Civil War in the East

John Brown, a radical abolitionist attacked the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, VA on October 16, 1859. Hoping to incite and arm a massive slave revolt, Brown and his men entered the arsenal but were soon trapped. After a brief standoff, US Marines stormed Brown's position and captured him and his men.

The First Battle of Bull Run was fought July 21, 1861, during the Civil War. The battle was the first major engagement between Union and Confederate forces. At the First Battle of Bull Run, Union forces enjoyed early success before being defeated.

The Second Battle of Manassas was fought August 28-30, 1862, on much of the same field as the previous battle the year before. Moving to attack Maj. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's corps near Manassas Junction, Maj. Gen. John Pope opened a major battle. On August 30, Pope was routed by a massive flank attack by Maj. Gen. James Longstreet's...

The Battle of Antietam was fought September 17, 1862, during Lee's Invasion of Maryland. Battling near Sharpsburg, MD and Antietam Creek, Maj. Gen. George McClellan won a strategic victory but failed to destroy the Confederate army. The Battle of Antietam provided Pres. Abraham Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

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...

The Battle of Chancellorsville saw Union Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker attempt to turn the Confederates out of their position near Fredericksburg. Fought May 1-6, 1863, Chancellorsville saw Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee win his most stunning victory. Badly outnumbered, Lee split his army in two and drove Hooker back across the Rappahannock River.

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...

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...

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.

Appomattox Court House was the site where the Army of Northern Virginia was forced to surrender on April 9, 1865. Retreating from Petersburg, the army reached Appomattox but was hemmed in by Union troops. Unable to escape, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his command to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.