Civil war was one of the bloodiest events in the history of America. There were numerous battles fought between the Union and the Confederate during these 4 long years. And, the casualties? More than 600,000 dead and over a million injured from both sides, as per the most accepted estimates. Here we try to cover most of the battles of the American Civil War. The major ones (decisive battles) are given in bold; most of these also happen to be major battles in terms of casualties.
Civil War Battles in 1861:
April 12, 1861: Battle of Fort Sumter
June 10, 1861: Battle of Big Bethel
June 17, 1861: Battle of Boonville (Missouri)
June 30, 1861: Battle of Philippi
July 5, 1861: Battle of Carthage
July 11, 1861: Battle of Rich Mountain
July 18, 1861: Battle of Blackburn’s Ford
July 21, 1861: First Battle of Bull Run (or the First Battle of Manassas)
August 10, 1861: Battle of Wilson’s Creek
August 28-29, 1861: Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries
September 10, 1861: Battle of Carnifex Ferry
September 12-15, 1861: Battle of Cheat Mountain
September 13-20, 1861: First Battle of Lexington
October 9, 1861: Battle of Santa Rosa Island
October 21, 1861: Battle of Ball’s Bluff
October 21, 1861: Battle of Camp Wildcat
November 7, 1861: Battle of Belmont
December 13, 1861: Battle of Camp Allegheny
December 20, 1861: Battle of Dranesville
December 26, 1861: Battle of Chustenahlah
Civil War Battles in 1862:
January 3, 1862: Battle of Cockpit Point
January 10, 1862: Battle of Middle Creek
January 19, 1862: Battle of Mill Springs
February 6, 1862: Battle of Fort Henry
February 7 – 8, 1862: Battle of Roanoke Island
February 11-16, 1862: Battle of Fort Donelson
February 20-21, 1862: Battle of Valverde
February 28-April 8, 1862: Battle of Island Number Ten (Battle of New Madrid)
March 6-8, 1862: Battle of Pea Ridge (Battle of Elkhorn Tavern)
March 8-9, 1862: Battle of Hampton Roads
March 14, 1862: Battle of New Bern
March 23-26, 1862: Battle of Fort Macon
March 23, 1862: First Battle of Kernstown
March 26-28, 1862: Battle of Glorieta Pass
April 5 – May 4, 1862: Siege of Yorktown
April 6-7, 1862: Battle of Shiloh
April 10-11, 1862: Battle of Fort Pulaski
April 18-28, 1862: Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip
April 25 – May 1, 1862: Capture of New Orleans
April 29 – May 30, 1862: Siege of Corinth
May 5, 1862: Battle of Williamsburg
May 8-9, 1862: Battle of McDowell
May 15, 1862: Battle of Drewry’s Bluff
May 15-17, 1862: Battle of Princeton Court House
May 23, 1862: Battle of Front Royal
May 25, 1862: First Battle of Winchester
May 27, 1862: Battle of Hanover Court House
May 31 – June 1, 1862: Battle of Seven Pines
June 6, 1862: Battle of Memphis
June 8, 1862: Battle of Cross Keys
June 9, 1862: Battle of Port Republic
June 16, 1862: Battle of James Island (Battle of Secessionville)
June 17, 1862: Battle of Saint Charles
June 26, 1862: Battle of Beaver Dam Creek
June 27, 1862: Battle of Gaines’ Mill
June 29, 1862: Battle of Savage’s Station
June 30, 1862: Battle of Glendale
June 30, 1862: Battle of White Oak Swamp
July 1, 1862: Battle of Malvern Hill
July 13, 1862: First Battle of Murfreesboro
August 5, 1862: Battle of Baton Rouge
August 9, 1862: Battle of Cedar Mountain
August 25-27, 1862: Battle of Manassas Station Operations (Bristoe Station, Kettle Run, Bull Run Bridge, Union Mills)
August 28, 1862: Battle of Thoroughfare Gap
August 28-30, 1862: Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)
August 30, 1862: Battle of Richmond, Kentucky
September 1, 1862: Battle of Chantilly
September 12-15, 1862: Battle of Harpers Ferry
September 14-17, 1862: Battle of Munfordville
September 14, 1862: Battle of South Mountain
September 17, 1862: Battle of Antietam (Battle of Sharpsburg)
September 19, 1862: Battle of Iuka
September 19-20, 1862: Battle of Shepherdstown
September 24, 1862: First Battle of Sabine Pass
September 30, 1862: First Battle of Newtonia
October 3-4, 1862: Second Battle of Corinth (Battle of Corinth)
October 5, 1862: Battle of Hatchie’s Bridge
October 8, 1862: Battle of Perryville
October 27, 1862: Battle of Georgia Landing
November 28, 1862: Battle of Cane Hill
December 7, 1862: Battle of Hartsville
