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Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, National Park Drive, Appomattox, VA, USA

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Click the link to learn more about the final battle of the Civil War and the Confederacy's surrender in 1864.

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Facts about the Battle of Appomattox Court House, 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.

Definition

The Battle of Appomattox Court House was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America on April 9, 1865, during the American Civil War.

Quick Facts

Date Started: The Battle of Appomattox Court House started on Sunday, April 9, 1865.

Date Ended: The fighting ended on April 9, 1865.

Location: The battle took place in Appomattox County, Virginia.

Who Won: The United States of America won the Battle of Appomattox Court House.

Civil War Campaign: The Battle of Appomattox Court House was part of the Appomattox Campaign.

This illustration depicts Robert E. Lee surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. Image Source: Library of Congress.
Interesting Facts

The Battle of Appomattox Court House was the last battlefield engagement for the Army of Northern Virginia.

It was the last battle of the American Civil War fought in Virginia.

Commanders and Forces Involved

Principal Union Commanders

Principal Confederate Commanders

Union Forces Engaged

Army of the Potomac's cavalry

2nd and 6th Corps of the Army of the Potomac

24th and 25th Corps of the Army of the James

Confederate Forces Engaged

1st Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia

2nd Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia

Casualties and Statistics

Union Casualties

Estimated 164 (killed, wounded, captured/missing).

Confederate Casualties

Estimated 500 (killed, wounded, captured/missing).

Results of the Battle of Appomattox Court House

The outcome of the Battle of Appomattox Court House was a Union victory.

After the Battle of Appomattox Court House, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant.

Timeline of the Battle of Appomattox Court House

This list shows the main battles and events that took place before and after the Battle of Appomattox Court House, and how it fits into the chronological order of the Appomattox Campaign.

March 29, 1865 - Battle of Lewis's Farm

March 31, 1865 - Battle of White Oak Road

March 31, 1865 - Battle of Dinwiddie Court House

April 1, 1865 - Battle of Five Forks

April 2, 1865 - Third Battle of Petersburg

April 2, 1865 - Battle of Sutherland's Station

April 3, 1865 - Battle of Namozine Church

April 5-6, 1865 - Battle of Amelia Springs

April 6, 1865 - Battle of Sailor's Creek

April 6, 1865 - Battle of Rice's Station

April 6-7, 1865 - Battle of High Bridge

April 7, 1865 - Battle of Cumberland Church

April 8, 1865 - Battle of Appomattox Station

April 9, 1865 - Battle of Appomattox Court House

April 9, 1865 - Surrender at Appomattox Court House

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Battle of Appomattox Court House Facts for Kids, Social Studies, APUSH, Civil War, 1865

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Facts about the Battle of Appomattox Court House, 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.

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Click the link at Atlanta, GA to learn more.

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Sherman's March to the Sea (Atlanta, GA)

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Sherman's March to the Sea (Atlanta, GA)

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Click the link to learn more about "Sherman's March to the Sea" and the concept of total war.

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Sherman’s March to the Sea, Facts, Timeline, Impact, Definition

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Facts about Sherman’s March to the Sea, which occurred from November 15–December 21, 1864, during the Civil War.

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Click the link to learn more about The Siege of Vicksburg, a major Union victory in the Civil War.

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Facts about the Siege of Vicksburg, 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.

Definition

The Siege of Vicksburg was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America from May 25, 1863, to July 4, 1863, during the American Civil War.

Quick Facts

Date Started: The Siege of Vicksburg started on Monday, May 25, 1863.

Date Ended: The fighting ended on Saturday, July 4, 1863.

Location: The siege took place at Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Who Won: The United States of America won the Siege of Vicksburg.

Civil War Campaign: The Siege of Vicksburg was part of the Vicksburg Campaign.

This illustration depicts General Ulysses S. Grant at the Siege of Vicksburg. Image Source: Library of Congress.
Interesting Facts

Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton's surrender of the Army of the Mississippi marked the second time that an entire Confederate army surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, the first being at Fort Donelson.

During the Siege of Vicksburg, inhabitants of the city dug over 500 caves that they inhabited to escape injury from Union bombardment.

