Battles

The Battle of Adairsville was fought near Adairsville, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign. The battle included a series of skirmishes as Union General William T. Sherman pursued Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston south through Northern Georgia. Although the fighting served mainly as a delaying action, Johnston used the movement from Adairsville to set up a possible trap near Cassville, which failed when Confederate forces under John Bell Hood withdrew.

The Battle of Aldie was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America on June 17, 1863. The outcome of the battle was inconclusive.

The Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862, during the Maryland Campaign. Union forces under George McClellan attacked Robert E. Lee’s army at the Cornfield, West Woods, Sunken Road, and Burnside Bridge. Although the battle ended without a decisive tactical winner, McClellan stopped Lee’s advance, making Antietam a strategic Union success. The battle caused nearly 23,000 casualties and led President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation five days later.

Antietam Battle facts, including dates, casualties, participants, who won, and more interesting details you might not know. This fact sheet provides a quick overview of the battle and is for kids doing research and students preparing for the AP U.S. History (APUSH) exam.

The Battle of Arkansas Post, also known as the Battle of Fort Hindman, was fought from January 9–11, 1863, during the Vicksburg Campaign. Union forces under John A. McClernand and David D. Porter overwhelmed Thomas J. Churchill’s Confederate garrison and captured nearly 4,800 soldiers. Although the victory contributed little to the Vicksburg Campaign, it eliminated a Confederate threat to Union shipping on the Mississippi River.

The Battle of Atlanta was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America on July 22, 1864, near Atlanta, Georgia. Union forces under General William T. Sherman defeated Confederate forces under General John B. Hood after Hood launched attacks against the Union left flank and center. Although Confederate forces still held Atlanta after the battle, Hood’s army suffered heavy losses, and Sherman later forced the evacuation of the city.

The Battle of Averasboro was fought on March 16, 1865, during the Carolinas Campaign, as Confederate General William J. Hardee tried to delay the left wing of Union General William T. Sherman’s army. Although the battle ended without a clear winner, Hardee slowed General Henry W. Slocum’s advance by nearly two days. The delay gave General Joseph E. Johnston time to gather Confederate troops for the Battle of Bentonville.

The Battle of Bean’s Station was fought on December 14, 1863, during the Knoxville Campaign. Confederate General James Longstreet attacked Union cavalry under General J.M. Shackelford and forced the Federals to retreat. The Confederate victory produced few lasting military gains and was the final major engagement of Longstreet’s Knoxville Campaign.

The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek was fought on June 26, 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign and resulted in a tactical Union victory. Confederate General Robert E. Lee attempted to overwhelm Fitz John Porter’s isolated 5th Corps, but delays and poor coordination allowed Union forces to repulse repeated Confederate attacks. Despite the victory, George B. McClellan ordered Porter to withdraw and shifted his supply line to the James River, giving Lee an important strategic advantage. It was also part of the Seven Days Battles.

The Confederate Surrender at Bennett Place was negotiated by General William T. Sherman and General Joseph E. Johnston near Durham Station, North Carolina, in April 1865. Johnston surrendered 89,270 Confederate soldiers, making it the largest surrender by either side during the Civil War. The agreement ended hostilities in the East, although several Confederate forces remained in the field.

The Battle of Bentonville was fought from March 19 through March 21, 1865, during General William T. Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign. General Joseph E. Johnston attacked General Henry W. Slocum’s left wing before Sherman could unite with General John M. Schofield at Goldsboro. The battle ended in a Union victory and became the largest Civil War battle fought in North Carolina. It was also the last major Confederate offensive of the Civil War.

Big Bethel Battle facts, including dates, location, casualties, leaders, who won, and more interesting facts you might not know.

Considered by many historians to be the first major land engagement of the American Civil War, the Battle of Big Bethel was fought on June 10, 1861 at the southern end of the Virginia Peninsula.

The Battle of Big Black River Bridge was fought on May 17, 1863, during the Vicksburg Campaign. Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant defeated General John C. Pemberton’s Confederate forces after driving them from their defenses along the Big Black River. The victory allowed Grant to advance toward Vicksburg, where he surrounded the city and forced Pemberton to surrender on July 4, 1863.

The Battle of Boonsboro was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America on July 8, 1863. The outcome of the battle was inconclusive.

Boonville Battle facts, including dates, location, casualties, leaders, who won, and more interesting facts you might not know.

Fought on June 17, 1861. the Battle of Boonville was a small, but significant engagement fought for control of central Missouri.

Boydton Plank Road Battle facts, including dates, location, casualties, leaders, and who won.

Fought from October 27-28, 1864, during the Petersburg Campaign, the Battle of Boydton Plank Road, also known as the Battle of Burgess Mill, and the Battle of Hatcher's Run I, was a failed Union attempt to sever the Boydton Plank Road and South Side Railroad south of Petersburg, Virginia.

The Battle of Brandy Station was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America on June 9, 1863. The outcome of the battle was inconclusive, although the Confederates claimed a tactical victory and the Union Cavalry claimed a moral victory. The battle was the largest cavalry battle of the war, and the largest cavalry battle ever to occur in the Northern Hemisphere.