of Peachtree Creek | Georgia | B | Union | (Atlanta Campaign) First Confederate attack against Union forces north of Atlanta fails. |
July 20, 1864 | Battle of Rutherford's Farm | Virginia | D | Union | Confederates under Jubal Early caught by surprise and defeated. |
July 22, 1864 | Battle of Atlanta | Georgia | B | Union | (Atlanta Campaign) Sherman turns back Hood's attack east of Atlanta. |
July 24, 1864 | Second Battle of Kernstown | Virginia | B | Confederate | Jubal Early defeats Union forces. |
July 27–29, 1864 | First Battle of Deep Bottom | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Union forces besieged Confederate positions, but the Confederates held their ground. |
July 28, 1864 | Battle of Ezra Church | Georgia | B | Union | (Atlanta Campaign) Confederate attack on Union army northwest of Atlanta fails to gain element of surprise, finding entrenched Union forces. Union victory. |
July 28–29, 1864 | Battle of Killdeer Mountain |
North Dakota (Dakota Territory at the time) |
C | Union | Sioux Wars/Dakota War of 1862: Union forces defeat Sioux. |
July 30, 1864 | Battle of the Crater | Virginia | A | Confederate | Lee defeats Burnside. |
August 1, 1864 | Battle of Folck's Mill | Maryland | D | Inconclusive | Indecisive Civil War battle. |
August 2–23, 1864 | Battle of Mobile Bay | Alabama | A | Union | David Farragut takes port, says "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead". |
August 5–7, 1864 | Battle of Utoy Creek | Georgia | C | Inconclusive | (Atlanta Campaign) Indecisive battle on Union right flank near Atlanta. |
August 7, 1864 | Battle of Moorefield | West Virginia | C | Union | Union forces routed Confederates, forcing them to scatter from Moorefield. |
August 14–15, 1864 | Second Battle of Dalton | Georgia | D | Union | Union forces withstand attack until relieved. |
August 14–20, 1864 | Second Battle of Deep Bottom | Virginia | B | Confederate | The Confederates drove back the Union threat, but at a cost of diluting their forces as the Union had hoped. |
August 16, 1864 | Battle of Guard Hill | Virginia | C | Union | Federals successfully counterattacked against the Confederates, resulting in a chaotic Confederate retreat. |
August 18–21, 1864 | Battle of Globe Tavern | Virginia | B | Union | Confederate forces lose control of railroads at Petersburg. |
August 20, 1864 | Battle of Lovejoy's Station | Georgia | D | Confederate | Confederates repel Union raiders attacking the station. |
August 21, 1864 | Second Battle of Memphis | Tennessee | C | Union | Partially successful Confederate raid. |
August 21, 1864 | Battle of Summit Point | West Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Union and Confederate forces traded dominance at Summit Point. |
August 25, 1864 | Second Battle of Ream's Station | Virginia | B | Confederate | Union lines overrun by Confederates. |
August 25–29, 1864 | Battle of Smithfield Crossing | West Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Confederate forces routed a small Union detachment, but a Union counterattacked stopped the Confederates; ultimately ending the last engagement in West Virginia of the Civil War. |
August 31 – September 1, 1864 |
Battle of Jonesborough | Georgia | A | Union | William J. Hardee's Confederates defeated, resulting in Atlanta's fall the following day. |
September 3–4, 1864 | Battle of Berryville | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | At the same time Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early sent Maj. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw's division to attack Colonel Joseph Thoburn's division of the VIII Corps, and Kershaw initially routed Thoburn's left flank. Darkness ended the fighting. The next morning, Early, seeing the strength of the Union's entrenched line, retreated behind Opequon Creek. |
September 19, 1864 | Battle of Opequon (Third Battle of Winchester) |
Virginia | A | Union | Sheridan defeats Early, several officers killed or wounded on both sides. |