The Siege of Vicksburg ended one day after the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Commanders and Forces Involved

Principal Union Commanders

Principal Confederate Commanders

Union Forces Engaged

Confederate Forces Engaged

Casualties and Statistics

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

Estimated Union Casualties

4,835 (766 killed, 3,793 wounded, 276 captured/missing)

Estimated Confederate Casualties

32,697 (3,202 killed/wounded/missing, 29,495 surrendered)

Results of the Siege of Vicksburg

The outcome of the Siege of Vicksburg was a Union victory.

Vicksburg's fall gave the Union complete control of the Mississippi River, reestablishing trade through the Gulf of Mexico.

Vicksburg's fall severed the Confederacy's connections with territories in the American West, denying the South essential agricultural supplies.

The success of the Vicksburg Campaign also restored Ulysses S. Grant's reputation, which had suffered after the surprise attack at Shiloh. The renewed confidence in Grant would have a decisive impact on later events in the eastern theater and on the conclusion of the war.

Timeline of the Battle of Vicksburg

This list shows the main battles and events that took place before and after the Battle of Vicksburg, and how it fits into the chronological order of the Vicksburg Campaign.

December 26-29, 1862 - Battle of Chickasaw Bayou

February 3-April 8, 1863 - Yazoo Pass Expedition

March 11-18, 1863 - Battle of Fort Pemberton

April 29, 1863 - Battle of Grand Gulf

May 1, 1863 - Battle of Port Gibson

May 12, 1863 - Battle of Raymond

May 14, 1863 - Battle of Jackson

May 16, 1863 - Battle of Champion Hill

May 17, 1863 - Battle of Big Black River Bridge

May 25-July 4, 1863 - Siege of Vicksburg

July 4, 1863 - Surrender at Vicksburg

July 4, 1863 - Battle of Helena

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Siege of Vicksburg Facts for Kids, Social Studies, APUSH, Civil War, 1863

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Facts about the Siege of Vicksburg, 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.

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Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, PA, USA

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Click the link to learn more about one of the most famous speeches ever given by a president in United States history.

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Gettysburg Address

In the wake of the United States Civil War's deadliest battle, President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. Now praised, this speech was not always seen this way.

Image

Lincoln Giving Gettysburg Address

Lincoln delivered one of the most famous speeches in United States history at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery on November 19, 1863.

Photograph of 1905 lithograph by Heritage Images

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought between July 1 and July 3, 1863. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the United States Civil War, with over 51,000 casualties—soldiers killed, injured, or otherwise lost to action—combined. Around 3,100 U.S. troops were killed, while 3,900 Confederates died. The U.S. victory there marked the turning point of the war.

President Lincoln was asked to deliver a message at the dedication of the Gettysburg Civil War Cemetery on November 19, 1863. The featured speaker for the occasion was Edward Everett, a former dean of Harvard University, and one of the most famous orators of his day. He spoke for two hours. Then Lincoln delivered his message; it took two minutes.

Lincoln tied the current struggle to the days of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, speaking of the principles that the nation was conceived in: liberty and the proposition that all men are created equal. Moreover, he tied both to the abolition of slavery—a new birth of freedom—and the maintenance of representative government.

Despite (or perhaps because of) its brevity, since the speech was delivered, it has come to be recognized as one of the most powerful statements in the English language and, in fact, one of the most important expressions of freedom and

liberty

in any language. Indeed, Everett immediately afterward wrote to Lincoln that “I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.”

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives, that that nation might live.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

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Tyson Brown

, National Geographic Society

Author

National Geographic Society

, National Geographic Society

Production Managers

Gina Borgia

, National Geographic Society

Jeanna Sullivan

, National Geographic Society

Program Specialists

Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society

, National Geographic Society

Margot Willis

, National Geographic Society

Producer

other

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Gettysburg Address | National Geographic Society

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In the wake of the United States Civil War’s deadliest battle, President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. Now praised, this speech was not always seen this way.

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Click the link to learn more about the Battle of Gettysburg, the major turning point of the Civil War.

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When was the Battle of Gettysburg fought?

The Battle of Gettysburg began on Wednesday, July 1st 1863. The first shots were fired northwest of town early in the morning as advancing Confederates ran into Union cavalry pickets, although exactly when and where has been a matter of intense debate.

It continued until Friday, July 3rd, with the repulse of Pickett’s Charge and Stuart’s attempt to drive around Meade’s flank and into his rear. Each of the three days saw intense fighting in and around the city.

