1861–1865 - Civil War

The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized in 1862 as a state unit. It was reorganized as the 79th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment and was the first black regiment to be organized in a northern state and the first to see combat during the Civil War.

The 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry Regiment was one of the first African-American units to serve in the Union's Volunteer Army during the Civil War.

John Joseph Abercrombie was an officer in the U.S. Army during the Seminole Wars, the Mexican-American War, and the Civil War. He is most famous for his service in the Union Army.

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 on June 17, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign. Union cavalry under Judson Kilpatrick clashed with Confederate cavalry near Aldie, Virginia. Union forces gained control of the town after fierce fighting but suffered heavy casualties and failed to discover the location or movements of Robert E. Lee’s main army. The inconclusive battle allowed Lee to continue his march northward, leading to the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Battle of Amelia Springs was fought in Amelia County, Virginia, on April 5-6, 1865, during the Appomattox Campaign. Union and Confederate cavalry clashed after Union troops returned from a raid on the Army of Northern Virginia’s supply train near Painesville. The battle ended without a clear winner but helped force General Robert E. Lee’s retreating army to move around Jetersville.

The American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS) was a leading Abolitionist organization, dedicated to eliminating slavery in the United States. The organization was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 4, 1833.

The Anaconda Plan was General Winfield Scott's strategy to slowly strangle the southern rebellion by blockading southern seaports and seizing control of the Mississippi River.

Robert Anderson was the commander of Fort Sumter during the battle that started the American Civil War. He also served as commander of the Department of the Cumberland in 1861.

Key facts about Robert Anderson who commanded Fort Sumter during the engagement that started the American Civil War.

Key facts about the life of women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthony was an educator and activist who rose to prominence as a leader of the Woman Suffrage Movement in the 19th Century. Her dedication to suffrage and equal rights was memorialized with the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin.

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 Apache Wars were a series of raids, skirmishes, and battles fought between the United States and various Apache tribes in the 19th and 20th Centuries. The wars helped shape America’s Manifest Destiny and led to the rise of important Apache leaders, including Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, and Geronimo.

The Appomattox Campaign was the final campaign of General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. Union victories at Five Forks, Petersburg, Sailor’s Creek and Appomattox Station trapped Lee’s army and destroyed its remaining supply routes. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, ending the Army of Northern Virginia’s participation in the war.

The Battle of Appomattox Court House was fought on April 9, 1865, during the Appomattox Campaign. After several Union victories forced General Robert E. Lee to retreat west from Petersburg, Union forces blocked his escape near Appomattox Court House. The battle ended with a Union victory. Leading Lee to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant.

The Surrender at Appomattox Court House took place on April 9, 1865, when General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. The surrender ended the Appomattox Campaign and severely weakened the Confederate war effort, but it did not immediately end the war.

The Battle of Appomattox Station was fought on April 8, 1865, during the Appomattox Campaign. Union General George Armstrong Custer captured Confederate supply trains at Appomattox Station, then attacked General Reuben Lindsay Walker’s artillery detachment. The Union victory denied General Robert E. Lee’s army badly needed food, ammunition and clothing, while placing Union forces across Lee’s line of retreat.

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.