On July 21, 1861, A large force of 30,000 Union soldiers attacked a smaller mass of Confederate soldiers.
The battle took place in Virginia, near the Bull Run River.
Hundreds of people watched from Washington D.C.. At the time, the battle was seen as a spectators event, because the war was seen to end quickly.
First, the Union army forced the Confederates backwards and killed many of their men. Then the Rebels found inspiration in their General, Thomas Jackson. The newly motivated men viciously attacked the Union soldiers and broke the opposing lines. The Union retreated in panic, trampling innocent citizens in their efforts to evade the Southern forces.
There were a total of approximately 4690 casualties of this battle. That includes all soldiers killed, wounded, captured and reported missing.
As one of the first battles of the war, The First Battle of Bull Run showed that the Civil War was going to be longer and more difficult than either side predicted.
The Battle of Fredericksburg
One of the most costly battles of the Civil War, both in debt and in lives.
This was the first battle of the Civil War fought in an urban area, as soldiers from both sides fought in the streets of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
This battle spanned four days, from December 11-15, 1862, when a large concentration of Union solders attacked a massive force of Confederates.
At first, it seemed as though the Union would take a clear victory, but as the fight grew longer and Union reinforcements never arrived, the Rebels forced the Yankees to retreat.
This battle dampened the spirits of the Union and motivated the southern states.
After the battle, Confederate General Robert E. Lee stated, ¨It is well that war is so terrible, or should we grow too fond of it.¨
This battle cost a total of nearly 24,000 casualties, men killed, captured, wounded or missing.
This battle reinvigorated the South´s want to fight, and showed the Union that they were up against a formidable enemy.
The Battle of Shiloh
In early April, 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant and his force of 40,000 troops marched south towards Corinth, Mississippi.
He was later joined by an additional 20,000 troops.
The Union troops stopped to camp about 20 miles from their destination, near Shiloh's Church.
Confederate generals decided to strike before more troops arrived on the Union's side.
On the morning of April 6, the confederate forces ambushed the Union troops. The battle lasted for two full days.
The battle was very narrowly won by the Union, even though both sides lost a considerable amount of men.
The total casualties for this battle were over 23,000 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or reported missing.
Directly after this battle, the Union forces attacked the Confederates again and took control of the Mississippi River.
This battle allowed the Union to control the Mississippi River for trade and transportation reasons. This gave the North another advantage over the South.
The Battle of Seven Pines
On May 31 and June 1, 1862, Confederate forces attacked a small pocket of Union Corps south of the Chickahominy River, in Virginia.
On May 31, the Confederate assault was poorly conducted, but still drove back the Union.
Reinforcements arrived for both sides and the battle was fought ferociously
Leaders on both sides were killed and the fighting lulled until the next day (June 1) when the battle reinvigorated.
Both sides claimed victory and withdrew from the battlefield.
11,000 soldiers, and many important leaders were killed, wounded, captured or reported missing.
This battle led to both sides trying to prove that they were a superior fighting force over the other, which led to further conflicts down the road.