The armies remained facing each other on the field on July 4th. There was minor skirmishing and some casualties but it did not escalate into major fighting, and it is not usually considered part of the battle. Lee’s army began its retreat to Virginia after dark on the 4th.

Where was the Battle of Gettysburg fought?

The Battle of Gettysburg took place around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a small crossroads town in southern Pennsylvania about 8 miles north of the Maryland border. It is the center hub of a network of roads feeding in from all angles of the compass. Gettysburg was also the end of a railroad line from Hanover, but it had been wrecked by Confederate troops. Gettysburg’s road network and its position on the east side of the mountains were important factors in why the battle was fought there. So was the terrain, which included good defensive ground such as Little Round Top, Culp’s Hill, and Cemetery Hill.

Gettysburg was the hub of a network of roads

The Roads to Gettysburg (listed clockwise)

Chambersburg Pike, or Cashtown Road (now U.S. 30)
Mummasburg Road
Newville Road (now Middletown Road)
Carlisle Road
Harrisburg (or Heidlersburg) Road (now Bus. U.S. 15)
Hunterstown Road
York Road (now U.S. 30)
Hanover Road (now PA. 116)
Baltimore Pike (now PA. 97)
Taneytown Road (now PA. 134)
Emmitsburg Road (now Bus. U.S. 15)
Fairfield (or Hagerstown) Road (now PA. 116)

How close is Gettysburg to places like Washington, Richmond and Philadelphia?

Distances from Gettysburg

Gettysburg is:
25 miles from Chambersburg
28 miles from York
30 miles from Hagerstown, Md.
32 miles from Frederick, Md.
35 miles from Harrisburg
38 miles from the Potomac River at Williamsport, Md.
40 miles from the Susquehanna River at Columbia, Pa.
50 miles from Baltimore, Md.
71 miles from Washington D.C.
110 miles from Fredericksburg, Va. using the route taken by most of the Army of the Potomac
112 miles from Philadelphia, Pa.
172 miles from Richmond, Va.
175 miles from Fredericksburg via the Shenandoah Valley, as marched by most of the Army of Northern Virginia
195 miles from New York City

Who fought at Gettysburg?

What were the strengths of the armies that fought in the Battle of Gettysburg?

The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia
70,100 men and 280 guns
Commanded by General Robert E. Lee

The Federal Army of the Potomac
93,700 men and 372 guns
Commanded by Major General George G. Meade

The armies at the Battle of Gettysburg included regiments and batteries from 12 Southern and 18 Northern states. Both armies had units from Maryland. See more details in the States at Gettysburg.

The Federal Army of the Potomac had an advantage in numbers of almost 24,000 men, helped by a last-minute transfer of over 10,000 men from the rear-area forces around Washington and Baltimore.

Compare the strength of the corps and divisions of the armies at Gettysburg

How many casualties were there in the Battle of Gettysburg?

Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. It is estimated that there were at least 45,000 and possibly as many as 51,000 casualties in the two armies at Gettysburg.

How many people died at Gettysburg?

Note that the term “casualties” means not just people who were killed, but also includes men who were wounded (many of whom may have died of their wounds later), soldiers who were captured, and even men who ran away. It’s impossible to calculate an exact number because of missing or incomplete records. This estimate is one of the more conservative and probably significantly understates Confederate missing and wounded:

| killed | wounded | missing | total
Union | 3,150 | 14,500 | 5,165 | 22,815
Confederate | 4,400 | 12,950 | 5,350 | 22,700
Total | 7,550 | 27,450 | 10,515 | 45,515

Were any civilians killed in the Battle of Gettysburg?

Hundreds of civilians sheltered in their homes as the fighting raged around them and one, John Burns, joined the fight and was wounded. But while a number of civilians died from the diseases the battle brought to town and several were killed by unexploded ordnance afterwards, only one civilian, Jennie Wade, was killed during the actual Battle of Gettysburg. She was struck by a stray shot while indoors in a house on the south side of town caring for a sick relative.

Who won the Battle of Gettysburg?

The Battle of Gettysburg was a decisive victory for the Union.

