American Civil War

April 12, 1861 – April 9, 1865

The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865) was fought in the United States between the Union (the North) and the Confederacy (the South), which was formed in 1861 by states that seceded from the Union to preserve slavery. Decades of controversy over slavery came to a head when Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election; the war began when the Confederacy bombarded Fort Sumter in South Carolina. The war ended with Union victory, the dissolution of the Confederacy, and the abolition of slavery, freeing four million African Americans.

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Battles 27

April 12–13, 1861
Battle of Fort Sumter Jefferson Davis, P. G. T. Beauregard, Robert Anderson
June 3, 1861
Battle of Philippi Thomas Armstrong Morris, George Alexander Porterfield
August 10, 1861
Battle of Wilson's Creek Nathaniel Lyon, Franz Sigel, Benjamin McCulloch
May 31 – June 1, 1862
Battle of Seven Pines George B. McClellan, Joseph E. Johnston, Gustavus Woodson Smith
June 6, 1862
Battle of Memphis Charles Henry Davis, Charles Ellet Jr., James Edward Montgomery
September 17, 1862
Battle of Antietam Robert E. Lee, George Meade, Clara Barton
December 11–15, 1862
Battle of Fredericksburg Robert E. Lee, George Meade, John Bell Hood
December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863
Battle of Stones River William S. Rosecrans, Braxton Bragg
January 9–11, 1863
Battle of Arkansas Post John Alexander McClernand, William Tecumseh Sherman, David Dixon Porter
April 30 – May 6, 1863
Battle of Chancellorsville Robert E. Lee, George Meade, Stonewall Jackson
May 18 – July 4, 1863
Siege of Vicksburg Ulysses S. Grant, John C. Pemberton, William Tecumseh Sherman
May 22 – July 9, 1863
Siege of Port Hudson Nathaniel P. Banks, David Farragut, Franklin Gardner
July 1–3, 1863
Battle of Gettysburg Robert E. Lee, George Meade, John Bell Hood
September 18–20, 1863
Battle of Chickamauga William S. Rosecrans, George H. Thomas, Braxton Bragg
May 5–7, 1864
Battle of the Wilderness Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Meade
May 8–21, 1864
Battle of Spotsylvania Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Meade
May 15, 1864
Battle of New Market Franz Sigel, John C. Breckinridge
May 31 – June 12, 1864
Battle of Cold Harbor Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Meade
July 30, 1864
Battle of the Crater Ulysses S. Grant, Ambrose Burnside, William Mahone
August 5, 1864
Battle of Mobile Bay David Farragut, Franklin Buchanan
August 31 – September 1, 1864
Battle of Jonesborough William Tecumseh Sherman, Oliver O. Howard, George H. Thomas
November 30, 1864
Battle of Franklin John Schofield, John Bell Hood
December 15–16, 1864
Battle of Nashville George H. Thomas, John Schofield, John Bell Hood
March 19–21, 1865
Battle of Bentonville William Tecumseh Sherman, Joseph E. Johnston
April 1, 1865
Battle of Five Forks Philip Henry Sheridan, Gouverneur Kemble Warren, George Pickett
April 6, 1865
Battle of Sailor's Creek Philip Henry Sheridan, Horatio Gouverneur Wright, Ulysses S. Grant
April 9, 1865
Battle of Appomattox Court House Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Meade