September 21–22, 1864 | Battle of Fisher's Hill | Virginia | B | Union | Successful Union frontal assault. |
September 27, 1864 | Battle of Fort Davidson (Battle of Pilot Knob) | Missouri | B | Union | Union forces detonate their own fort after losing to Confederates. |
September 29–30, 1864 | Battle of Chaffin's Farm (New Market Heights) |
Virginia | B | Union | Union forces victorious, but fail to capture several forts. |
September 30 – October 2, 1864 | Battle of Peebles' Farm | Virginia | B | Union | Union victory near Petersburg. |
October 1–3, 1864 | First Battle of Saltville | Virginia | C | Confederate | Confederates defeat Union Black Cavalry, war crimes committed against captured blacks. |
October 5, 1864 | Battle of Allatoona | Georgia | B | Union | Union fortifications hold. |
October 7, 1864 | Battle of Darbytown and New Market | Virginia | C | Union | John Gregg is killed, Confederates withdraw to Richmond. |
October 9, 1864 | Battle of Tom's Brook | Virginia | C | Union | Union cavalry defeats Confederates. |
October 13, 1864 | Battle of Darbytown Road | Virginia | D | Confederate | Federal assault on Confederate fortifications repulsed with heavy casualties. |
October 15, 1864 | Battle of Glasgow | Missouri | C | Confederate | Union forces surrender. |
October 19, 1864 | Second Battle of Lexington | Missouri | D | Confederate | Union forces driven out of town. |
October 19, 1864 | Battle of Cedar Creek | Virginia | A | Union | Sheridan defeats Early, drives Confederates from Shenandoah Valley. |
October 21, 1864 | Battle of Little Blue River | Missouri | D | Confederate | Confederate victory in Missouri. |
October 22–23, 1864 | Battle of Byram's Ford | Missouri | B | Union | Confederates under Marmaduke defeated. |
October 22, 1864 | Second Battle of Independence | Missouri | C | Inconclusive | Union forces occupy town. |
October 23, 1864 | Battle of Westport | Missouri | A | Union | Union forces win decisive battle to take control of Missouri. |
October 25, 1864 | Battle of Marais des Cygnes | Kansas | C | Union | Price's Confederates pursued into Kansas. |
October 25, 1864 | Battle of Mine Creek | Kansas | C | Union | Price's army crushed, flees back into Missouri. |
October 25, 1864 | Battle of Marmiton River | Missouri | D | Union | Price escapes Union pursuit. |
October 26–29, 1864 | Battle of Decatur | Alabama | C | Union | Confederates unable to cross river. |
October 27–28, 1864 | Battle of Boydton Plank Road | Virginia | B | Inconclusive | Union forces take control of road, but withdraw after battle. |
October 27–28, 1864 | Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road | Virginia | C | Confederate | Confederates repel a Union attack. |
October 28, 1864 | Second Battle of Newtonia | Missouri | B | Union | James G. Blunt defeats Joseph O. Shelby. |
November 4–5, 1864 | Battle of Johnsonville | Tennessee | B | Confederate | Confederates bombard Union forces during the night after a fire starts near union positions. |
November 11–13, 1864 | Battle of Bull's Gap | Tennessee | D | Confederate | Minor Confederate victory during U.S. Civil War. |
November 22, 1864 | Battle of Griswoldville | Georgia | B | Union | Sherman's march to the sea continued. |
November 24, 1864 | Battle of Columbia | Tennessee | C | Confederate | Confederates divert attention. |
November 28, 1864 | Battle of Buck Head Creek | Georgia | C | Union | Union forces repel a Confederate attack. |
November 29, 1864 | Battle of Spring Hill | Tennessee | B | Union | Confederate mistakes allow Federal forces to redeploy, leading to the Battle of Franklin. |
November 29, 1864 | Sand Creek massacre | Colorado (Colorado Territory at the time) |
B | Union | Colorado War: U.S. forces massacre Cheyenne and Arapaho. |
