Civil War Battles - 1864

The Battle of the Wilderness was fought May 5-7, 1864, and was the opening battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign. Fighting Gen. Robert E. Lee's men in the Wilderness, Grant's men took and inflicted heavy losses. The Battle of the Wilderness was tactically inconclusive but saw Grant continue to push south.

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was fought May 8-21, 1864, and was the second engagement of Gen. Ulysses Grant's Overland Campaign. Fought along a four mile trench line, the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House saw Union troops launch repeated assaults in an attempt to break through the Confederate lines. The Battle of Spotsylvania Court...

Part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, the Battle of New Market saw a small Confederate army under Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge defeat a Union force led by Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel. The Battle of New Market is best remembered for the role played by the Virginia Military Institute's corps of cadets in achieving the victory.

The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought May 31-June 12, 1864, and was part of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign. Encountering Gen. Robert E. Lee's men near Old Cold Harbor, VA, Grant moved to assault the Confederate positions. Launching multiple attacks over several days, Grant was unable to break through and took heavy losses.

The Battle of Petersburg began on June 9, 1864, as Union and Confederates clashed outside of the city. Settling into a siege, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant continued to extend his lines in front of Petersburg stretching Gen. Robert E. Lee's smaller army. Exerting increasing pressure, the Battle of Petersburg ended on April 2, 1865, when Lee was...

Fought on July 24, 1864, the Second Battle of Kernstown saw Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early take advantage of Union troop withdrawals in the Shenandoah. Luring the Union Army of the Kanawha into battle near Kernstown, Early was able to drive it from the field. The defeat at the Second Battle of Kernstown led to Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan...

The Battle of the Crater was the result of Union efforts to win the Siege of Petersburg. Beginning in June 1864, Union forces began tunneling under the Confederate lines. Filling the mine with explosives, they detonated them on July 30 opening the battle. Attacking through the crater formed by the explosion, Union forces were defeated and...

The Battle of Globe Tavern was fought August 18-21, 1864, during the Civil War. Part of the Petersburg Campaign, the Battle of Globe Tavern saw Union forces attempt to cut the Weldon Railroad. In the fighting at the Battle of Globe Tavern they were successful.

The Battle of Cedar Creek was fought October 19, 1864, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864. Attacking at Cedar Creek, Confederate forces surprised the army of absent Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan and had initial success. Returning to Cedar Creek, Sheridan organized a massive counterattack and effectively destroyed the Confederate army.