Battle sites 9

Key commanders

Confederates 28

Robert E. Lee · 1807–1870 John Bell Hood · 1831–1879 Jefferson Davis belligerent leader, president of the Confederate States of America · 1808–1889 P. G. T. Beauregard General, Commander of the Confederate forces at Charleston · 1818–1893 James Longstreet Lieutenant General, Commander of the First Corps (right wing) · 1821–1904 Stonewall Jackson Major General, Commander of the Second Corps (left wing) · 1824–1863 A. P. Hill Major General, Commander of the Light Division; arrived from Harpers Ferry · 1825–1865 J. E. B. Stuart Major General, Commander of the cavalry; took over II Corps after Jackson was wounded · 1833–1864 Richard S. Ewell Lieutenant General, Commander of the Second Corps · 1817–1872 George Pickett Major General, Commander of Pickett's Division; led Pickett's Charge · 1825–1875 John C. Pemberton Lieutenant General, Commander of the Confederate Army of Mississippi · 1814–1881 George Alexander Porterfield Colonel, Commander of the Confederate forces at Philippi · 1822–1919 Benjamin McCulloch Brigadier General, Commander of the Confederate forces at Wilson's Creek · 1811–1862 Sterling Price Major General, Commander of the Missouri State Guard · 1809–1867 Joseph E. Johnston · 1807–1891 Gustavus Woodson Smith Major General, Succeeded Johnston after he was wounded on May 31 · 1821–1896 Daniel Harvey Hill Major General, Commander of the Confederate left wing; led the main attack · 1821–1889 Braxton Bragg General, Commander of the Army of Tennessee · 1817–1876 Thomas James Churchill Brigadier General, Confederate commander at Arkansas Post · 1824–1905 Franklin Gardner Major General, Confederate commander at Port Hudson · 1823–1873 John C. Breckinridge Major General, Confederate commander at New Market · 1821–1875 William Mahone Brigadier General, Led the Confederate counterattack · 1826–1895 Franklin Buchanan Admiral, Commander of the Confederate squadron · 1800–1874 William J. Hardee Lieutenant General, Corps commander in the Army of Tennessee · 1815–1873 Stephen D. Lee Lieutenant General, Corps commander in the Army of Tennessee · 1833–1908 Fitzhugh Lee Major General, Confederate cavalry commander · 1835–1905 Richard Herron Anderson Lieutenant General, Corps commander; his troops were scattered at Sailor's Creek · 1821–1879 James Edward Montgomery Commander, Confederate River Defense Fleet, Commanded the Confederate River Defense Fleet at the Battle of Memphis · 1862–?

Union 32

George Meade · 1815–1872 Abraham Lincoln belligerent leader · 1809–1865 Robert Anderson Major, Commander of the Union garrison at Fort Sumter · 1805–1871 George B. McClellan · 1826–1885 Ambrose Burnside Major General, Commander of the IX Corps (left wing) · 1824–1881 Joseph Hooker Major General, Commander of the I Corps (right wing); wounded in action · 1814–1879 Edwin V. Sumner Major General, Commander of the II Corps (center) · 1797–1863 William Buel Franklin Major General, Commander of the Left Grand Division · 1823–1903 Daniel Sickles Major General, Commander of the III Corps · 1819–1914 Oliver O. Howard Major General, Commander of the XI Corps · 1830–1909 Henry W. Slocum Major General, Commander of the XII Corps · 1827–1894 Winfield Scott Hancock Major General, Commander of the II Corps · 1824–1886 George Sykes Major General, Commander of the V Corps · 1822–1880 Ulysses S. Grant · 1822–1885 William Tecumseh Sherman Major General, Commander of the XV Corps · 1820–1891 James B. McPherson Major General, Commander of the XVII Corps · 1828–1864 Winfield Scott · 1786–1866 John Schofield · 1831–1906 Nathaniel Lyon · 1818–1861 Thomas Armstrong Morris Brigadier General, Commander of the Union forces at Philippi · 1811–1904 Franz Sigel Brigadier General, Commander of the Second Brigade; second in command to Lyon · 1824–1902 Charles Henry Davis Flag Officer, Commander of the Union ironclad flotilla · 1807–1877 Charles Ellet Jr. Colonel, Creator and commander of the United States Ram Fleet; mortally wounded · 1810–1862 William S. Rosecrans Major General, Commander of the Army of the Cumberland · 1819–1898 John Alexander McClernand Major General, Commander of the Union expedition against Arkansas Post · 1812–1900 David Dixon Porter Rear Admiral, Commander of the Union naval forces · 1813–1891 Nathaniel P. Banks Major General, Commander of the Army of the Gulf · 1816–1894 David Farragut Rear Admiral, Naval commander cooperating in the siege · 1801–1870 George H. Thomas Major General, Commander of XIV Corps; held Snodgrass Hill · 1816–1870 Philip Henry Sheridan Major General, Commander of the Union cavalry · 1831–1888 Gouverneur Kemble Warren Major General, Commander of V Corps · 1830–1882 Horatio Gouverneur Wright Major General, Commander of VI Corps · 1820–1899

Other 1

Clara Barton nursed the wounded on the field · 1821–1912