November 30, 1864 | Battle of Honey Hill | South Carolina | C | Confederate | The third battle of Sherman's March to the Sea was a failed Union Army expedition under Maj. Gen. John P. Hatch that attempted to cut off the Charleston and Savannah Railroad in support of Sherman's projected arrival in Savannah. |
November 30, 1864 | Battle of Franklin (1864) | Tennessee | A | Union | Hood attacks Schofield but suffers crushing losses; Pickett's Charge of the West. |
December 4, 1864 | Battle of Waynesboro, Georgia | Georgia | C | Union | Kilpatrick stops Wheeler from attacking Sherman. |
December 5–7, 1864 | Third Battle of Murfreesboro | Tennessee | D | Union | Confederate raid mostly unsuccessful. |
December 7–27, 1864 | First Battle of Fort Fisher | North Carolina | C | Confederate | Failed Union attempt to take fort. |
December 13, 1864 | Second Battle of Fort McAllister | Georgia | B | Union | William B. Hazen captures Fort McAllister. |
December 15–16, 1864 | Battle of Nashville | Tennessee | A | Union | Thomas attacks and virtually destroys Hood's Confederate Army of Tennessee. |
December 17–18, 1864 | Battle of Marion | Virginia | D | Union | Union forces destroy beneficial infrastructure. |
December 20–21, 1864 | Second Battle of Saltville | Virginia | C | Union | Confederate forces retreated, and General George Stoneman's troops entered the town and destroyed the saltworks. |
January 13–15, 1865 | Second Battle of Fort Fisher | North Carolina | A | Union | Union takes fort. |
February 3, 1865 | Battle of Rivers' Bridge | South Carolina | D | Union | Union forces capture river crossing. |
February 5–7, 1865 | Battle of Hatcher's Run | Virginia | B | Union | Union force launch unexpected attack. |
February 22, 1865 | Battle of Wilmington (North Carolina) | North Carolina | D | Union | Last Confederate port falls. |
March 2, 1865 | Battle of Waynesboro, Virginia | Virginia | B | Union | Remnants of Confederate Army of the Valley are destroyed. |
March 6, 1865 | Battle of Natural Bridge | Florida | C | Confederate | Confederate victory in Florida prevents the capture of Tallahassee. |
March 7–10, 1865 | Battle of Wyse Fork | North Carolina | D | Union | Confederate attacks repelled by Union artillery. |
March 10, 1865 | Battle of Monroe's Cross Roads | North Carolina | D | Inconclusive | Confederates delayed Federal Cavalry movement towards Fayetteville. |
March 16, 1865 | Battle of Averasborough | North Carolina | C | Inconclusive | Union and Confederate forces attack one another in turn, both attacks fail. |
March 19–21, 1865 | Battle of Bentonville | North Carolina | A | Union | Sherman defeats Confederates |
March 25, 1865 | Battle of Fort Stedman | Virginia | A | Union | Lee attempts to break siege. |
March 27 – April 8, 1865 | Battle of Spanish Fort | Alabama | B | Union | Union forces capture fort just east of Mobile. |
March 29, 1865 | Battle of Lewis's Farm | Virginia | C | Union | Union forces capture Confederate earthworks. |
March 31, 1865 | Battle of White Oak Road | Virginia | B | Union | Confederate forces under Richard H. Anderson defeated. |
March 31, 1865 | Battle of Dinwiddie Court House | Virginia | C | Confederate | Pickett defeats Sheridan. |
April 1, 1865 | Battle of Five Forks | Virginia | A | Union | Sheridan routs Confederates. |
April 2, 1865 | Battle of Selma | Alabama | B | Union | Wilson defeats Forrest. |
April 2, 1865 | Third Battle of Petersburg | Virginia | A | Union | Grant defeats Lee. |
April 2, 1865 | Battle of Sutherland's Station | Virginia | C | Union | Lee's supply lines are cut. |
April 3, 1865 | Battle of Namozine Church | Virginia | D | Inconclusive | Several Confederates captured, Custer's brother earns Medal of Honor. |
April 5, 1865 | Battle of Amelia Springs | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Confederates forced Union troops to retreat, however Union forces linked up and prevented another counter-attack. |
April 6, 1865 | Battle of Rice's Station | Virginia | D | Union | Confederate forces are caught off guard by John Gibbon's forces. |
