Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1861
Encyclopedia
Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1861 are listed in chronological order by month and day.
The war started when Confederate forces commanded by General P. G. T. Beauregard
opened fire on the Union garrison of Fort Sumter
in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina; after a thirty-four hour bombardment, the Union garrison surrendered. There had been no casualties during the bombardment, but the following day, while Anderson was firing a fifty gun salute, there was an explosion, with one man killed and five wounded. United States president Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for the states to raise 75,000 volunteers for ninety days to suppress the South; in response to the proclamation, an additional four states seceded and joined the Confederacy, which also started raising troops.
In the Eastern Theater
, there were two major campaigns in Virginia. The first, the Western Virginia Campaign
which started in May, Union forces commanded by Major General George B. McClellan
invaded western Virginia and drove the Confederate forces from the area following a series of small skirmishes. Although these fights involved only a few hundred men on either side, the newspaper coverage of the campaign turned McClellan into a national hero. After McClellan was transferred to command the Army of the Potomac
, Confederate General Robert E. Lee
was assigned to drive the Union forces out of the state but failed to do so at Cheat Mountain
and in the Kanawha Valley; Lee was subsequently transferred to other duties in November. The other major campaign ended with the First Battle of Bull Run
on July 17th, when Union forces commanded by Major General Irvin McDowell
attacked the Confederate Army of the Potomac; although initially successful, Confederate reinforcements from the Shenandoah Valley routed McDowell and forced him back to Washington, D.C. McDowell was replaced by McClellan, who renamed his force the Army of the Potomac
and spent the rest of the year training his men and stockpiling supplies, despite pressure from the Union government to launch an offensive as soon as possible. There were several minor skirmishes in Virginia during the remainder of the year, the most significant being the Battle of Ball's Bluff
, due to the death of Colonel Edward Baker
, a senator from Oregon. Outrage in Congress over his death lead to the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, which was used by the Radical Republicans in Congress in an attempt to prosecute the war according to their views.
In the Western Theater
, there were several small skirmishes in the border state of Kentucky but no major battles. Kentucky, with divided sympathies, attempted to declare itself neutral; however, Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk
sent a force to occupy Columbus, Kentucky, saying it was necessary for the defense of the Mississippi River. The Kentucky legislature then requested Union help in driving the Confederates out of the state, at which point both armies set up defensive positions all through the state. The governor and most of the legislature were Unionists, but a pro-Confederate state government, with some members of the legislature, was orgainzed in Russellville; both armies then began recuiting efforts. Along the Atlantic seacoast and Gulf coast
, Union forces captured several coastal areas for use as naval ports for the Union blockade, including Port Royal, South Carolina and the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
In the Trans-Mississippi Theater
, most of the fighting took place in Missouri between the pro-secessionist Missouri State Guard
, commanded by Major General Sterling Price
, and the Union Department of the West
. Union forces under the command of Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon
drove the Missouri State Guard and the pro-seccessionist portion of the state government into the southwestern part of the state, where it united with the Confederate Western Army commanded by Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch
. There, on August 10th in the Battle of Wilson's Creek
, Lyon attacked the combined forces of Price and McCulloch and was defeated, with Lyon killed during the battle. McCulloch returned to Arkansas, while Price moved north, attempting to recapture the state from Union forces. Another Confederate offensive took place in the New Mexico Territory
, were a Confederate cavalry battalion moved into the southwestern part of the territory and captured Fort Filmore
, forcing the surrender of the Union garrison. A seccesionist convention in Mesilla declared the southern portion of the territory to be the Confederate Territory of Arizona and raised several militia companies, which fought several skirmishes with both the Union forces remaining in the territory and the Apache tribes.