Tactically it may have seemed about even. Both armies lost about the same number of men. Lee kept his army on the field until the evening of the day after the battle, waiting for a counterattack by Meade which never came. But Meade’s larger army could better afford the losses – all eight of Lee’s infantry divisions lost about a third of their strength, while Meade’s largest Army Corps was virtually untouched. Lee was almost out of artillery ammunition, while Meade had enough for another battle. And Meade had no need to throw himself into a dangerous counterattack. Time was on his side as Union reinforcements moved to surround Lee, deep in enemy territory with no hope of reinforcement.

Both armies were badly hurt. The Union 1st and 3rd Corps never recovered from their casualties and were merged into other corps in March of 1864. Pickett’s Division was so damaged it was detached from Longstreet and sent to a quiet(er) sector along the Virginia-North Carolina border to recruit and recover. But the Union could more readily find fresh recruits, while Lee would increasingly struggle with a shortage of men, particularly of field and general officers.

Strategically there was no question. The Battle of Gettysburg stopped the Confederate invasion of the North and forced Lee to withdraw to Virginia. He was successful in his secondary goal of gathering supplies from untouched Northern regions, but his goal of moving the fighting out of war-ravaged Virginia only lasted for a few weeks. By August the armies had returned to their starting places along the Rappahannock River. Lee’s primary goal of exploiting a Confederate victory by pursuing and destroying a beaten Union army would remain an elusive dream.

Did the Battle of Gettysburg end the Civil War?

Gettysburg was not the end of the war. Far from it. The Civil War started with the bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, 26 months before the fight at Gettysburg. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House was on April 9, 1865, 21 months after the battle. The Confederate Department of the Trans-Mississippi did not surrender until May 26, 1865, 23 months after Gettysburg. Gettysburg was almost exactly the midpoint of the war.

What was the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg?

At the start of the Gettysburg Campaign both armies were separated by the Rappahannock River in Virginia. The North had attacked across the river twice, in the Battle of Fredericksburg (December 1862) and the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 1863). Both were Confederate victories, although both times the North was able to withdraw back across the river and safely rebuild.

Lee’s problem

Lee knew he could not just sit south of the river and throw back Northern attacks. His army could not replace its casualties while the North could, meaning he would grow ever weaker in comparison. Remaining in one location had stripped the nearby area of food, forage and firewood, and the Southern rail system could not supply his army properly. Already he had been forced to disperse his hungry artillery horses away from the army to keep them alive, limiting his mobility in an emergency. And Lee knew that some day the North might find the winning combination.

Lee’s plan

Lee’s plan was to take the war to the north in a move up the Shenandoah Valley. This would let the farmers there harvest their crops for the Confederacy, while Lee’s army could forage in the rich and untouched lands of Pennsylvania. It would threaten Union cities such as Baltimore, Harrisburg and Philadelphia. And it would give Lee a chance to fight and win a battle in the open, where he could finally pursue and possibly destroy the beaten enemy. Lee saw it as the best way to end the war before the South was trapped in an unwinnable battle of attrition.

Lee maintained the initiative all through the battle, launching major attacks each day. But by the evening on July 3rd he had reached the end of his strength. His army had lost heavy casualties and he was critically low on ammunition, particularly artillery. He was well into Union territory where reinforcements would not be available, while Meade’s force was rapidly growing. He pulled back into a strong defensive line on the 4th, hoping Meade would attack and spend himself the way Lee had for three days, but Meade refused to rise to the bait. Lee’s only choice was to return to Virginia.

The results

The Battle of Gettysburg is considered a turning point. Although it did not involve the largest number of troops the battle had the highest casualties of any battle of the Civil War. Up until then Lee might have been able to win the war with a stunning victory that forced the North to concede defeat. Afterwards the best he could hope for was to make the North’s victory so costly they would give up in exhaustion. Lee’s heavy losses in men and particularly officers would be a problem for the rest of the war. And for the rest of the war Lee was on the strategic defensive, forced into the war of attrition he feared, and eventually cornered in an unwinnable siege around Richmond.

Unusual Gettysburg Facts

See more facts, some quite unusual, about the greatest battle of the Civil War.

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Facts about the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg - Who fought in the battle? Who was in command? Who won? How many casualties were there? How many died?

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Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation

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Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation

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Click the link to learn more about the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln halfway through the war.

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The Emancipation Proclamation

Emancipation Proclamation engraving
by W. Roberts

History >> Civil War

The Emancipation Proclamation was an order given on January 1, 1863 by Abraham Lincoln to free the enslaved.