April 6, 1865 | Battle of Sayler's Creek (or Sailor's Creek) |
Virginia | B | Union | Lee realizes his army is on the verge of defeat. |
April 6–7, 1865 | Battle of High Bridge | Virginia | C | Inconclusive | Union forces thwart Lee's attempts to burn bridges and to resupply, Grant proposes that Lee surrender, but he refuses. |
April 7, 1865 | Battle of Cumberland Church | Virginia | C | Confederate | Union forces attack Confederate rearguard, but darkness cuts the attack short. |
April 8, 1865 | Battle of Appomattox Station | Virginia | B | Union | Union forces thwart Lee's final attempt to resupply. |
April 9, 1865 | Battle of Appomattox Court House | Virginia | A | Union | Lee's forces surrounded. He subsequently surrenders. |
April 9, 1865 | Battle of Fort Blakeley | Alabama | A | Union | Union forces capture fort east of Mobile. |
May 12–13, 1865 | Battle of Palmito Ranch | Texas | D | Confederate | Last battle in Texas during final phases of the Civil War. Southernmost battle on land in Civil War. |
Other USA/CSA battles
Other non-Indian wars battles and skirmishes not rated by CWSAC.
Date | Battle | State | Outcome | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Victory | Notes | |||
May 7, 1861 | Battle of Gloucester Point | Virginia | Inconclusive | Earliest exchange of gunfire between the Union Navy and organized Rebel forces after the surrender of Fort Sumter |
June 5, 1861 | Battle of Pig Point | Virginia | Confederate | Early skirmish between Union gunboat USS Harriet Lane and a shore battery and rifle company of CSA defenders at Pig Point in Portsmouth, Virginia near Hampton Roads, Virginia. |
June 19, 1861 | Battle of Cole Camp | Missouri | Confederate | Pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard defeat pro-Union Missouri Home Guard at Cole Camp |
June 27, 1861 | Battle of Mathias Point | Virginia | Confederate | Confederates repulse the Union attack and kill Commander James H. Ward of the Union Potomac Flotilla, the first Union Navy officer killed during the Civil War. |
July 13, 1861 | Battle of Corrick's Ford | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
Union | Confederate Brig. Gen. Robert S. Garnett is the first general killed in the Civil War. |
July 25, 1861 | First Battle of Mesilla | New Mexico (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Confederate | Confederate victory secures the southern part of the New Mexico Territory for the CSA. |
August 5, 1861 | Battle of Athens | Missouri / Iowa | Union | Union victory in small skirmish on the Iowa-Missouri border |
August 19, 1861 | Battle of Charleston (1861) (Missouri) | Missouri | Union | Union force destroys Confederate camp. |
September 24–25, 1861 | Battle of Canada Alamosa | New Mexico (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Confederate | One of several small cavalry skirmishes in Confederate Arizona near the border with Union New Mexico Territory. |
October 5, 1861 | Battle of Cockle Creek | Virginia | Union | Confederate smuggling up the Chincoteague Bay ends. |
October 12, 1861 | Battle of the Head of Passes | Louisiana | Confederate | Naval forces square-off at the mouth of the Mississippi River. |
November 3–7, 1861 | Battle of Port Royal | South Carolina | Union | Union fleet under S. F. Du Pont capture Confederate forts at Hilton Head, South Carolina. |
December 19, 1861 | Skirmish at Blackwater Creek | Missouri | Union | Union forces under General Pope capture a newly recruited Missouri State Guard regiment. |
December 28, 1861 | Battle of Sacramento | Kentucky | Confederate | Nathan Bedford Forrest's first victory. The Federals are surprised and quickly routed. |
February 10, 1862 | Battle of Elizabeth City | North Carolina | Union | Destruction of the Mosquito Fleet. |
March 30, 1862 | Stanwix Station | Arizona (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Union | Westernmost skirmish of the war. |
