The battles of the Civil War were fought across the United States from the East Coast to as far west as New Mexico. Beginning in 1861, these battles made a permanent mark upon the landscape and elevated to prominence small towns that had previously been peaceful villages. As a result, names such as Manassas, Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg became eternally entwined with images of sacrifice, bloodshed, and heroism. It is estimated that over 10,000 battles of various sizes were fought during the Civil War as Union forces marched towards victory. The battles of the Civil War are largely divided into the Eastern, Western, and Trans-Mississippi Theaters, with the bulk of the fighting taking place in the first two. During the Civil War, over 200,000 Americans were killed in battle as each side fought for their chosen cause. In this article, we list several of the key engagements and will be adding more over time.

Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress

December 15-16, 1864 - Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas (right) wins the Battle of Nashville. Advancing from his defeat at Franklin, Gen. John Bell Hood arrived outside the Union lines at Nashville on December 2 with the Army of Tennessee. Digging in, he awaited Thomas' attack. Methodically planning his assault, Thomas was beset with messages from Pres. Abraham Lincoln and Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant urging immediate action. Slowed by severe winter weather, Thomas assaulted Hood's position on December 15. Pushing the Confederates back, he failed to drive them away. Forming a new line that night, Hood remained on the defensive. Advancing again the next day, Thomas' men enveloped Hood's left flank and routed his army. Fleeing to Tupelo, MS, the Army of Tennessee was effectively destroyed as a fighting force. The victory preserved the Union hold on Tennessee and ended a threat to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's supply lines as he advanced across Georgia. A Confederate disaster, what should Hood have done differently?

Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration

December 13, 1939 - British ships engage Admiral Graf Spee (right) in the Battle of the River Plate. Tasked with raiding Allied shipping in the South Atlantic, the German pocket battleship Graf Spee was hunted by the Royal Navy during late 1939. Brought to battle by Commodore Henry Harwood's Force G off the estuary of the River Plate, Captain Hans Langsdorff succeeded in mauling the cruiser HMS Exeter but suffered a critical hit to his ship's fuel processing plant. Forced into neutral Montevideo, Uruguay, Langsdorff was unable to secure permission for his ship to remain long enough to make repairs. The victim of effective British false intelligence, he came to believe that a large force had gathered off the River Plate to intercept him. Unable to remain and fearing destruction at sea, he scuttled Graf Spee in the River Plate on December 17. Did Langsdorff make the right decision?

Photograph Source: Public Domain

December 11, 1917 - Field Marshal Edmund Allenby (right) enters Jerusalem on foot. Graduating from Sandhurst in 1881, Allenby saw extensive service in South Africa in the 1880s and during the Second Boer War. Establishing himself as a skilled field commander, he was tapped for rapid advancement. With the beginning of World War I, he led the British Expeditionary Force's Cavalry Division before rising to command the British Third Army. Relieved in June 1917 due to conflicts with Field Marshal Douglas Haig and his performance at Arras, Allenby was made commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Winning the Third Battle of Gaza, he captured Jerusalem in December 1917. Renewing his assault in August 1918, he won the decisive Battle of Megiddo and routed Ottoman forces. Rapidly advancing, he took Aleppo before the Ottomans surrendered. After the war, Allenby remained in the region as an administrator. Where does Allenby rank among the great commanders of World War I?

Photograph Source: Public Domain