Battles of the Civil War
by: Makayla Bradford
Gaines' Mill June 27, 1862
This largest battle of the Seven Days Battles played a significant role in shaping the course of the American Civil War and yet it remains a mystery to many. When one considers combat casualties , the Battle of Gaines' Mill, at its conclusion, was the second bloodiest battle in American history.
Malvern Hill July 1, 1862
D.H. Hill surveyed the carnage on the bloody field and remarked, disgustedly, “it was not war, it was murder.” The battle had exacted nearly 8,000 casualties.
Antietam September 16 - 18, 1862
The Army of the Potomac, under the command of George McClellan, mounted a series of powerful assaults against Robert E. Lee’s forces near Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17, 1862. The morning assault and vicious Confederate counterattacks swept back and forth through Miller’s Cornfield and the West Woods
Chancellorsville April 30 - May 6, 1863
The campaign had cost him about 18,000 casualties, and his enemy about 13,000. None of the losses on either side would resonate as loudly and long as the death of Stonewall Jackson.
The Wilderness May 5 - 7, 1864
Over the course of two days, the two armies fought to a bloody stalemate, inaugurating a new era of violence in the war in the East. Though badly bloodied in the fighting, the Federals continued their march to the south.
Cold Harbor May 31 - June 12, 1864
The Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia was a sprawling, two week engagement that left more than 18,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or captured. Cold Harbor was extensively photographed during and after the battle.
Gettysburg July 1 - 3, 1863
The battle was fought at Gettysburg because of the area road system—it had nothing to do with shoes. The Second Day’s Battle was the largest and costliest of the three days.