December 7, 1862: Battle of Prairie Grove
December 13, 1862: Battle of Fredericksburg
December 17, 1862: Battle of Goldsboro Bridge
December 26-29, 1862: Battle of Chickasaw Bayou
December 31, 1862: Battle of Parker’s Cross Roads
December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863: Battle of Stones River (Second Battle of Murfreesboro)
Civil War Battles in 1863:
January 1, 1863: Battle of Galveston (Second Battle of Galveston)
January 9-11, 1863: Battle of Arkansas Post (Battle of Fort Hindman)
March 5, 1863: Battle of Fort McAllister (1863)
March 5, 1863: Battle of Thompson’s Station
March 17, 1863: Battle of Kelly’s Ford
April 7, 1863: First Battle of Charleston Harbor
April 11 – May 4, 1863: Battle of Suffolk, Hill’s Point (Battle of Fort Huger)
April 11 – May 4, 1863: Battle of Suffolk, Norfleet House (Siege of Suffolk)
April 14, 1863: Battle of Irish Bend
April 29, 1863: Battle of Grand Gulf
April 30 – May 6, 1863: Battle of Chancellorsville
April 30, 1863: Battle of Day’s Gap
May 1, 1863: Battle of Port Gibson
May 3-4, 1863: Battle of Salem Church
May 3, 1863: Second Battle of Fredericksburg
May 12, 1863: Battle of Raymond
May 14, 1863: Battle of Jackson, Mississippi
May 16, 1863: Battle of Champion Hill
May 17, 1863: Battle of Big Black River Bridge
May 18 – July 4, 1863: Siege of Vicksburg
May 21 – July 9, 1863: Siege of Port Hudson
June 7, 1863: Battle of Milliken’s Bend
June 9, 1863: Battle of Brandy Station
June 13-15, 1863: Second Battle of Winchester
June 17, 1863: Battle of Aldie
June 17-19, 1863: Battle of Middleburg
June 21, 1863: Battle of Upperville
June 24-26, 1863: Battle of Hoover’s Gap
June 30, 1863: Battle of Hanover
July 1-2, 1863: Battle of Cabin Creek
July 1-3, 1863: Battle of Gettysburg
July 4, 1863: Battle of Helena
July 6-16, 1863: Battle of Williamsport
July 9, 1863: Battle of Corydon
July 11, 1863: First Battle of Fort Wagner
July 12-13, 1863: Battle of Kock’s Plantation
July 17, 1863: Battle of Honey Springs
July 18, 1863: Second Battle of Fort Wagner
July 19, 1863: Battle of Buffington Island
August 17 – September 8, 1863: Second Battle of Charleston Harbor
August 17 – September 9, 1863: Second Battle of Fort Sumter
August 23, 1863: Lawrence Massacre (Quantrill’s Raid)
September 1, 1863: Battle of Devil’s Backbone
September 8, 1863: Second Battle of Sabine Pass
September 10, 1863: Battle of Bayou Fourche
September 19-20, 1863: Battle of Chickamauga
October 6, 1863: Battle of Fort Blair (Battle of Baxter Springs)
October 14, 1863: Battle of Bristoe Station
October 28 – 29, 1863: Battle of Wauhatchie
November 6, 1863: Battle of Droop Mountain
November 7, 1863: Second Battle of Rappahannock Station
November 23-25, 1863: Battle of Chattanooga
November 27 – December 2, 1863: Battle of Mine Run
November 27, 1863: Battle of Ringgold Gap
November 29, 1863: Battle of Fort Sanders
Civil War Battles in 1864:
January 17, 1864: Battle of Dandridge
January 27, 1864: Battle of Fair Garden
February 14-20, 1864: Battle of Meridian
February 20, 1864: Battle of Olustee
February 22, 1864: Battle of Okolona
February 22-27, 1864: First Battle of Dalton
March 2, 1864: Battle of Walkerton
March 12, 1864: Battle of Fort De Russy
March 25, 1864: Battle of Paducah
April 3-4, 1864: Battle of Elkin’s Ferry
April 8, 1864: Battle of Mansfield
April 9, 1864: Battle of Pleasant Hill
April 9-13, 1864: Battle of Prairie D’Ane
April 12, 1864: Battle of Fort Pillow
April 17, 1864: Battle of Plymouth
April 18, 1864: Battle of Poison Spring
April 23, 1864: Battle of Monett’s Ferry
April 30, 1864: Battle of Jenkins’ Ferry
May 5, 1864: Battle of Albemarle Sound
May 5-7, 1864: Battle of the Wilderness
May 6-7, 1864: Battle of Port Walthall Junction
May 7-13, 1864: Battle of Rocky Face Ridge
May 8-21, 1864: Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse
May 9, 1864: Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain
May 9, 1864: Battle of Swift Creek
May 11, 1864: Battle of Yellow Tavern
May 12-16, 1864: Battle of Proctor’s Creek
May 13, 1864: Battle of Resaca
May 15, 1864: Battle of New Market
May 16, 1864: Battle of Mansura
May 17, 1864: Battle of Adairsville
May 18, 1864: Battle of Yellow Bayou
May 20, 1864: Battle of Ware Bottom Church