15th
19th
18th to 19th
29th to June 1st
3rd
10th
13th
15th
17th
18th
27th
5th
8th
11th
12th
14th
17th
18th
21st
22nd
26th
27th
3rd
5th
7th
8th
10th
17th
25th
26th
28th to 29th
29th
31st
3rd
10th
11th
12th to 15th
13th to 20th
17th
19th
21st
25th
26th
27th
9th
12th
17th to 21st
21st
25th
7th
8th to 9th
17th
19th
26th
13th
17th
20th
26th
28th
The war started when Confederate forces commanded by General P. G. T. Beauregard
P. G. T. Beauregard
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a Louisiana-born American military officer, politician, inventor, writer, civil servant, and the first prominent general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Today he is commonly referred to as P. G. T. Beauregard, but he rarely used...
opened fire on the Union garrison of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina; after a thirty-four hour bombardment, the Union garrison surrendered. There had been no casualties during the bombardment, but the following day, while Anderson was firing a fifty gun salute, there was an explosion, with one man killed and five wounded. United States president Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for the states to raise 75,000 volunteers for ninety days to suppress the South; in response to the proclamation, an additional four states seceded and joined the Confederacy, which also started raising troops.
In the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
The Eastern Theater of the American Civil War included the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the coastal fortifications and seaports of North Carolina...
, there were two major campaigns in Virginia. The first, the Western Virginia Campaign
Western Virginia Campaign
The Western Virginia Campaign occurred from May to December 1861 during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General George B. McClellan invaded the western portion of Virginia; this area occupied by the Union later became the state of West Virginia...
which started in May, Union forces commanded by Major General George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
invaded western Virginia and drove the Confederate forces from the area following a series of small skirmishes. Although these fights involved only a few hundred men on either side, the newspaper coverage of the campaign turned McClellan into a national hero. After McClellan was transferred to command the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, Confederate General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
was assigned to drive the Union forces out of the state but failed to do so at Cheat Mountain
Battle of Cheat Mountain
The Battle of Cheat Mountain, also known as the Battle of Cheat Summit Fort, took place from September 12 to 15, 1861, in Pocahontas County and Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of the Civil War in which Robert...
and in the Kanawha Valley; Lee was subsequently transferred to other duties in November. The other major campaign ended with the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
on July 17th, when Union forces commanded by Major General Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
attacked the Confederate Army of the Potomac; although initially successful, Confederate reinforcements from the Shenandoah Valley routed McDowell and forced him back to Washington, D.C. McDowell was replaced by McClellan, who renamed his force the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
and spent the rest of the year training his men and stockpiling supplies, despite pressure from the Union government to launch an offensive as soon as possible. There were several minor skirmishes in Virginia during the remainder of the year, the most significant being the Battle of Ball's Bluff
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
, due to the death of Colonel Edward Baker
Edward Dickinson Baker
Edward Dickinson Baker was an English-born American politician, lawyer, military leader. In his political career, Baker served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois and later as a U.S. Senator from Oregon. A long-time close friend of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Baker served as U.S...
, a senator from Oregon. Outrage in Congress over his death lead to the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, which was used by the Radical Republicans in Congress in an attempt to prosecute the war according to their views.
In the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
, there were several small skirmishes in the border state of Kentucky but no major battles. Kentucky, with divided sympathies, attempted to declare itself neutral; however, Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk
Leonidas Polk
Leonidas Polk was a Confederate general in the American Civil War who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee, and a second cousin of President James K. Polk...
sent a force to occupy Columbus, Kentucky, saying it was necessary for the defense of the Mississippi River. The Kentucky legislature then requested Union help in driving the Confederates out of the state, at which point both armies set up defensive positions all through the state. The governor and most of the legislature were Unionists, but a pro-Confederate state government, with some members of the legislature, was orgainzed in Russellville; both armies then began recuiting efforts. Along the Atlantic seacoast and Gulf coast
Lower Seaboard Theater of the American Civil War
The Lower Seaboard Theater of the American Civil War encompassed major military and naval operations that occurred near the coastal areas of the Southeastern United States as well as southern part of the Mississippi River...
, Union forces captured several coastal areas for use as naval ports for the Union blockade, including Port Royal, South Carolina and the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
In the Trans-Mississippi Theater
Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
The Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War was the major military and naval operations west of the Mississippi River. The area excluded the states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, which formed the Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War.The campaign classification...
, most of the fighting took place in Missouri between the pro-secessionist Missouri State Guard
Missouri State Guard
The Missouri State Guard was a state militia organized in the state of Missouri during the early days of the American Civil War. While not initially a formal part of the Confederate States Army, the State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at times, under regular Confederate...