Were all the enslaved immediately free?

No. Only about 50,000 of the 4 million enslaved people were immediately set free. The Emancipation Proclamation had some limitations. First, it only freed the enslaved in the Confederate States that were not under Union control. There were some areas and border states whereslavery was still legal, but were part of the Union. The enslaved in these states were not immediately freed. For the rest of the Southern states, the enslaved would not be free until the Union was able to defeat the Confederacy.

However, the Emancipation Proclamation did eventually set millions of the enslaved free. It also made clear that in the near future all of the enslaved should and would be set free.

The Emancipation also allowed for Black men to fight in the Union Army. Around 200,000 black soldiers fought on the side of the Union Army helping the North win the war and also helping to expand the area of freedom as they marched through the South.

Why did Lincoln wait until 1863?

First Reading of the Emancipation
Proclamation of President Lincoln
by Francis Bicknell Carpenter

Lincoln felt like he needed a major victory in order to have the full support behind the Emancipation. If he issued the order without public support, it might fail and he wanted to be sure that it was successful and seen as a major moral victory for the North. When the Union Army turned back Robert E. Lee and the Confederates in the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862 Lincoln knew it was time. The initial announcement that the Emancipation Proclamation order was coming was given a few days later on September 22, 1862.

The Thirteenth Amendment

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order. It wasn't fully law per the Constitution yet. However, it did pave the way for theThirteenth Amendment. The advantage of the Proclamation was that it could happen quickly. The Thirteenth Amendment took a few more years to get passed by congress and implemented, but on December 6, 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment was adopted and became part of the United States Constitution.

Here is the wording of the Thirteenth Amendment:

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation

Other Interesting Facts

The original document was five pages long. It is currently located in the National Archives in Washington D.C.

The proclamation gained the Union the support of international countries such as Great Britain and France, where slavery had already been abolished.

It did not free the enslaved in the loyal border states. They would have to wait until the war was over.

The order declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebel states "are, and henceforward shall be free."

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Civil War for Kids: Emancipation Proclamation

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Kids learn about the Emancipation Proclamation when Abraham Lincoln freed the enslaved during the Civil War.

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Antietam National Battlefield, East Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, USA

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Click the link to learn more about the Battle of Antietam, the single bloodiest day of the Civil War.

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Facts about the Battle of Antietam, 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.

Definition

The Battle of Antietam was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America on September 17, 1862, during the American Civil War.

Quick Facts

Also Known As: The Battle of Antietam is also called the "Battle of Sharpsburg."

Date Started: The Battle of Antietam started on Wednesday, September 17, 1862.

Date Ended: The fighting ended on September 17, 1862.

Location: The battle took place near the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek.

Who Won: The battle was a tactical draw, but a strategic victory for the United States of America.

Civil War Campaign: The Battle of Antietam was part of the Maryland Campaign.

This painting depicts Union soldiers marching into battle at Antietam. Image Source: Library of Congress.
Interesting Facts

More Americans died on September 17, 1862, than on any other day in the nation's military history.

Clara Barton cared for wounded soldiers at the Battle of Antietam.

The Battle of Antietam was the first major battle of the American Civil War to be fought on Northern soil.

Photographer Alexander Gardner took the first photos of dead soldiers on an American battlefield after the Battle of Antietam.

Three Union generals were mortally wounded during the Battle of Antietam: Major General Joseph Mansfield, Major General Israel Richardson, and Brigadier General Isaac Rodman.

Three Confederate generals were mortally wounded during the Battle of Antietam: Brigadier General William Starke, Brigadier General George Anderson, and Brigadier General Lawrence O. Branch.

The Battle of Antietam has two names because the Federals frequently named battles for creeks or rivers that played a role in the fighting, while Confederates used the names of nearby towns or cities.

General Lee's battle plans at Antietam were known in advance. Two Union soldiers (Corporal Barton W. Mitchell and First Sergeant John M. Bloss of the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry) discovered a mislaid copy of Lee's detailed battle plans - Special Order 191 - wrapped around three cigars.

Technically, the Battle of Antietam was a slight tactical victory for the Union because Robert E. Lee withdrew his army from the battle first. More realistically, the battle was a tactical draw, as both armies suffered heavy casualties and neither was a clear victor.