May 23-26, 1864: Battle of North Anna
May 25-26, 1864: Battle of New Hope Church
May 26 – June 4, 1864: Battle of Dallas, Georgia
May 27, 1864: Battle of Pickett’s Mill
May 28, 1864: Battle of Haw’s Shop
May 28-30, 1864: Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
May 30, 1864: Battle of Old Church
May 31 – June 12, 1864: Battle of Cold Harbor
June 5, 1864: Battle of Piedmont
June 6 – July 3, 1864: Battle of Marietta
June 10, 1864: Battle of Brice’s Crossroads
June 11-12, 1864: Battle of Cynthiana
June 11-12, 1864: Battle of Trevilian Station
June 15-18, 1864: Second Battle of Petersburg
June 17-18, 1864: Battle of Lynchburg
June 21-24, 1864: Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
June 22, 1864: Battle of Kolb’s Farm
June 25, 1864: Battle of Staunton River Bridge
June 27, 1864: Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
June 29, 1864: First Battle of Ream’s Station
July 9, 1864: Battle of Monocacy (Battle of Monocacy Junction)
July 11-12, 1864: Battle of Fort Stevens
July 14-15, 1864: Battle of Tupelo
July 18-19, 1864: Battle of Cool Spring
July 20, 1864: Battle of Peachtree Creek
July 22, 1864: Battle of Atlanta
July 24, 1864: Second Battle of Kernstown
July 27-29, 1864: First Battle of Deep Bottom
July 28, 1864: Battle of Ezra Church
July 30, 1864: Battle of the Crater
August 2-23, 1864: Battle of Mobile Bay
August 5-7, 1864: Battle of Utoy Creek
August 7, 1864: Battle of Moorefield
August 14-20, 1864: Second Battle of Deep Bottom
August 16, 1864: Battle of Guard Hill
August 18-21, 1864: Battle of Globe Tavern
August 21, 1864: Second Battle of Memphis
August 25, 1864: Second Battle of Ream’s Station
August 31 – September 1, 1864: Battle of Jonesborough
September 3-4, 1864: Battle of Berryville
September 19, 1864: Battle of Opequon (Third Battle of Winchester)
September 21-22, 1864: Battle of Fisher’s Hill
September 27, 1864: Battle of Fort Davidson
September 29-30, 1864: Battle of Chaffin’s Farm (New Market Heights)
September 30 – October 2, 1864: Battle of Peebles’ Farm
October 1-3, 1864: First Battle of Saltville
October 5, 1864: Battle of Allatoona
October 7, 1864: Battle of Darbytown and New Market
October 9, 1864: Battle of Tom’s Brook
October 15, 1864: Battle of Glasgow
October 19, 1864: Battle of Cedar Creek
October 22-23, 1864: Battle of Byram’s Ford
October 22, 1864: Second Battle of Independence
October 23, 1864: Battle of Westport
October 25, 1864: Battle of Marais des Cygnes
October 25, 1864: Battle of Mine Creek
October 26-29, 1864: Battle of Decatur
October 27-28, 1864: Battle of Boydton Plank Road
October 27-28, 1864: Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road
October 28, 1864: Second Battle of Newtonia
November-December, 1864: Sherman’s March to the Sea
November 4-5, 1864: Battle of Johnsonville
November 22, 1864: Battle of Griswoldville
November 24, 1864: Battle of Columbia
November 28, 1864: Battle of Buck Head Creek
November 29, 1864: Battle of Spring Hill
November 30, 1864: Battle of Franklin (1864)
December 4, 1864: Battle of Waynesboro (Georgia)
December 7-27, 1864: First Battle of Fort Fisher
December 13, 1864: Second Battle of Fort McAllister
December 15-16, 1864: Battle of Nashville
December 20-21, 1864: Second Battle of Saltville
Civil War Battles in 1865:
January 13-15, 1865: Second Battle of Fort Fisher
February 5-7, 1865: Battle of Hatcher’s Run
March 2, 1865: Battle of Waynesboro
March 6, 1865: Battle of Natural Bridge
March 16, 1865: Battle of Averasborough
March 19-21, 1865: Battle of Bentonville
March 25, 1865: Battle of Fort Stedman
March 27 – April 8, 1865: Battle of Spanish Fort
March 29, 1865: Battle of Lewis’s Farm
March 31, 1865: Battle of Dinwiddie Court House
March 31, 1865: Battle of White Oak Road
April 1, 1865: Battle of Five Forks
April 2-9, 1865: Battle of Fort Blakely
April 2, 1865: Battle of Selma
April 2, 1865: Battle of Sutherland’s Station
April 2, 1865: Third Battle of Petersburg
April 5, 1865: Battle of Amelia Springs
April 6-7, 1865: Battle of High Bridge
April 6, 1865: Battle of Sailor’s Creek
April 7, 1865: Battle of Cumberland Church
April 8, 1865: Battle of Appomattox Station
April 9, 1865: Battle of (and surrender at) Appomattox Court House