, commanded by Major General Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
, and the Union Department of the West
Department of the West
The Department of the West, later known as the Western Department, was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century. It oversaw the military affairs in the country west of the Mississippi River to the borders of California and Oregon.-Organization:The Department was first...
. Union forces under the command of Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
drove the Missouri State Guard and the pro-seccessionist portion of the state government into the southwestern part of the state, where it united with the Confederate Western Army commanded by Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch
Benjamin McCulloch
Benjamin McCulloch was a soldier in the Texas Revolution, a Texas Ranger, a U.S. marshal, and a brigadier general in the army of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
. There, on August 10th in the Battle of Wilson's Creek
Battle of Wilson's Creek
The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, between Union forces and the Missouri State Guard, early in the American Civil War. It was the first major battle of the war west of the Mississippi River and is sometimes...
, Lyon attacked the combined forces of Price and McCulloch and was defeated, with Lyon killed during the battle. McCulloch returned to Arkansas, while Price moved north, attempting to recapture the state from Union forces. Another Confederate offensive took place in the New Mexico Territory
New Mexico Territory
thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
, were a Confederate cavalry battalion moved into the southwestern part of the territory and captured Fort Filmore
Battle of Mesilla
The First Battle of Mesilla, fought on July 25, 1861 at Mesilla in what is now New Mexico, was an engagement between Confederate and Union forces during the American Civil War. The battle resulted in a Confederate victory and led directly to the official establishing of a Confederate Arizona...
, forcing the surrender of the Union garrison. A seccesionist convention in Mesilla declared the southern portion of the territory to be the Confederate Territory of Arizona and raised several militia companies, which fought several skirmishes with both the Union forces remaining in the territory and the Apache tribes.
April
12th to 14th-
- Fort SumterBattle of Fort SumterThe Battle of Fort Sumter was the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina, that started the American Civil War. Following declarations of secession by seven Southern states, South Carolina demanded that the U.S. Army abandon its facilities in Charleston Harbor. On...
, South Carolina
-
- Forces: Confederate artillery, Union garrison of Fort Sumter
- Losses: Confederate 4, Union 11
- Fort Sumter
15th
-
- Evacuation of Fort Sumter, South Carolina
-
- Losses: UnionUnion (American Civil War)During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
One soldier was killed and five others wounded by a premature explosion of a cannon in firing a salute to the United States flag.
- Losses: Union
19th
-
- Riots in Baltimore, MarylandBaltimore riot of 1861The Baltimore riot of 1861 was an incident that took place on April 19, 1861, in Baltimore, Maryland between Confederate sympathizers and members of the Massachusetts militia en route to Washington for Federal service...
-
- Forces: 6th Massachusetts Infantry, 26th Pennsylvania Infantry
- Losses: Union 4 killed, 30 wounded; Civilians 4 killed
- Riots in Baltimore, Maryland
May
10th-
- Camp Jackson, located just west of St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
-
- Forces: Missouri State GuardMissouri State GuardThe Missouri State Guard was a state militia organized in the state of Missouri during the early days of the American Civil War. While not initially a formal part of the Confederate States Army, the State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at times, under regular Confederate...
, Union Department of the WestDepartment of the WestThe Department of the West, later known as the Western Department, was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century. It oversaw the military affairs in the country west of the Mississippi River to the borders of California and Oregon.-Organization:The Department was first... - Losses: Missouri State Guard 639 (all prisoners), Union none
- Forces: Missouri State Guard
- Camp Jackson, located just west of St. Louis, Missouri
-
- Riots in St. Louis, Missouri
-
- Forces: Union forces and pro-secessionist crowd
- Losses: Union 4 killed, prisoners 3 killed, civilians 28 killed (unknown wounded)
18th to 19th
-
- Sewell's PointBattle of Sewell's PointThe Battle of Sewell's Point was an inconclusive exchange of cannon fire between the Union gunboat USS Monticello, supported by the USS Thomas Freeborn, and Confederate batteries on Sewell's Point that took place on May 18, 19 and 21, 1861, in Norfolk County, Virginia in the early days of the...
, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate artillery, Union naval squadron
- Losses: 10 total
- Sewell's Point
29th to June 1st
-
- Aquia CreekBattle of Aquia CreekThe Battle of Aquia Creek was an exchange of cannon fire between Union Navy gunboats and Confederate shore batteries in Stafford County, Virginia which took place from May 29, 1861 to June 1, 1861 during the early days of the American Civil War...
, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate artillery, Union naval squadron
- Losses: 10 total
- Aquia Creek
June
1st-
- Fairfax Court House, Virginia
-
- Forces: units from Confederate Army of the Potomac and Union Department of Northeastern Virginia
- Losses: Confederate 15, Union 5
3rd
-
- Philippi, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 6, Union 5
10th
-
- Big BethelBattle of Big BethelThe Battle of Big Bethel, also known as the Battle of Bethel Church or Great Bethel was one of the earliest land battles of the American Civil War after the surrender of Fort Sumter...
, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate and Union infantry
- Losses: Confederate 8, Union 76
- Big Bethel
13th
-
- Corrick's FordBattle of Corrick's FordThe Battle of Corrick's Ford took place on July 13, 1861, on the Cheat River in western Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. By later standards the battle was a minor skirmish...
, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 620, Union 10–53
- Corrick's Ford
15th
-
- Hooe's Ferry (near Mathias Point), Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Farmer's Fork Grays, Union schooner Christina Keen
- Losses: none (Christina Keen captured and burned)
17th
-
- Vienna, Virginia
-
- Forces: Detachments from Confederate Army of the Potomac and Union Department of Northeastern Virginia
- Losses: Confederate 6, Union 12
-
- BoonvilleBattle of BoonvilleThe First Battle of Boonville was a minor skirmish of the American Civil War, occurring on June 17, 1861, near Boonville in Cooper County, Missouri. Although casualties were extremely light, the battle's strategic impact was far greater than one might assume from its limited nature...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Western Department
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 70, Union 12
- Boonville
18th
-
- Camp ColeBattle of Cole Camp (1861)The Battle of Cole Camp was a skirmish of the American Civil War, occurring on June 19, 1861, in Benton County, Missouri. The rebel victory assured an open line of march for the fleeing governor and Missouri State Guard away from Lyon's force in Boonville....
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guards, Union Missouri Home Guards.
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 32, Union 125
- Camp Cole
27th
-
- Matthias' PointBattle of Mathias PointThe Battle of Mathias Point, Virginia was an engagement between the Union gunboats USS Thomas Freeborn and USS Reliance, together with a landing party of about 36 Union sailors or marines, and Confederate States Army defenders at Mathias Point on the Potomac River in King George County, Virginia,...
, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate garrison, Union gunboats Pawnee and Freeborn.
- Losses: Confederate none, Union 1 killed, 4 wounded
- Matthias' Point
July
2nd-
- Hoke's RunBattle of Hoke's RunThe Battle of Hoke's Run, also known as the Battle of Falling Waters or Hainesville, took place on July 2, 1861, in Berkeley County, Virginia as part of the Manassas Campaign of the American Civil War....
, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Army of the Shenandoah, Union Army of the Shenandoah
- Losses: Confederate 25, Union 73
- Hoke's Run
5th
-
- CarthageBattle of Carthage (1861)-References:* Lee, Guy Carlton, and Francis Newtun Thorpe, editors. The History of North America. Philadelphia: George Barrie and Sons, 1905.* Monhegan, Jay. Civil War on the Western Border: 1854-1865. Boston: Little, Brown, 1956.*...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the WestDepartment of the WestThe Department of the West, later known as the Western Department, was a major command of the United States Army during the 19th century. It oversaw the military affairs in the country west of the Mississippi River to the borders of California and Oregon.-Organization:The Department was first...
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 74, Union 44
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Carthage
-
- Neosho, Missouri
-
- Forces: Confederate cavalry, Union detachment of 3rd Missouri Infantry
- Losses: Confederate none, Union 137 (captured)
8th
-
- Laurel Hill or Bealington, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Army of the Northwest, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate unknown, Union 8
11th
-
- Rich MountainBattle of Rich MountainThe Battle of Rich Mountain took place on July 11, 1861, in Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War.-Background:...
, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 88, Union 74
- Rich Mountain
12th
-
- Barboursville or Red House, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: unknown
-
- Beverly, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Army of the Northwest, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 553 (prisoners), Union none
14th
-
- Corrick's FordBattle of Corrick's FordThe Battle of Corrick's Ford took place on July 13, 1861, on the Cheat River in western Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. By later standards the battle was a minor skirmish...
, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 620, Union 10-53
- Corrick's Ford
17th
-
- Scarrytown, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Army of the KanawhaArmy of the KanawhaThe Army of the Kanawha was a small Confederate army early in the American Civil War.Confederate units in the vital Kanawha River valley of western Virginia were styled the "Army of the Kanawha" after they were put under the command of former Virginia governor Henry A. Wise on June 6, 1861....
, Union Department of the Ohio - Losses: Confederate unknown, Union 47
- Forces: Confederate Army of the Kanawha
-
- Bunker Hill, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Army of the Shenandoah, Union Army of the Shenandoah
- Losses: unknown
18th
-
- Blackburn's Ford, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Army of the Potomac, Union Department of Northeast Virginia
- Losses: Confederate 70, Union 83
21st
-
- ManassasFirst Battle of Bull RunFirst Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Army of the Potomac and Army of the Shenandoah, Union Department of Northeast Virginia
- Losses: Confederate 1,897, Union 2,708
- Manassas
22nd
-
- Forsyth, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 15, Union 3
26th
-
- MesillaBattle of MesillaThe First Battle of Mesilla, fought on July 25, 1861 at Mesilla in what is now New Mexico, was an engagement between Confederate and Union forces during the American Civil War. The battle resulted in a Confederate victory and led directly to the official establishing of a Confederate Arizona...
, New Mexico Territory
-
- Forces: Confederate battalion from 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles, Union Southern Military District, Department of New MexicoDepartment of New MexicoThe Department of New Mexico was a department of the United States Army during the mid-19th century. At first a part of the Department of the West, it was created as an independent department following the breakup of that Division into various departments during the Civil War...
- Losses: Confederate none, Union 9
- Forces: Confederate battalion from 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles, Union Southern Military District, Department of New Mexico
- Mesilla
27th
-
- Fort Fillmore, New Mexico
-
- Forces: Confederate battalion from 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles, Union Southern Military District, Department of New Mexico
- Losses: Confederate none, Union 500 (surrendered)
August
2nd-
- Dug Springs, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 6, Union 10
3rd
-
- Curran Post Office, Missouri
-
- Forces: Confederate Western Army, Union Department of the West
- Losses: unknown
5th
-
- Athens, MissouriBattle of Athens (1861)The Battle of Athens was an American Civil War skirmish that took place in northeast Missouri in 1861 near present Revere and southeast Iowa along the Des Moines River across from Croton...
-
- Forces: Confederate Missouri State Guard, Union Home Guards and 21st Missouri Infantry
- Losses: Confederate 28, Union 11
- Athens, Missouri
7th
-
- Hampton, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate cavalry, 20th New York.
- Losses: Confederate nine, Union unknown
8th
-
- Lovettsville, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate and Union forces
- Losses: Confederate six, Union unknown
10th
-
- Wilson's CreekBattle of Wilson's CreekThe Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, between Union forces and the Missouri State Guard, early in the American Civil War. It was the first major battle of the war west of the Mississippi River and is sometimes...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard and Confederate Department No. 2, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Confederate 464, Missouri State Guard 758, Union 1,317
- Wilson's Creek
-
- Potosi, Missouri
-
- Forces: Confederate cavalry, Union Missouri Home Guards.
- Losses: Confederate five, Union five
17th
-
- Palmyra, Missouri
-
- Forces: Confederate and Union forces
- Losses: unknown
25th
-
- Mason's Hill, Virginia
-
- Forces: detachments from Confederate Army of the Potomac and Union Department of the Potomac
- Losses: unknown
26th
-
- Kessler's Cross LanesBattle of Kessler's Cross LanesThe Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes, also known as the Battle of Cross Lanes, took place on August 26, 1861 in Nicholas County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War....
, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 40, Union 132
- Kessler's Cross Lanes
28th to 29th
-
- Hatteras InletBattle of Hatteras Inlet BatteriesThe Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries, sometimes known as the Battle of Forts Hatteras and Clark, was a small but significant engagement in the early days of the American Civil War. Two Confederate forts on the North Carolina Outer Banks were subjected to an amphibious assault by Union forces that...
, North Carolina
-
- Forces: Confederate garrison of Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark, Union North Carolina Expedition
- Losses: Confederate 670, Union 3
- Hatteras Inlet
29th
-
- Lexington, Missouri
-
- Forces: Confederate cavalry, Union Missouri Home Guards.
- Losses: unknown
31st
-
- Munson's Hill, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate detachment, Department of Northern Virginia, Union detachment, Army of the Potomac.
- Losses: Confederate unknown, Union five
September
2nd-
- Dry Wood CreekBattle of Dry Wood CreekThe Battle of Dry Wood Creek was fought on September 2, 1861 in Vernon County, Missouri during the American Civil War...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Missouri State Guard unknown, Union 14
- Dry Wood Creek
3rd
-
- Bailey's Cross Roads, Virginia
-
- Forces: detachments of Confederate Army of the Potomac and Union Department of the Potomac
- Losses: Confederate none, Union 8
10th
-
- Carnifax FerryBattle of Carnifex FerryThe Battle of Carnifex Ferry took place on September 10, 1861, in Nicholas County, Virginia , as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. The battle resulted in a Union victory that contributed to the eventual Confederate withdrawal from western Virginia...
, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 32, Union 158
- Carnifax Ferry
11th
-
- Lewinsville, Virginia
-
- Forces: detachments of Confederate Army of the Potomac and Union Department of the Potomac
- Losses: Confederate none, Union 18
12th to 15th
-
- Cheat MountainBattle of Cheat MountainThe Battle of Cheat Mountain, also known as the Battle of Cheat Summit Fort, took place from September 12 to 15, 1861, in Pocahontas County and Randolph County, Virginia as part of the Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of the Civil War in which Robert...
, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 100, Union 71
- Cheat Mountain
13th to 20th
-
- LexingtonBattle of Lexington IThe First Battle of Lexington also known as the Battle of the Hemp Bales, was an engagement of the American Civil War, occurring from September 13 to September 20, 1861, between the Union Army and the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard, in Lexington, the county seat of Lafayette County, Missouri...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union garrison of Lexington, Missouri
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 100, Union 3,500
- Lexington
17th
-
- LibertyBattle of LibertyThe Battle of Liberty was a battle of the American Civil War that took place on 17 September 1861, in Clay County, Missouri...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union 3rd Iowa Infantry
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 70, Union 56
- Liberty
19th
-
- BarbourvilleBattle of BarbourvilleThe Battle of Barbourville was one of the early engagements of the American Civil War. It occurred September 19, 1861, in Knox County, Kentucky during the campaign known as the Kentucky Confederate Offensive...
, Kentucky
-
- Forces: Confederate Department No. 2, Union Kentucky home guard
- Losses: Confederate 5, Union 15
- Barbourville
21st
-
- FredericktownBattle of FredericktownThe Battle of Fredericktown was an engagement of the American Civil War. It took place on October 21, 1861, in Madison County, Missouri. Union victory consolidated their control of southeastern Missouri.-Background:...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 62, Union unknown
- Fredericktown
25th
-
- Springfield, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 133, Union 85
-
- Alamosa, New Mexico Territory
-
- Forces: Confederate cavalry, Union Department of New Mexico
- Losses: Confederate none, Union ten
26th
-
- Hunter's Farm, Missouri
-
- Forces: Confederate Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Confederate 22, Union unknown
27th
-
- near Fort Craig, New Mexico Territory
-
- Forces: Confederate and Union cavalry
- Losses: Confederate ten, Union ten
-
- Pinos Altos, New Mexico Territory
-
- Forces: Confederate Arizona Guards and civilians, Chiricahua, Minibreno, and allied Apaches
- Losses: Confederate and civilians 12, Apaches 30
October
3rd-
- Greenbrier RiverBattle of Greenbrier RiverThe Battle of Greenbrier River, also known as the Battle of Camp Bartow, took place on October 3, 1861 in Pocahontas County, Virginia as part of the Operations in Western Virginia Campaign during the American Civil War....
