In January 1862, the Battle of Mill Springs was the first significant Union victory of the war.

This is the Innis House on the Sunken Road at Marye’s Heights in Fredericksburg.

A Confederate signal officer 8 miles away on Signal Hill observed the Union army attempting to flank, and the Rebels hastily formed a new line on Matthews Hill.

Grant described the battle as the first significant engagement in which the Colored Troops had seen combat.

Confederate president Jefferson Davis wanted a more aggressive general, but Hood established his reputation as the most recklessly aggressive general in the Confederate Army.

Union commander Pleasonton launched a surprise dawn attack on J.E.B Stuart's cavalry at Brandy Station.

Hill was promoted to Lt. Gen. after Stonewall Jackson’s death. His command was interrupted by multiple occasions of illness, but he returned just in time to die during the Third Battle of Petersburg.

The Union army retreated toward Washington and fought with the pursuing Confederate corps under Stonewall Jackson on September 1, 1862.

Rosser participated in both Manassas battles, the Seven Days Battles of the Peninsula Campaign, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and several battles in the Shenandoah Valley.

Lee rated Pender as on of the most promising of his commanders after his performances in the Seven Days Battles, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.

Longstreet’s Corps had just arrived after an all-night march from Gordonsville.

This is the Maryland State monument at the Antietam National Battlefield.

While Chamberlain is the “Lion of the Round Top,” Warren initiated the defense of Little Round Top, recognizing the importance of the undefended position on the left flank of the Union Army.

Meant to be a demonstration, the Union troops advanced up the ridge after realizing their positions at the base of the hill would make them vulnerable to Confederate artillery.

Both bridges were defended by Federals, but withdrew in the face of the larger Confederate force.

The same location where Brig. Gen. Montgomery Meigs first described the action on Lookout Mountain as the "Battle Above the Clouds"

Grant’s troops overran a surprised Confederate camp and destroyed it, but retreated in the face of a counterattack and heavy artillery fire from across the river.

Known as Lee’s “Old War Horse,” Longstreet served under Lee as a corps commander for most of the battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia.

The battles were Harper’s Ferry, South Mountain, Antietam, and Shepherdstown, and occurred between September 4-20, 1862.

Most known for being killed in the Battle of Shiloh, which Jefferson Davis believed was “the turning point of our fate.”

Also known as the Breakthrough at Petersburg, this battle ended the Siege of Petersburg and opened the Appomattox Campaign.

The men immediately began marching overland towards Port Gibson, Mississippi, where, on May 1, they fought the Battle of Port Gibson.

Unfortunately his military career was effectively ended following his disastrous defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.

It was used during Confederate Brig. Gen John B. Magruder’s attack on Edwin Sumner’s rearguard at the station.

This victory aided the reelection of Abraham Lincoln just two weeks later.

This was the night Lincoln later said he dreamt that he saw himself dead in the White House, killed by an assassin.

Even though it could have been a massive, coordinated attack with over 57,000 men, the Confederates still broke the Federal line, forcing them to retreat across the Chickahominy River that night.

The Confederates sustained more casualties, but after the determined Union resistance on Horseshoe Ridge, the Federals retired to Chattanooga during the night.

After winning the First Battle of Bull Run, he held several commands in the Western Theater, but is most known for his defense of Petersburg, Virginia.

Thomas deployed 23,000 men in four divisions against 20,000 Confederates under the command of Gen. Braxton Bragg.

Custer’s men collided with Wade Hampton’s Confederate cavalry on the road between Hunterstown and Gettysburg.

The unit was the second African-American regiment, following the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

After Grant abandoned the stalemate following the Battle of North Anna, he once again swung widely around Lee's right flank, encountering Rebel troopers in the process. Another bloody cavalry battle ensued, lasting over seven hours.

The Carter House was right behind the Union lines, while the Confederates passed the Carnton Plantation on the way to the battle.

The Battle of Summit Point was part of Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley campaign, which featured other battles such as Guard Hill, Smithfield Crossing, Third Winchester, and Cedar Creek.

He started to pursue the retreating Union soldiers when he received word that both Jackson and his senior division commander, Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill, had been wounded.

No, the Union withstood five attacks before they were forced to retreat. However, they delayed Early’s advance on Washington by a full day.

McDowell resolved to attack the Confederate left flank at the Stone Bridge and crossing Sudley Springs to Matthews Hill.

The army then became the Army of the Potomac, where McDowell became a division commander.