April 14, 1862 | Battle of Peralta | New Mexico (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Union | Union forces defeat the 5th Texas Mounted Volunteers. |
April 15, 1862 | Battle of Picacho Pass | Arizona (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Confederate | Confederate pickets defeat Union cavalry patrol. |
May 19, 1862 | Battle of Whitney's Lane | Arkansas | Union | Union campaign towards Little Rock, Arkansas halted. |
May 20, 1862 | Capture of Tucson (1862) | Arizona (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Union | A Union force of 2,000 took the city from ten Tucson militiamen without a shot fired. |
May 29, 1862 | First Battle of Pocotaligo | South Carolina | Union | Mission objective fulfilled – Charleston & Savannah railroad bridge damaged. |
August 10, 1862 | Battle of the Nueces | Texas | Confederate | Union forces massacred by Confederates at Nueces Creek, Texas. |
August 11, 1862 | Battle of Compton's Ferry | Missouri | Union | Union forces defeat Confederate forces as they attempted a chaotic retreat. |
September 1, 1862 | Battle of Britton's Lane | Tennessee | Union | Confederates suffered heavy losses to Union forces. |
September 13, 1862 | Battle of Charleston (1862) | West Virginia (Virginia at the time)[A] |
Confederate | Confederate troops occupy Charleston during Kanawha Valley offensive. |
September 14, 1862 | Battle of Crampton's Gap | Maryland | Union | Union broke the Confederate line and drove through the gap. Confederates were strategically successful in stalling the Union advance and protecting the rear of their forces engaged at Harpers Ferry. |
October 22, 1862 | Battle of Pocotaligo | South Carolina | Confederate | Union troops repulsed after minimally damaging the Charleston & Savannah railroad. |
October 27–29, 1862 | Skirmish at Island Mound | Missouri | Union | Confederate attack and melee fails. |
December 28, 1862 | Battle of Van Buren | Arkansas | Union | Union forces secure Northwest Arkansas |
February 3 – April 12, 1863 |
Yazoo Pass Expedition | Mississippi | Confederate | Elaborate amphibious Union flanking maneuver is thwarted by Confederates at Fort Pemberton during the Vicksburg campaign. |
April 30, 1863 | Battle of Day's Gap | Alabama | Confederate | Nathan Bedford Forrest and Union Col. Abel Streight fight Cavalry action for several hours. |
June 27, 1863 | Battle of Portland Harbor | Maine | Union | Naval engagement. |
June 30, 1863 | Battle of Sporting Hill | Pennsylvania | Inconclusive | Small skirmish during the Gettysburg Campaign was the northernmost engagement of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. |
July 1, 1863 | Battle of Carlisle | Pennsylvania | Inconclusive | Small, but strategically important skirmish during the Gettysburg Campaign. |
July 2, 1863 | Battle of Hunterstown | Pennsylvania | Inconclusive | Minor cavalry engagement during the Gettysburg Campaign |
July 3, 1863 | Battle of Fairfield | Pennsylvania | Confederate | Cavalry engagement during the Gettysburg Campaign secured the important Hagerstown Road. |
July 4, 1863 | Battle of Tebbs Bend | Kentucky | Union | Union infantry defeats Confederate cavalry. |
July 5–25, 1863 | Jackson Expedition | Mississippi | Union | Forces under General William T. Sherman clear General Joseph E. Johnston's relief effort from the Vicksburg area. |
July 10, 1863 | Battle of Funkstown | Maryland | Inconclusive | Action during Lee's retreat to Virginia after the Battle of Gettysburg. |
July 13–16, 1863 | Draft Riots | New York | N/A | The Draft Riots caused a strain on the Union army, and vast amounts of corruption within the draft began to spread from New York to the frontlines. |
August 21, 1863 | Skirmish near Brooklyn, Kansas | Kansas | Inconclusive | Union forces pursue Quantrill's Raiders after the Lawrence Massacre. |
August 27, 1863 | Battle of Bayou Meto (Battle of Reed's Bridge) | Arkansas | Confederate | Confederate forces delay the Union advance on Little Rock. |