, West Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 52, Union 43
- Greenbrier River
9th
-
- Santa Rosa IslandBattle of Santa Rosa IslandThe Battle of Santa Rosa Island was an unsuccessful Confederate attempt to take Union-held Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island, Florida.- Background :...
, Florida
-
- Forces: Confederate brigade, Union garrison of Fort Pickens
- Losses: Confederate 87, Union 67
- Santa Rosa Island
12th
-
- Head of the PassesBattle of the Head of PassesThe Battle of the Head of Passes was a bloodless naval battle of the American Civil War. It was a naval raid made by the Confederate river defense fleet, also known as the “mosquito fleet” in the local media, on ships of the Union Blockade squadron anchored at the Head of Passes...
, Louisiana
-
- Forces: Confederate naval squadron, Union detachment of West Gulf Blockading Squadron
- Losses: none (one Confederate and three Union ships damaged)
- Head of the Passes
17th to 21st
-
- Fredericktown and Ironton, MissouriBattle of FredericktownThe Battle of Fredericktown was an engagement of the American Civil War. It took place on October 21, 1861, in Madison County, Missouri. Union victory consolidated their control of southeastern Missouri.-Background:...
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union garrison
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 62, Union unknown
- Fredericktown and Ironton, Missouri
21st
-
- Ball's BluffBattle of Ball's BluffThe Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Army of the Potomac, Union Army of the Potomac
- Losses: Confederate 149, Union 1,000
- Ball's Bluff
-
- Camp WildcatBattle of Camp WildcatThe Battle of Camp Wildcat was one of the early engagements of the American Civil War. It occurred October 21, 1861, in northern Laurel County, Kentucky during the campaign known as the Kentucky Confederate Offensive...
, Kentucky
-
- Forces: Confederate Department No. 2, Union Army of the OhioArmy of the OhioThe Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
- Losses: Confederate 53, Union 43
- Forces: Confederate Department No. 2, Union Army of the Ohio
- Camp Wildcat
-
- Fredericktown, Missouri
-
- Forces: Confederate Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Confederate 62, Union unknown
25th
-
- Springfield, MissouriBattle of Springfield IThe First Battle of Springfield or Zagonyi's Charge was a battle of the American Civil War that occurred on October 25, 1861, in Greene County, Missouri. It was the only Union victory in southwestern Missouri in 1861.- Prelude :...
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union infantry
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 133, Union 85
- Springfield, Missouri
November
3rd to 7th-
- Port RoyalBattle of Port RoyalThe Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861...
, South Carolina
-
- Forces: Confederate Department of South Carolina, Union South Atlantic Blockading Squadron
- Losses: Confederate 40, Union 31
- Port Royal
7th
-
- BelmontBattle of BelmontThe Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861, in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Confederate Department No. 2, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Confederate 641, Union 607
- Belmont
8th to 9th
-
- Ivy MountainBattle of Ivy MountainThe Battle of Ivy Mountain, also known as Ivy Creek or Ivy Narrows, was an early battle of the American Civil War, fought in Floyd County, Kentucky, on November 8 and November 9, 1861....
, Kentucky
-
- Forces: Confederate Department No. 2, Union Army of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 263, Union 30
- Ivy Mountain
17th
-
- Rowlett's Station Kentucky
-
- Forces: Confederate Department No. 2, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 91, Union 40
19th
-
- Round MountainBattle of Round MountainThe Battle of Round Mountain No primary source documents report the engagement as having occurred at a place named "Round Mountains". The name originates from a single writer who noticed a curl at the end of Mountain on the report and changed 'mountain' to its plural...
, Oklahoma
-
- Forces: Confederate and Union Indians
- Losses: Confederate 10, Union unknown
- Round Mountain
26th
-
- Hunter's Mills, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate Department of Northern Virginia, Union Army of the Potomac
- Losses: unknown
December
9th-
- Chusto-TalasahBattle of Chusto-TalasahThe Battle of Chusto-Talasah was fought December 9, 1861, in what is now Tulsa County, Oklahoma during the American Civil War....
