The American Civil Warcannon2.gif (11681 bytes)

Key:
No Victory or NA
Confederate Victory
Union Victory

1861

Date Event Casulities Summary
April 14 Fort Sumter 0 Forty hours of continuous shelling before the fort fell to the South. By this time one-fifth of the fort was on fire. The Southern commander gave permission for all the Union troops to leave safely and the Southern troops took over the fort.
April 15 President Lincoln Call for Army Volunteers   President Lincoln asked for only three months' service from each volunteer.
April 19 Blockade   Lincoln proclaimed a blockade of the South.
May 21 Confederate Capitol   Richmond, Virginia was choosen for the Confederate Capital.
July 21 First Battle of Bull Run 2,900 This was the first great battle of the Civil War. The battle was fought at Manassas Junction near Bull Run Creek, only 30 miles south of Washington, D. C. Many Congressmen and their wives watched from behind the battle lines. The North was defeated and retreated to the capital. President Lincoln asked for more volunteers.

1862

Date Event Casulities Summary
February 6 (Fort Henry)

February 16 (Fort Donelson)

 Fighting on the Mississippi 17,398 After capturing Fort Henry along the Tennessee River the Union army with 15,000 men led  by Ulysses S. Grant attacked Fort Donelson, a Confederate fort on the Cumberland River. At Fort Donelson Grant sent the message, "No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works." The North had six gunboats. The fighting lasted three days. Grant took 12,000 Confederate prisoners and 40 cannons from Fort Donelson. This cut off the Confederate supply line from the western territories.
March 9 Ironclad Ships Battle   For the first time in history two ironclad ships battled. The battle lasted for hours. Neither side won the battle. The Confederate ironclad was an old wooden ship called the Merrimac which had been rebuilt with iron all around the boat. The Merrimac had sunk several Union ships in the past months. The North decided to build an ironclad ship to fight it. The Northern ship was called the Monitor.
April 6 Shiloh 23,746 After Grant had captured several forts in Tennessee his armies moved south toward Mississippi. The Confederate army met Grant at Shiloh, Tennessee. Grant had not expected the attack. At first he seemed to be losing. Then more Northern troops arrived and Grant defeated the Southerners.
April 16 Confederate Army Calls for Men   All men between the ages of 18 and 35 must serve in the army.
April 18 New Orleans 0 Farragut attacked and captured New Orleans.
May 4 Yorktown   McClellan's Union troops occupied Yorktown, Virginia and advanced on Richmond.
May 30 Corinth Unknown Northern army occupy Corinth, Mississippi
June 6 Memphis 181 Memphis fell to the Union armies
June Seven Days' Battle   In a series of battles the Southern army led by Generals Joseph E. Johnston and Robert E. Lee, the South managed to drive back the Union army. Lee breaks McClellan seige of Richmond.
June 25 Second Battle at Bull Run 22,180 The Union led by General John Pope was defeated at Bull Run Creek while trying to reach Richmond. The Union army retreat to Washington.
September 17 Battle of  Antietam 23,100 Lee took command telling the Confederate forces that he planned to carry the fight to the enemy. He crossed the Potomac River into Maryland, but was blocked from Washington, D. C. by Union troops in a bloody battle at Sharpsburg near Antietam Creek. Lee realized that his army was in a bad position to receive supplies and withdrew his troops over the Potomac to Virginia.
September 22 Lincoln Frees all the Slaves   President issued a proclamation freeing all the slaves in the South. Lincoln's document called the Emancipation Proclamation because in emancipated the slaves.
October 8 Battle of Perryville 7,407 Buell's forces ended Bragg's invasion of Kentucky in the Battle of Perryville.
December 11 Fredricksburg 17,429 Lincoln replaced General McClellan with Ambrose Burnside. Burnside's men were slaughtered at Fredricksburg.

