Key Battles of the American Civil War

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Battle of Bull Run – Virginia

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Outcome: Confederate victory. First major land battle of the Civil War; proved the war would be longer and more brutal than expected.

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Battle of Antietam – Maryland

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Outcome: Strategic Union advantage. Bloodiest single-day battle in U.S. history; gave Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

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Battle of Gettysburg – Pennsylvania

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Outcome: Union victory. Turning point of the war; ended Lee's invasion of the North and lifted Union morale.

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Battle of Vicksburg – Mississippi

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Outcome: Union victory. Gave the Union control of the Mississippi River and divided the Confederacy.

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Fall of Atlanta – Georgia

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Outcome: Union victory. Boosted Northern morale, helped secure Lincoln’s re-election, and launched Sherman’s March to the Sea.

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Appomattox Court House – Virginia

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Outcome: Union victory. Site of Robert E. Lee’s surrender; effectively ended the Civil War.

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Battle of Chancellorsville – Virginia

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Outcome: Confederate victory. Known for General Robert E. Lee's audacious and successful tactics, but resulted in the loss of General Stonewall Jackson.

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Siege of Petersburg – Virginia

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Outcome: Union victory. A prolonged siege that led to the fall of Richmond and the eventual surrender of the Confederate Army.

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Battle of Shiloh – Tennessee

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Outcome: Union victory. One of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War, it demonstrated the grim reality of the conflict and the need for better preparation and strategy.

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Battle of Fort Sumter – South Carolina

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Outcome: Confederate victory. Marked the beginning of the Civil War as Confederate forces fired upon the Union garrison.