October 21, 1863 | Battle of Cherokee Station | Alabama | Union | Confederates suffered heavy losses and retreated after an hour long musket battle. |
October 27, 1863 | Battle of Brown's Ferry | Tennessee | Union | Union forces open the "Cracker Line", a supply line to Chattanooga through Brown's Ferry. |
November 3, 1863 | Battle of Bayou Bourbeux | Louisiana | Confederate | Confederate District of Western Louisiana troops attack the isolated rear guard during Union withdrawal from Opelousas. |
November 6, 1863 | Battle of Rogersville | Tennessee | Confederate | Confederate forces under Brig Gen "Grumble" Jones captures 775 prisoners of the 2nd East Tennessee (Union) Infantry Regiment and the 7th Ohio Cavalry. |
March 18, 1864 | Battle of Laredo | Texas | Confederate | Union force sent to destroy | 5,000 bales of cotton
April 13–14, 1864 | Battle of Salyersville | Kentucky | Union | Confederates were driven into Salyersville with heavy losses. |
May 6, 1864 | Battle of Calcasieu Pass | Louisiana | Confederate | Confederates capture two Union gunboats. |
June 19, 1864 | Battle of Cherbourg (1864) (Sinking of CSS Alabama) |
(Naval engagement) Cherbourg, France | Union | USS Kearsarge sinks CSS Alabama |
July 13, 1864 | Battle of Camden Point | Missouri | Union | Confederates were ambushed; Camden Point is scorched. |
July 30, 1864 | Battle of Brown's Mill | Georgia | Confederate | Cavalry engagement during Atlanta campaign |
July 31, 1864 | Battle of Fort Smith | Arkansas | Union | Federal troops maintain control of western Arkansas |
August 17, 1864 | Battle of Gainesville | Florida | Confederate | Union failed to take Gainesville, retreated. |
September 23–25, 1864 | Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle | Alabama | Confederate | Raid to disrupt Sherman's supply line |
September 27, 1864 | Battle of Marianna | Florida | Union | Cavalry raid into Florida panhandle. |
October 15, 1864 | Capture of Sedalia | Missouri | Confederate | Confederate cavalry defeat Union militia |
October 19, 1864 | St. Albans raid | Vermont | Confederate | Northernmost land action of the American Civil War |
October 28, 1864 | Battle of Morristown | Tennessee | Union | Union troops route Confederate forces protecting the railroad junction at Morristown |
December 24, 1864 | Battle of Anthony's Hill (Battle of King's Hill) | Tennessee | Confederate | Forrest turns back Union pursuers after the Battle of Nashville. |
February 2, 1865 | Battle of Broxton Bridge | South Carolina | Union | Confederate forces forced to retreat from Broxton Bridge after a failed defense.[3] |
February 11, 1865 | Battle of Aiken | South Carolina | Confederate | Cavalry action between Union Maj. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick and Confederate Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. |
February 20, 1865 | Battle of Fort Myers | Florida | Union | Southernmost land battle in Florida of the war. |
April 13–15, 1865 | Battle of Morrisville | North Carolina | Union | Last cavalry battle of the War. |
April 16, 1865 | Battle of West Point | Georgia | Union | Union victory during final phase of U.S. Civil War. |
April 16, 1865 | Battle of Columbus (1865) (Battle of Girard) | Georgia | Union | Union forces massacred retreating Confederates. |
April 23, 1865 | Battle of Munford | Alabama | Union | Croxton's Raid in northeast Alabama. |
May 1, 1865 | Battle of Anderson | South Carolina | Confederate | Minor skirmish, Union and Confederates clashed, Confederate forces repelled Union troops, with cavalry and cadet forces. |
Other battles in the American Indian Wars
Other battles and skirmishes, not rated by CWSAC, of the American Indian Wars between either USA or CSA forces and the Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Dakota, Kiowa, Navajo, and Shoshone which occurred during the American Civil War – including: the Apache Wars, Colorado War, Dakota War of 1862, Navajo Wars, and Texas–Indian wars.