In support of Kershaw’s and Anderson’s brigades, Semmes’ brigade pushed the Union forces out of the Wheatfield and across Plum Run Valley.

Though outnumbered, entrenching and better defending the strong position at the gap could have slowed down Longstreet’s 28,000 troops.

After participating in campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley, he was appointed secretary of war, but concluded the war was hopeless, and urged Jefferson Davis to surrender.

The battle ruined the Confederate army in the Shenandoah Valley, and it was never again able to maneuver down the valley to threaten the Union capital city of Washington D.C, or the northern states.

He was killed leading a counterattack in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. Maj. Samuel Sturgis replaced him and retreated from the field.

This is Elkhorn Tavern on the Pea Ridge Battlefield in northwest Arkansas

Victory eluded him in most campaigns he personally commanded, but still put up a valiant defense until being replaced by Gen. John B. Hood in the Atlanta campaign.

While the Battle of New Market is in the Shenandoah Valley, that battle was earlier in the year, (May 1864) and not part of Sheridan's campaign.

Fighting mostly in the Eastern Theater, he commanded divisions under Generals Stonewall Jackson and Richard Ewell, and later commanded a corps.

The Confederate artillery officer was mortally wounded at the Five Forks intersection while defending from Union cavalrymen.

While leading a charge against a Union camp near the “Peach Orchard”, he took a bullet behind his right knee.  P.G.T Beauregard then assumed command.

While the fighting was inconclusive, the Confederate withdrawal gave the Union a strategic victory.

McLaw’s was court-martialed by Braxton Bragg for neglect of duty, but was returned to duty by Jefferson Davis the same day.

This allowed the Federals to build breastworks south of Franklin, which contributed to the massive defeat of the Confederates the next day.

Robert E. Lee appeared intent on leading a charge across Widow Tapp field, but the Texans would not allow it.

Historians sometimes claim that the 1863 Battle of Brandy Station was the largest, but of the 20,500 men engaged there, 3,000 were infantry, so it can be categorized as the largest predominantly cavalry battle. Although the casualties of the two battles were similar in absolute numbers, Trevilian Station represented higher percentages of casualties on both sides.

Pope was unaware that Longstreet’s wing of 25,000 men was on the field, crushing Pope in a devastating counterattack.

The Overland Campaign had the most, with approximately 55,000 casualties on the Union side and 33,600 on the Confederate, mainly because of the Battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor.

He was killed during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 9th, 1864 – one of the four highest-ranking Union officers killed in the war.

The Warren statue is on Little Round Top, as he was the first to recognize the important of the location in protecting the Union flank.

This was in addition to Forrest launching a pincer attack from his extreme right and left wings.

This siege mortar named, “The Dictator” was used in Petersburg, Virginia.

After being returned to field command in 1864, only to be captured by Confederates, becoming the highest-ranking Union prisoner of war.

Sheridan’s finest hour was “turning what bid fair to be a disaster into glorious victory” rallying his defeated men to win the Battle of Cedar Creek.

All assaults against James Longstreet's position on Marye's Heights were repulsed with heavy losses, forcing Burnside to withdraw his army on December 15th, 1862.

The two previously met in battle the month before during the Battle of Bentonville, where the Confederates were soundly defeated.

Reynolds was killed during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, leading his men into Herbst’s Woods.

It was one of the few Confederate victories of the Atlanta campaign. Sherman sustained 3,000 casualties compared to Johnston’s 1,000.

After being defeated with heavy losses - especially during the final assault of the well-fortified Union position on a hill to the east of Stones River, Bragg helped cement his legacy as one the worst generals of the Civil War.

Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans used lightning-fast speed to capture mountain passes, driving the Confederates out of Middle Tennessee.

After smashing through the Peach Orchard and entering Plum Run, a mile into the assault, Barksdale’s men were counterattacked by Willard’s brigade.

The Battle of Monocacy was part of Early's raid through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland in an attempt to divert Union forces away from Gen. Robert E. Lee's army under siege at Petersburg, Virginia.

The battle is also known as Carter’s Farm and Stephenson’s Depot.

This was the battle where the Union forces deployed behind a railroad embankment and unleashed a powerful ambush on the unsuspecting Rebels.

The western leg of the Mule Shoe was the scene of the heaviest fighting, known as the “Bloody Angle.”

The battle was known as the Battle of Oak Hills in the Confederacy, and sometimes called the “Bull Run of the West.”

General William T. Sherman described the campaign as “One damn blunder from beginning to end.”