1863

Date Event Casulities Summary
January 2 Battle of Stones River 22,576 Union troops under Rosecrans forced the Confederates to retreat after the Battle of Stones River.
April 30 Chancellorsville 20,000 General Lee fought against General Joseph Hooker. Although outnumbered two to one, Lee won the battle. During the battle General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson was killed.
May 18 Vicksburg 35,835 In Vicksburg, Mississippi a strong fort overlooked the river. Grant surrounded the fort and began a siege. On July 4 Vicksburg surrendered. This gave the North control of the Mississippi River.
July 1 Gettysburg 51,000 Robert E. Lee invaded Pennsylvania in June 1863. He was hoping to threaten Washington and Philadelphia, to breed Northern morale, and to gain recognition and independence for the Southern Confederacy. At Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia met the Army of the Potomac. It was under the command of General George G, Meade. This famous battle lasted three days. The Southerners were turned back and again retreated into Virginia.
July 8 Port Hudson 12,208 Northern forces occupied Port Hudson, Louisana.
September 18 Chickamauga 34,624 The Confederate Army led by General Braxton Bragg won against the Union army at Chickamauga Creek in Tennessee. General George Thomas commanded the Union army which  was trapped in Chattanooga.
November 19 Gettysburg Adress   Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
November 23-25 Chattanooga 12,485 Grant and Thomas led Union armies to victory in the Battle of Chattanooga.

1864

Date Event Casulities Summary
March 9 Grant appointed Commander-in-Chief   President Lincoln appointed Grant became general in chief of the North. Grant then appinted General William T. Sherman to command the Western armies, while General George G. Meade remained the command of the armies of the East.
May Sherman's march to the Sea 12,140 in Atlanta William T. Sherman left Tennessee with 100,000 troops. He marched to Atlanta, Georgia. He ten marched from Atlanta to the Atlantic Ocean. During this 300 mile march Sherman's soldiers burned and destroyed everything in a width of 60 miles.
May 5 - 6 Battle of the Wilderness 18,000 in Union troops This was the first in a series of battles. The first Union attack was made in an area about 50 miles from Richmond. The Union gained little and lost much in casualties.
May 8 - 12 Spotsylvania 14,000 in Union troops Grant ignored the losses in the Battle of the Wilderness and ordered Meade to move on toward Spotsylvania Court House.
May 31 Cold Harbor 15,500 Grant kept moving toward Lee's army after Spotsylvania. They fought the Southern army at Cold Harbor in an advance upon Richmond. After many casualties the Union army called off the attack.
June 20 Seige of Petersburg 104,000 This was the beginning of a nine month seige with Grant's men surrounding Lee's army.
August 5 Mobile Bay 1,822 Farragut won the Battle of Mobile Bay.This closed the last Confederate Gulf port.
September 2 Atlanta 12,140 Northern troops under Sherman captured Atlanta after a forty-day siege of the city. Sherman burned much of the city on November 15 before leaving to begin his march to the sea.
October 19 Shenandoah Valley   Sheridan led his troops on a rampage of destruction in the Shenandoah Valley.
November 8 Election of Lincoln   Lincoln was reelected President for a second term.
November 30 Battle of Franklin 8,587 Schofield's Union forces inflicted heavy losses on Hood in the Battle of Franklin.
December 15-16 Nashville 6,602 The Battle of Nashville smashed Hood's army.
December 21 Savannah   Sherman's troops occupied Savannah, Georgia.

1865

Date Event Casulities Summary
February 6 Lee becomes general Lee became general in chief of the South.
April 2 Petersburg and Richmond 7,750 General Grant and General Meade's Army moved to the south of Richmond. During the winter of 1864-65 the Union army attacked many times, but could not break through. After nine months General Lee was forced to retreat toward Lynchburg giving up both Petersburg and Richmond.
April 9 Appomattox Courthouse 700 General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomottox Courthouse, Virginia.
April 14 Lincoln's assasination On Good Firday, April 14 Lincoln was assassinated. He was attending a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D. C. The assisin was and actor named John Wilkes Booth. After twelve days of running Booth was fatally shot.
April 26 Johnston surrenders Johnston surrendered to Sherman.
May 4 Confederate's surrender Confederate forces in Alabama and Mississippi surrendered.
May 11 Davis's capture Jefferson Davis was captured near Georgia.
May 26 Confederate's surrender The last Confederate troops surrendered.