Date | Battle | State | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
August 1861 | Siege of Tubac | Arizona (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Apache victory. Confederate militia and townspeople flee to Tucson. |
May 5, 1862 | First Battle of Dragoon Springs | Arizona (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Apache victory. Westernmost Confederate battle fatalities. |
May 9, 1862 | Second Battle of Dragoon Springs | Arizona (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Confederate victory. Livestock recaptured. |
July 15–16, 1862 | Battle of Apache Pass | Arizona (New Mexico Territory at the time) |
Apache Wars: Union soldiers fight with Apache warriors. |
August 19 and 23, 1862 | Battles of New Ulm | Minnesota | Dakota War of 1862: Two battles in the Dakota War of 1862. |
September 2, 1862 | Battle of Birch Coulee | Minnesota | Dakota War of 1862: Worst defeat of Union forces during the Dakota War of 1862. |
September 3, 1862 | Battle of Acton | Minnesota | Engagement during the Dakota War of 1862 – a detachment of the 10th Minnesota Infantry Regiment withdraws to the fortified town of Hutchinson, Minnesota. |
January 12–14, 1864 | Battle of Canyon de Chelly | Arizona (Arizona Territory at the time) |
US victory |
November 25, 1864 | First Battle of Adobe Walls | Texas | Texas–Indian wars: Kit Carson fights Kiowa forces to a draw, but manages to destroy their settlement. |
January 8, 1865 | Battle of Dove Creek | Texas | Kickapoo victory: Texas State Militia and CS troops are defeated by Kickapoo Indians. |
February 17, 1865 | Battle of Fort Buchanan | Arizona (Arizona Territory at the time) |
Apache victory. Fort Buchanan destroyed. |
Troop engagements
This is a chronological summary and record of every engagement between the troops of the Union and of the Confederacy, showing the total losses and casualties in each engagement. It was collated and compiled from the Official Records of the War Department.
This summary has been divided by year:
See also
- List of costliest American Civil War land battles
- Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War
- Bibliography of the American Civil War
- Bibliography of Ulysses S. Grant
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n On June 19, 1861, at the Second Wheeling Convention, delegates from western Virginia formed the Unionist "Restored government of Virginia" in Wheeling opposed to the secessionist government in Richmond.[4] West Virginia became the 35th state in the Union on June 20, 1863.[5][6]
- ^ Arizona Territory (USA) was split from New Mexico Territory on February 24, 1863. The geographically different Arizona Territory (CSA), known as Confederate Arizona, was officially declared on August 1, 1861.
References
- ^ "CWSAC Report". Civil War Sites Advisory Commission. US National Park Service. 8 December 1997. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields (PDF). National Park Service. 1993. pp. 16–17. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ Durgan, Jerry (March 8, 2011). "Last stand: Battle for Broxton Bridge reenactment draws hundreds of students, spectators". The Times and Democrat. Orangeburg, SC. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ "First Session of the Second Wheeling Convention". State of West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
- ^ Lincoln, Abraham. "Statehood Proclamation". State of West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
- ^ "West Virginians Approve the Willey Amendment". State of West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
Sources
- Lossing, Benson J., LL.D. A History of the Civil War 1861–65: And the Causes that Led Up to the Great Conflict. New York: The War Memorial Association, 1912.