McPherson was the second-highest-ranking Union officer to be killed in action during the war. The highest ranking was John Sedgwick.

Breckinridge advanced over a field where several VMI cadets lost their shoes in the mud.

Burnside was hoping to move around the weakened Confederate right flank, but was completely unaware 3,000 new men would be facing them.

The Confederates were surprised by the arrival of a Union corps who deployed behind a railroad embankment.

This is the Stone House, a prominent landmark for both the first and second battles of Manassas/Bull Run.

This is the Illinois State Memorial in the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Stuart’s troopers were trying to get between Sheridan’s Federal troopers and Richmond, but were overwhelmed by the superior numbers and firepower of the Union.

Pope was banished far from the Eastern Theater to Minnesota, where he commanded U.S. Forces in the Dakota War of 1862.

Obviously known for Pickett’s Charge, his military career came to an end when his division was overwhelmed and defeated at the Battle of Five Forks, while he enjoyed some delicious shad.

Due to Lee’s ability to vanquish a much larger foe through audacious tactics.

The Seven Days Battles were from June 25th - July 1st, 1862. The Battle of Hanover Court House was May 27th, 1862.

Known as “Hancock the Superb,” he was noted in particular for his personal leadership at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

The object of the campaign was to threaten Richmond from the east, but it was stopped by forces under Confederate Gen. P.G.T Beauregard

Sedgwick and Major Generals James B. McPherson, Joseph K. Mansfield, and John F. Reynolds were the highest-ranking Union officers to be killed in the war.

The painting depicts the morning of December 13^th, 1862, where the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rappahannock to assault Fredericksburg.

Joseph E. Johnston evacuated the state capital, but the forces soon met at the Battle of Champion Hill, two days later on May 16th, 1863.

This was July 11th or 12th, 1864 on the outskirts of Washington D.C, and is the most famous of the defenses. Lincoln remains the lone sitting president to be fired upon by enemy troops.

Saunders Field saw the opening of the Overland Campaign and the Battle of the Wilderness, with Higgerson Farm, Jones's Field and Chewning Farm to the south.

The artillery saved the day for Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans, as Braxton Bragg left the field of battle for Tullahoma.

Gideon Pillow also escaped by ship, while Simon Bolivar Buckner remained behind to surrender the army to Grant.

Early’s instructions from Lee were to invade Maryland, destroy the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, and threaten or even take Washington, D.C.

Fleetwood Hill was the prominent hill where a series of confusing charges and countercharges swept back and forth across the hill. St. Mary's Church was nearby, and was a Confederate cannon location.

Union Maj. Gen. David Hunter was sent by Grant to threaten the breadbasket of the Confederacy. The campaign was a failure when Hunter was so convinced he was facing a superior force that he retreated out of the valley.

After participating in many unsuccessful campaigns – especially the battles of Stones River, Missionary Ridge, he was killed leading his men at the Battle of Franklin.

Both Jericho Mill and Ox Ford were locations to cross the river, since the main crossing over Chesterfield Bridge was heavily defended by the Confederates.

The Union force seized Brown’s Ferry on the Tennessee River, opening up a supply line to the Union army in Chattanooga.

During the battle, Lee attempted to surround the Union garrison atop Cheat Mountain, but the attack was never launched, due to false information from prisoners and poor communications among the various Confederate commands.

Rosecrans assumed that Bragg's demoralized army would retreat further into Georgia, but Bragg had in fact concentrated his men at LaFayette, Georgia. They met Rosecrans on their way back to occupy Chattanooga.

Following the battle, the Union maintained control of Kentucky for the rest of the war.

Pope had moved his forces near Cedar Mountain, from where he could launch cavalry raids on Gordonsville, but ran into Stonewall Jackson’s forces instead.

If just one other regiment had joined the 15^th AL attack, it might have swept 20^th Maine from the hill and turned the Union flank.

The battle was part of Sheridan’s Richmond raid during the Overland Campaign, carefully feeling his way southward through the outer defensive works.

A week after the Battle of Brandy Station, J.E.B Stuart's cavalry screened Lee's advance to the north, paying special attention to deny access to the mountain passes.

The battle is named after Shiloh Methodist Church (pictured here), a small log church near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee.

While his early raids were effective, his famous “Morgan’s Raid” was carried out against ordered and gained no tactical advantage for the Confederacy.

“Fighting Joe” Hooker is most known for his ambitious plan for Chancellorsville that was thwarted by Robert E. Lee’s routing of his Union corps.