Strategically, the Battle of Antietam was a Union victory because it forced Robert E. Lee to end his Maryland Campaign and withdraw back to Virginia.

Commanders and Forces Involved

Principal Union Generals

Principal Confederate Generals

Union Forces Engaged

Confederate Forces Engaged

Army of Northern Virginia

Casualties and Statistics

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

Union Casualties

12,401 (2,108 killed, 9,540 wounded, and 753 missing)

Confederate Casualties

10,316 casualties (1,546 killed, 7,752 wounded, and 1,018 missing)

Results of the Battle of Antietam

The outcome of the battle was a tactical draw on the field, but a strategic victory for the Union.

President Lincoln and Union General-in-Chief Henry Halleck were so upset that General McClellan did not pursue Lee's army during its retreat into Virginia after the battle that Lincoln relieved McClellan of his command on November 7, 1862.

President Lincoln used the Union's strategic victory at Antietam as an opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862.

Timeline of the Battle of Antietam

This list shows the main battles and events that took place before and after the Battle of Antietam, and how it fits into the chronological order of the Maryland Campaign.

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Battle of Antietam Facts for Kids, Social Studies, APUSH, Civil War, 1862

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Facts about the Battle of Antietam, 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.

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Click the link to learn more about the Battle of Hampton Roads, where ironclads met in battle for the 1st time in the war.

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Facts about the Battle of Hampton Roads, 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.

Definition

The Battle of Hampton Roads was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America from March 8 to March 9, 1862, during the American Civil War.

Quick Facts

Also Known As: The Battle of Hampton Roads is also called the "Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack" and the "Battle of the Ironclads."

Date Started: The battle started on Saturday, March 8, 1862

Date Ended: The battle ended on Sunday, March 9, 1862.

Location: The battle took place near the Gosport Shipyard - later named the Norfolk Naval Shipyard - in Virginia.

Who Won: The battle ended in a draw.

Civil War Campaign: The Battle of Hampton Roads was part of the Peninsula Campaign.

This painting depicts the USS Monitor (right) and the CSS Virginia (Merrimack) firing on each other at the Battle of Hampton Roads. Image Source: Library of Congress.
Interesting Facts

The Battle of Hampton Roads was a naval engagement between two ironclads, the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor.

Hampton Roads is a bay-like body of water formed by the confluence of the James, Elizabeth, and Nansemond rivers in southeastern Virginia.

In the case of Hampton Roads, the word "roads" is a nautical term for a partially sheltered body of water where ships may ride at anchor.

Passage through Hampton Roads is the only point of connection between Norfolk and the Chesapeake Bay (and subsequently the Atlantic Ocean).

On March 8, 1862, the Confederate commander of the CSS Virginia was Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan.

On March 9, 1862, the Confederate commander of the CSS Virginia was Lieutenant Catesby R. Jones.

The commander of the USS Monitor during the Battle of Hampton Roads was Lieutenant John Worden.

The Battle of Hampton Roads was the first engagement between two ironclads in the history of naval warfare.

The USS Monitor's continued presence in Hampton Roads following the Battle of Hampton Roads enabled Union General George B. McClellan to initiate his Peninsula Campaign with an amphibious landing near Fort Monroe on March 17, 1862.

Flag Officer J. Tattnall scuttled the CSS Virginia in the James River on May 11, 1862, rather than let his ship fall into Union hands.

On January 1, 1863, the USS Monitor foundered during a storm off Cape Hatteras and went to the bottom of the Atlantic along with four officers and twelve crewmen.

Commanders and Forces Involved

Principal Union Commanders

Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough

Lieutenant John Worden

Principal Confederate Commanders

Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan

Lieutenant Catesby R. Jones

Union forces Engaged

Confederate Forces Engaged

Casualties and Statistics

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

Estimated Union Casualties

369 (261 killed, 108 wounded)

Estimated Confederate Casualties

Results of the Battle of Hampton Roads

The outcome of the Battle of Hampton Roads was inconclusive and ended in a draw.

Neither ship had enough firepower to break through the armor of the other and eventually withdrew.

Timeline of the Battle of Hampton Roads

This list shows the main battles and events that took place before and after the Battle of Hampton Roads, and how it fits into the chronological order of the Peninsula Campaign.

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Battle of Hampton Roads Facts for Kids, Social Studies, APUSH, Civil War, 1862

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Facts about the Battle of Hampton Roads, 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.

