Time: 2 days

Location: Charleston Harbor, South Carolina

Key Figures:

• Union: Major Robert Anderson

• Confederacy: General P.G.T. Beauregard

What Happened: Fort Sumter was a Union fort in South Carolina (a state that had seceded). The Confederate army wanted the Union troops to leave, but they refused. At 4:30 AM on April 12, 1861, Confederate forces opened fire on the fort, launching the first shots of the Civil War. The Union soldiers inside, led by Major Anderson, tried to hold out, but after 34 hours of bombardment, they surrendered on the next day (April 13.) After the Union soldiers left, the Confederacy took control of Fort Sumter.

APA:

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2025, January 9). Battle of Fort Sumter. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Fort-Sumter

Date: July 21, 1861

Location: Near Manassas, Virginia

Time: Single-day battle

Key Figures:

• Union: Brigadier General Irvin McDowell

• Confederate: Generals Joseph E. Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard

What Happened? This was the first MAJOR battle of the Civil War. Union General (Irvin McDowell) led 35,000 soldiers from Washington, D.C., to attack 20,000 Confederate troops under Generals Joseph E. Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard near Manassas, Virginia. At first, Union troops had the upper hand, but Confederate reinforcements pushed them back, causing a retreat to Washington. Confederate victory.

APA:

American Battlefield Trust. (n.d.). First Battle of Bull Run. Retrieved from https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/bull-run

Whiting, G. (n.d.). The Battle of Bull’s Run, VA, July 21, 1861 [Print]. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved from https://www.si.edu/object/battle-bulls-run-va-july-21-1861%3Anmah_325543

Key Figures:

• Union: General Ulysses S. Grant

• Confederacy: General Albert Sidney Johnston (killed in battle), General P.G.T. Beauregard

What Happened:
The Battle of Shiloh was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. On April 6, 1862, Confederate forces launched a surprise attack on Union troops camped near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. So at first, the Confederates had the advantage when pushing Union soldiers back. However, General Johnston was killed that afternoon, and leadership passed to General Beauregard. The next day, Union reinforcements arrived, and General Grant led a powerful counterattack. The Confederates were forced to retreat, giving the Union a major win. The battle ended with over 23,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing.

APA Citations

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2025, January 30). Battle of Shiloh. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Shiloh

Key Figures:

• Union: Flag Officer Charles H. Davis

• Confederacy: Commodore James E. Montgomery

  
  

What Happened:

The Battle of Memphis was a naval battle during the American Civil War. It took place on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee. The Union Navy, with a fleet of ironclad gunboats and rams, fought against the Confederate River Defense Fleet. The battle was quick, lasting less than two hours. The Union forces sank or captured most of the Confederate ships, forcing the city of Memphis to surrender. This victory gave the Union control of a key part of the Mississippi River, helping them cut off the Confederacy’s supplies and weaken their defenses. Key victory.

APA Citations

Quarstein, J. V. (2021, May 20). Battle of Memphis. The Mariners’ Museum and Park. https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2021/05/battle-of-memphis/

Key Figures:

• Union: Admiral David Farragut

• Confederacy: General Mansfield Lovell

  
  

What Happened:
During the Civil War, the Union wanted to control the Mississippi River, and New Orleans was a major target. On April 24, 1862, Admiral David Farragut led Union warships past Confederate forts, despite heavy cannon fire. By April 25, they reached the city.

Confederate General Mansfield Lovell knew he couldn’t defend New Orleans, so he ordered a retreat. Angry citizens burned supplies to keep them from Union hands. On May 1, Union forces took control, dealing a major blow to the Confederacy’s supply routes.

APA Citations

Helaire, J. (2023, April 25). April 25, 1862: Union forces capture New Orleans. Verite News. https://veritenews.org/2023/04/25/april-25-1862-union-forces-capture-new-orleans/

Time: Ongoing over three days

Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Key Figures/Leaders:

Union: Major General George G. Meade

Confederacy: General Robert E. Lee

What happened:

This was a major turning point in the Civil War. It started when Confederate troops, led by General Lee, entered Gettysburg looking for supplies and unexpectedly ran into Union forces under General George G. Meade.

For three days, both sides fought fiercely. The Union held strong, and on July 3, Lee’s final attack, Pickett’s Charge, failed. The battle ended in a Union victory, forcing the Confederates to retreat. With over 50,000 casualties, it was the war’s deadliest battle and led to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, honoring the soldiers who fought for freedom.

APA Citations

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2025, February 11). Battle of Gettysburg. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Gettysburg

Key Figures:

• Union: Major General William T. Sherman

• Confederate: General Joseph E. Johnston

  
  

What Happened:
The Battle of Bentonville was one of the last major battles of the Civil War. General Johnston led Confederate forces in a desperate attempt to stop General Sherman’s army from advancing through North Carolina. On March 19, Johnston's troops launched a surprise attack, briefly gaining ground. However, the Union army was much larger and better supplied. By March 21, Johnston realized he couldn’t win and retreated. This battle was one of the last major Confederate attempts to stop the Union army before the Civil War ended.

APA Citations

Faulkner, R. W. (2006). Bentonville, Battle of. NCpedia. Retrieved from https://www.ncpedia.org/bentonville-battle

American Battlefield Trust. (n.d.). Battle of Bentonville. Retrieved from https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/bentonville

Key Figures:

• Union: General Ulysses S. Grant

• Confederacy: General Robert E. Lee

  
  

What Happened:

The Battle of Appomattox Court House was one of the final battles of the American Civil War. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his army were surrounded by Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant. Lee attempted to break through Union lines, but his troops were outnumbered and exhausted. Realizing that further fighting was hopeless, Lee surrendered to Grant. This surrender marked the beginning of the end of the Civil War, as other Confederate forces soon followed. Grant allowed Lee’s men to return home instead of being punished, which helped start the process of bringing the country back together into one peaceful union.

APA Citations

Hudson, M. (2019). Battle of Appomattox Court House. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Appomattox-Court-House