Where did some of the important battles take place in the Civil War?

Answer 1

Several of the most important battles of the Civil War, in the early years, occurred in Northern Virginia. To name several, Manassas Junction - twice (also known as Bull Run), Chancelorsville, and Cold Harbor; all won by the Confererates. Each of these battles marked attempts by the Union to invade the Confideracy. The results of these battles created severe morale problems for the Union, uncovered weaknesses in the Union Army command, and demonstrated that the war would be long and deadly.

One very important battle occurred in Maryland near Sharpsburg or Antietem Creek. It was tactically a draw, but strategically a Union victory, because the Confederates were forced to retreat to Virginia. It was one of the deadlest battles of the war.

The most important battle of the entire war occured in Pennsylvania at Gettysburg. It was won convincingly by the Union and was the deadlest battle of the war. It was also the turning point of the war. After this battle the Confederates never entered Union territory again.

In eastern Virginia there were two significant campaigns both referred to as the Battle of the Wilderness; both won by the Confederates. These campaigns contained numerous battles and skirmishes, all fought in dense forest and swampy areas. They were Union attempts to sieze Richmond, the Confererate capital.

Further south, the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi was finally won after a year by the Union. Vicksburg's fall cut the Confereracy off from New Orleans and supplies brought up the Mississippi River. This was the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

One thing that was not a battle as such was the Union blockade of the Confederate port cities. This navel blockade was very effective and strangled the Confederacy's abilities to earn income from exports and import goods to support its military. The battle of the ironclads (the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia - the former USS Merrimack) was an attempt by the Confederates to break the blockade.

The battle for Georgia included the siege and capture of Atlanta and Sherman's march to the sea. Here the Union army distroyed Atlanta along with its industry and its very important transportation and distribution fuctions. Sherman then marched from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia's major port, while destroying everything in a corridor about 90 miles wide. This action introduced the concept of "total war" to the world and gutted the Confederacy's ability to resupply its armies.

There were many other battles and campaigns. These, I believe, were the key ones.