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Click the link to learn more about the First Battle of Bull Run, near Manassas, Virginia

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Battle Name: First Battle of Bull Run

Battle Start Date: July 21st, 1861

Battle End Date: July 21st, 1861

Battle Belligerents: United States and Confederate States

Battle Winner: Confederate States

Total Casualties: 4,000+

16 First Battle of Bull Run Facts for Kids

1. The First Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the American Civil War.

2. The First Battle of Bull Run is also referred to as the First Battle of Manassas.

3. The First Battle of Bull Run was fought between the United States and the Confederate States.

4. The First Battle of Bull Run was fought in Fairfax County and Prince William County in Virginia.

5. The First Battle of Bull Run was fought on July 21st, 1861.

6. The First Battle of Bull Run was fought for one day.

7. The First Battle of Bull Run was fought because the United States planned to attack the Confederate States at Bull Run.

8. The First Battle of Bull Run was won by the Confederate States.

9. The United States started the First Battle of Bull Run with 35,732 troops and the Confederate States started with between 32,000 and 34,000 troops.

10. There were 4,690 casualties from the First Battle of Bull Run with both sides combined.

11. The United States had 2,708 casualties, 481 killed, 1011 wounded and 1,216 captured or missing.

12. The Confederate States had 1,982 casualties, 387 killed, 1,582 wounded and 13 captured or missing.

13. The fighting at the First Battle of Bull Run was commanded by inexperienced officers with a large amount of inexperienced and ill-trained soldiers.

14. At the current time, the First Battle of Bull Run was the bloodiest battle in the history of the United States.

15. By the end of the American Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run was the 31st bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

16. A portion of the site where the First Battle of Bull Run took place is designated as a National Battlefield Park and it's estimated 900,000 tourists visit it every year.

Pictures of the First Battle of Bull Run

An illustration of the First Battle of Bull Run. Credit: New York Illustrated News

An illustration of the First Battle of Bull Run. Credit: Harper's Weekly

An illustration of the First Battle of Bull Run. Credit: Harper's Weekly

Find More Facts About the First Battle of Bull Run

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First Battle of Bull Run Facts - Facts Just for Kids

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Battle Name: First Battle of Bull Run Battle Start Date: July 21st, 1861 Battle End Date: July 21st, 1861 Battle Belligerents: United States and Confederate States Battle Winner: Confederate States Total Casualties: 4,000+ The First Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the American Civil War.

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Click the link to learn more about the bombardment at Fort Sumter and how it sparked the deadliest war in US history.

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The Battle of Fort Sumter was the first battle of the American Civil War. The intense Confederate artillery bombardment of Major Robert Anderson's small Union garrison in the unfinished fort in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina, had been preceded by months of siege-like conditions.

Facts

Fort Sumter was built on an artificial island of stone at the heart of Charleston Harbor to defend against seaward attacks. This wartime map illustrates how vulnerable it was to fire from land batteries. A Fort Johnson cannon fired the war's opening shot. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

It was a Confederate victory.

Related Stories & Content

What Happened at the Battle of Fort Sumter?

During the secession crisis that followed President Abraham Lincoln's election in November 1860, many threats were made to Federal troops occupying forts in the South. Anderson, in command at the difficult-to-defend Fort Moultrie on Sullivan Island across the harbor from Charleston, began asking the War Department for reinforcements and making plans to move his men to one of the fortifications on more secure islands in the harbor-Castle Pinckney closer to Charleston or the unfinished Fort Sumter near the harbor's entrance.

Following South Carolina's secession on December 20, 1860, Governor Francis Pickens was pressured to do something about Anderson and his men since many believed that Anderson would not stay at Fort Moultrie but would take a better position at another of the harbor's forts. On December 24, Pickens sent proxies to Washington to negotiate what would be done about the occupied forts and to ensure Anderson remained at Fort Moultrie. However, on December 26 Anderson put his plan into action: he assembled his men, loaded them and their families onto boats, and rowed to Fort Sumter. What followed was basically a siege of Fort Sumter, with supplies and communication controlled by Pickens.

On January 9, 1861, the Star of the West, a side-wheel merchant steamer that had been sent from New York with supplies and reinforcements for Anderson, was unable to reach Fort Sumter because Pickens had built up the harbor defenses and fired on it. Anderson, under orders to fire only in defense, could only watch as the ship was turned back.

