6 of the Most Important Battles in the United States Civil War
The United States Civil War, fought between the Union and the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865, had a significant impact on the trajectory of the United States with societal, cultural, and geopolitical implications. While the Union was ultimately successful in winning the war and bringing about the end of slavery in the US, it wasn’t without major bloodshed. Some historians estimate as many as 750,000 people died or were injured in combat during the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of others died as a result of disease and accidents.
There were more than 50 major battles during the Civil War and many other small clashes. According to the National Parks Service, there were 10,000 armed conflicts, nearly 400 of which have been deemed significant by the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program. The following are six of the most pivotal battles.
1. Battle of Manassas
Also known as the First Bull Run, the Battle of Manassas marked the first major armed confrontation on land between the Union and Confederate armies. At the orders of President Abraham Lincoln, General Irvin McDonnell led the Union Army from Washington, DC, to Richmond, Virginia, in hopes of capturing the Confederate capital. However, General Pierre G. T. Beauregard proved the Confederate Army would not surrender easily.
Beauregard and the Confederate forces blocked McDonnell’s men about 25 miles into their march toward Richmond on July 21, 1861. The Union Army appeared undeterred at first, but the Confederates held their ground throughout the morning until reinforcements, including a brigade led by General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, arrived in the early afternoon. The Union troops eventually retreated, but not before suffering almost 2,900 casualties.
2. Battle of Sharpsburg
The Battle of Sharpsburg, sometimes referred to as Antietam, was a deadly battle in Maryland in September 1862 that resulted in more than 22,000 combined casualties and ultimately ended in a stalemate. Leading the Army of Northern Virginia, General Robert E. Lee marched into Sharpsburg, where he was met by Major General George McClellan and his Army of the Potomac. The two sides began firing at each other in a cornfield before eventually engaging in combat near a stone bridge along Antietam Creek.
Although there was no clear winner of the Battle of Sharpsburg, it is one of the most pivotal battles in the Civil War. The Union’s successful defense of a Confederate invasion inspired confidence in President Lincoln, who shortly after issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This critical document declared “that all persons held as slaves” in the Confederate states “are, and henceforward shall be free,” and ultimately shifted the primary focus of the Union to abolish slavery in the US.
3. Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville (April 30 to May 6, 1863) in Virginia was among the most substantial victories for General Lee during the Civil War. Lee ordered “Stonewall” Jackson, a lieutenant general at this point, to lead forces through a rough forest to engage in battle with Union soldiers led by General Joseph Hooker.
There were more than 17,000 Union casualties and nearly 13,000 Confederate. It wasn’t all positive for the Confederates, however, as Jackson died four days after the battle as a result of wounds incurred from friendly fire.
4. Vicksburg
Held over about six weeks in 1863, the Union Siege of Vicksburg marked a turning point in the Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant, already a national hero for securing victory at Fort Donelson, sent forces to attack the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, several times in May. These early efforts were rebuked by Confederate defenses, but Grant responded with an all-out attack involving artillery and fire from gunboats. Many Confederate soldiers and civilians were sent into hiding in man-made caves.
After another unsuccessful siege attempt in June, Grant and the Union forces continued to push forward in July, resulting in the surrender of Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton and his 29,000 soldiers. The Union, meanwhile, gained control of the Mississippi River supply line, a critical access point Confederate President Jefferson Davis referred to as “the nail head that holds the South’s two halves together.”
5. Gettysburg
Around the same time as Vicksburg, Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Union territory with the hopes of acquiring supplies for his depleted forces and forcing Lincoln to discuss a potential peace treaty. Instead, Lee and his troops were met by Major General George Meade in Pennsylvania. The two sides fought for three days in what was one of the deadliest battles in American history. Historians estimate at least 50,000 men perished.
Lee withdrew his forces on July 4 and offered his resignation to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who refused the notion. President Lincoln later delivered the famous Gettysburg Address at the site of the battle.
6. Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was one of the last noteworthy armed confrontations in the Civil War. Union General William T. Sherman led three separate armies into Atlanta in July 1864 and successfully sacked the city on September 1. The Union victory gave President Lincoln a boost at the polls and helped him secure re-election in 1864 against George B. McClellan. The Civil War ended less than a year later.