, Oklahoma
-
- Forces: Confederate and Union Indians
- Losses: Confederate 52, Union 412
- Chusto-Talasah
13th
-
- Camp Allegheny, West Virginia
-
- 'Forces: Confederate infantry, Union Department of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 146, Union 137
17th
-
- Rowlett's StationBattle of Rowlett's StationThe Battle of Rowlett's Station was a land battle in the American Civil War, fought in the whistle-stop station of Rowlett's in Hart County, Kentucky, on December 17, 1861...
, Kentucky
-
- Forces: Confederate Department No. 2, Union Army of the Ohio
- Losses: Confederate 91, Union 40
- Rowlett's Station
20th
-
- DranesvilleBattle of DranesvilleThe Battle of Dranesville was a small battle during the American Civil War that took place between Confederate forces under General J.E.B. Stuart and Union forces under General Edward O.C. Ord on December 20, 1861, in Fairfax County, Virginia, as part of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's operations...
, Virginia
-
- Forces: Confederate cavalry from Army of the Potomac, Union detachment from Army of the Potomac
- Losses: Confederate 230, Union 71
- Dranesville
26th
-
- ChustenahlahBattle of ChustenahlahThe Battle of Chustenahlah was fought in Osage County, Oklahoma, on December 26, 1861, during the American Civil War. A band of 9,000 pro-Union Native Americans was forced to flee to Kansas in bitter cold and snow in what became known as the Trail of Blood on the Ice.Confederate troops had...
, Oklahoma
-
- Forces: Confederate and Union Indians
- Losses: Confederate 40, Union 211
- Chustenahlah
28th
-
- Mount Zion ChurchBattle of Mount Zion ChurchThe Battle of Mount Zion Church was a battle of the American Civil War, which occurred on December 28, 1861, in Boone County, southeast of Hallsville, Missouri...
, Missouri
-
- Forces: Missouri State Guard, Union Department of the West
- Losses: Missouri State Guard 210, Union 72
- Mount Zion Church
-
- Sacramento, Kentucky
-
- Forces: Confederate and Union cavalry
- Losses: Confederate 5, Union 23
Sources
- Brooksher, William Riley. Bloody Hill: The Civil War Battle of Wilson's Creek. Brassy's, 1995. ISBN 1-57488-018-7.
- Davis, William C. Batle at Bull Run: A History of the First Major Campaign of the Civil War. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1977.
- Frazier, Donald S. Blood & Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-89096-639-7.
- Gottfried, Bradley M. The Maps of First Bull Run: An Atlas of the First Bull Run (Manassas) Campaign, including the Battle of Ball's Bluff, June–October 1861. Savas Beatie, 2009. ISBN 978-1-932714-60-9.
- Foote, Shelby. The Civil War: A Narrative, volume I, Fort Sumter to Perryville. New York: Vintage Books, 1958. ISBN 0-394-74623-6.
- Hughes, Jr., Nathaniel Cheaires. The Battle of Belmont: Grant Strikes South. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 1991. ISBN 0-8078-1968-9.
- Hurst, Jack. Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993. ISBN 0-394-55189-3.
- Josephy, Jr., Alvin M. The Civil War in the American West. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. ISBN 0-394-56482-0.
- Kennedy, Frances H. The Civil War Battlefield Guide, 2nd edition. Houghton Miflin, 1998. ISBN 0-395-74012-6.
- Moore, Frank. Anecdotes, poetry, and incidents of the War: North and South: 1860-1865, The Arundel Print, 1888.
- Piston, William Garnett & Richard W. Hatcher III. Wilson's Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8078-2515-8.
- Robertson, Jr., James I. General A. P. Hill: The Story of a Confederate Warrior. New York: Random House, 1987. ISBN 0-394-55257-1.
- Wills, Mary Alice. The Confederate Blockade of Washington, D.C., 1861-1862. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: Burd Street Press, 1998. ISBN 1-57249-078-0.