Shortly after, on January 11, Pickens demanded surrender and Anderson refused. By January 20, the food shortage had become acute enough that Pickens was under criticism from moderates and sent food to the fort, which was refused by Anderson. Shortly after, Pickens allowed the evacuation of 45 women and children to provide some measure of relief.

On March 1, Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard arrived in Charleston. He had been appointed by Confederate president Jefferson Davis to take command of the military situation in Charleston. In the sort of twist of fate that would happen frequently during the war, Beauregard had been one of Anderson's artillery students at West Point. Beauregard continued strengthening the harbor defenses and gun emplacements facing Fort Sumter.

Following his inauguration on March 4, 1861, Lincoln sent unofficial emissaries to observe the situation and report back to him while official negotiations with the Confederate government took place in Washington. He learned that Anderson would probably be out of food by mid-April. Anderson had indicated he needed supplies and reinforcements in early March and again on April 3, but did not received news or further instruction until April 8, when he received a letter from Washington informing him of that a relief expedition was being mounted. The Lincoln administration left the question of war up to the Confederates, which would be determined by whether or not they fired on the Federal supply ship and the fort, which the Federals did not intend to give up.

As news of the relief expedition percolated through the Confederate government, Beauregard was instructed to demand the fort's surrender and fire on it if surrender was refused. Beauregard began moving men and artillery into place and on April 11 and sent envoys to Fort Sumter to demand surrender. Anderson, after polling his men, once again refused. Following the refusal, Beauregard was asked to assess how long it would be before Anderson would run out of food and be forced to surrender, so just after midnight on April 12, the envoys arrived back at the Fort. Hoping the relief expedition would arrive before then, Anderson said he would surrender at noon on April 15. He was informed that was not soon enough, firing would began at 4:30 a.m.

After a signal gun was fired, Virginia fire-eater Edmund Ruffin, who had campaigned relentlessly through the 1850s for states' rights, slavery, and secession, was given the honor of firing the first shot at Fort Sumter. Anderson, to reduce his casualties and conserve ammunition, did not return fire until just before 7:00 a.m. when Captain Abner Doubleday fired the first return shot. Anderson also tried to reduce casualties by only using the guns from his lower casemates, where his men would be less exposed. Later in the morning, the barracks caught fire and many of his men had to be used as a fire crew. In the afternoon, they spotted the three ships flying the US flag just outside the harbor and thought they would be resupplied during the night, not realizing that the ships were actually on their way to Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida.

As night fell, Anderson stopped firing and the Confederates reduced their fire but resumed it the next morning. April 13, the barracks again caught fire and threatened the ammunition store, in spite of the rainy day. At about 1 p.m. the flagstaff was shot away and the flag was raised on the ramparts on a makeshift staff. On seeing the flag shot away, Louis Wigfall-aide to Beauregard, fire-eater, and former U.S. senator-rowed out to Fort Sumter on his own initiative, without the knowledge or approval of Beauregard, amid the continuing barrage to see if Anderson was attempting to surrender. Although initially told that Anderson was not surrendering, Wigfall was able to negotiate a surrender. At 1:30 p.m., the flag was replaced with a white sheet. On seeing the flag of surrender, Beauregard ceased firing and sent his envoys to the fort, where they learned of Wigfall's unofficial mission. After further negotiation, the same terms were eventually agreed to: surrender would occur April 14 at noon.

The people of Charleston came out in boats on April 14 to watch the surrender and evacuation. As part of the surrender terms, Anderson had received permission to fire a 100-gun salute while lowering the American flag before departing. Halfway through, one of the guns discharged prematurely, killing Private Daniel Hough, who had emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland in 1849, and mortally wounding Private Edward Galloway. Reportedly, Hough was buried at the fort, but that has not been proven. The rest of the men were taken by boat to the relief ships just outside the harbor. On April 15, 1861, Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the Southern rebellion. The Civil War had begun.

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Battle of Fort Sumter: Facts, Dates, and Information

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The Battle of Fort Sumter was the first battle of the American Civil War. The intense Confederate artillery bombardment of Major Robert Anderson's small Union garrison in the unfinished fort in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina, had been preceded by months of siege-like conditions. It was a Confederate victory.