John Burns, who fought as a civilian combatant with the Union Army during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Stony Creek Depot was where Lee’s supplies were crated from the Weldon Railroad to Petersburg, much further south from the path of Lee’s retreat.

Grant and Sherman were attempting to take Vicksburg by a direct approach over the winter. The Vicksburg campaign did not begin in earnest until four months later in April 1863.

Sheridan’s cavalry were instrumental in the Battles of Stones River, Chickamauga, the Overland Campaign, Valley Campaign of 1864, and the Appomattox Campaign.

Followed by Spotsylvania Court House (~30k), Wilderness (~29k), and then Chancellorsville (~24k).

While not the best commander in the field, Halleck performed capably as Chief of Staff, ensuring that the Union armies were well-equipped.

Similar to Shiloh, the Federals held off the Confederate attack on the first day, then drove the Rebels off the battlefield on the second day.

His efforts to bisect the Federal line failed. The Army of the Potomac successfully retreated to the strong position at Malvern Hill.

This is the Pry House on the Antietam battlefield, which served as Union Commander George B. McClellan’s headquarters during the battle.

His tactics worked and his command penetrated to the center of the Mule Shoe, but they were left unsupported and forced to withdraw in the face of enemy artillery and mounting reinforcements.

This was the surrender that earned Grant the nickname of “Unconditional Surrender” Grant.

This was the Red River campaign, considered a strategic distraction.

After Joseph E. Johnston began a withdrawal from Yorktown toward Richmond, the first heavy fighting of the campaign occurred during the Battle of Williamsburg.

Hood was relieved of his command after his disastrous defeats in the battles of Franklin and Nashville.

The battle resulted from Gen. Grant's initiative to keep Union forces on the offensive and prevent Confederates from shuttling troops from one region to another. The quick Union advance caught Lee off guard, so he sent Jones and 4,000 men to the valley.

This is Burnside’s Bridge, part of the afternoon phase of battle south of Sharpsburg during the Battle of Antietam.

A.P Hill grew impatient and began his attack without orders into a futile series of assaults.

The tavern was the scene of the heaviest fighting in the battle, and also where the Union cries of “Victory” were sent up as the Confederates left the field of battle.

But was a strategic victory for the Confederacy, because his aggressiveness suggested that he possessed a much larger force, convincing President Abraham Lincoln to keep troops in the Valley.

Most of Forrest's battles took part in Alabama and Tennessee. Kennesaw Mountain is in Georgia.

Don Carlos Buell took part in the Battles of Shiloh, Corinth and Perryville. He was relieved of field command in late 1862 and made no more significant military contributions during the war.

Thomas was a slow, deliberate general, best known for his stout defense earning him his famous nickname, “the Rock of Chickamauga.”

While many mention the final assault as being against Snodgrass Hill – this was just one portion of the larger Horseshoe Ridge.

After being shot in the thigh on July 2^nd at the Battle of Gettysburg, Vincent died five days later on July 7^th, 1863.

This is the Antietam visitors center, which is currently being renovated.

While shielding the withdrawal of Lee’s army, Kilpatrick pursued Stuart’s cavalry.

Fought near Kansas City in October 23, 1864, the battle ended the last Confederate offensive west of the Mississippi River, causing Sterling Price’s army to retreat.

The goal of the campaign was to draw neutral Kentucky into the Confederacy by outflanking Union troops under Major General Don Carlos Buell.

Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan advanced his lines with the objective of bringing Richmond within range of his siege guns.

Stonewall Jackson won the next battle as well, after his troops burned the bridge behind them, forcing the Federals to watch helplessly as their troops were defeated at Port Republic.

He was wounded in the thigh by the same bullet that killed Brig. Gen. Lawrence Branch, but ultimately felled during Meade’s assault south of the city.

Part of his raid into Missouri, Confederate Maj. General Sterling Price did not believe his force was in danger, so he split them, but was caught attempting to cross Mine Creek.

Fitzhugh Lee and George Pickett dismissed the courier’s reports, but the officers soon heard the gunfire and saw the Union Army battle line coming toward the road.

The battle took place on December 15-16, 1864, where John Bell Hood faced off against Union commander George H. Thomas.

This was the battle where the Confederates drove the Federals down the steep slope into the Potomac River.

The campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863.

Sherman spotted a cluster of Confederate generals — Polk, William J. Hardee, and Johnston, with their staff, in an exposed area, and were immediately shelled.