American Civil War

The Civil War saw the largest battles ever fought in the Western Hemisphere. Beginning with the attack on Fort Sumter, the battles of the Civil War ranged across the country from the East Coast to the Mississippi River. These massive battles made famous places such as Antietam, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, and Peterburg.

The Civil War saw Union and Confederate forces clash between 1861-1865. This gallery includes a variety of pictures from the Civil War showing battlefields and notable locations. The Civil War was the first American conflict to be photographed extensively.

The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought on February 11-16, 1862, and was an early engagement of the American Civil War. A Confederate outpost on the Cumberland River, Fort Donelson was attacked by Union troops under Brigadier General Ulysses Grant. Surrounding Fort Donelson, Grant was able to compel the fort's unconditional surrender.

The Battle of Fredericksburg was largely fought on December 13, 1862, and was a clear victory for Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Attacking the heights west of the town, Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside's Army of the Potomac was repulsed with heavy casualties. The defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg led to Burnside's removal from...

Coming just after the Tullahoma Campaign, the Battle of Chickamauga occurred September 18-20, 1863. Fought south of Chattanooga, TN, the battle saw Union forces under Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans defeated and forced to retreat. Fleeing to Chattanooga, the Army of the Cumberland was placed under siege by Confederate forces.

Sherman's March to the Sea commenced on November 15, 1864, after the capture of Atlanta by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman. Marching to the port of Savannah, Sherman's men succeeded in taking the city on December 22. During the march, Sherman's men conducted a scorched earth campaign to destroy Confederate resources in Georgia.

Andersonville Prison was the most notorious prisoner of war camp of the Civil War. Constructed in southern Georgia, the 26.5 acre, open stockade received over 45,000 prisoners during its year of operation. Plagued by disease and starvation, 12,913 Union prisoners died at Andersonville.

After shooting President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth fled Washington, DC. Heading south, Booth and his accomplice David Herold moved through several safe houses before crossing the Potomac River into Virginia. Pursued by Union forces, Booth was finally cornered and killed at the Garrett Farm near Bowling Green, VA on...