Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1862 facts for kids

This page lists the important battles and events that happened in 1862 during the American Civil War. In the first part of the year, the Union army had many wins. They took control of Missouri, northern Arkansas, Kentucky, and western Tennessee. They also captured several areas along the coast. The Confederate army worked hard to protect their capital city, Richmond, Virginia. They even launched attacks into Kentucky and Maryland, but the Union army won those battles too.

History of the Battles

Battles in the East

In the Eastern part of the war, the Union army, called the Army of the Potomac, was led by Major General George B. McClellan. In April, they were moved to Fort Monroe to start an attack on Richmond, Virginia. McClellan thought he had fewer soldiers than the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. So, he moved very slowly. It took him almost a month to capture the Confederate defenses near Yorktown. Then, it took another month to get close to Richmond.

On May 31, the Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston attacked a small part of the Union army in the Battle of Seven Pines. Johnston's plan did not work because his attacks were not organized. Also, some Confederate groups did not arrive where they were supposed to be. Johnston was hurt during this battle.

To replace Johnston, Confederate President Jefferson Davis chose General Robert E. Lee. Lee started the Seven Days Battles in late June. Even though Lee's attacks were often messy, he still managed to push the Union army back. McClellan had to give up his plan to capture Richmond. Lee was happy he had pushed the Union army away, but he wished he could have destroyed it completely.

Lee then moved his army north to fight the Union Army of Virginia. This army was led by Major General John Pope. Lee wanted to defeat Pope's army before it could join with McClellan's army. McClellan's army was coming to northern Virginia from the Peninsula. During the Second Battle of Bull Run, Lee completely defeated Pope's army.

After this win, Lee invaded Maryland. He hoped to get supplies from Union land. He also hoped that a big Confederate win in the North would make other countries recognize the Confederacy as a real nation. But McClellan attacked Lee through the mountains. Lee had to stop his plan to invade Pennsylvania. Instead, he gathered his army behind Antietam Creek.

Neither side truly won the Battle of Antietam on September 17. But Lee's retreat back to Virginia gave the Union a big win in the campaign. In October and November, Union President Abraham Lincoln wanted McClellan to attack Lee more aggressively. But McClellan refused. He moved slowly and kept asking for more supplies.

Lincoln replaced McClellan on November 7 with Major General Ambrose Burnside. Burnside hoped to cross the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, Virginia. He wanted to get between Lee's army and Richmond. But there were delays in getting a special bridge. Burnside could not cross the river until December 11. By then, Lee had gathered his whole army along some ridges near Fredericksburg. On December 13, Burnside attacked the Confederate positions. He lost many soldiers. Two days later, he went back across the river and settled down for the winter.

Battle of Shiloh by Thure de Thulstrup. This painting shows the intense fighting during the battle.

Battles in the West

In the Western part of the war, the Confederate forces were led by General Albert Sidney Johnston. They had to leave Kentucky and much of central and western Tennessee. This happened after they lost Fort Donelson and Fort Henry in February. The Union commander who captured these two forts, Major General Ulysses S. Grant, became a national hero.

Johnston, following a plan from his second-in-command, General P. G. T. Beauregard, gathered as many soldiers as he could near Corinth, Mississippi. He attacked Grant's Army of the Tennessee near Shiloh Church. On April 6, Johnston's army almost pushed the Union army into the Tennessee River. But Johnston was badly wounded during the battle and died. Grant's army got help during the night from the Army of the Ohio, led by Major General Don Carlos Buell. Grant then led a counterattack the next morning. He pushed the Confederates off the field, and they went back to their base at Corinth.

Major General Henry W. Halleck took command of the Union forces in western Tennessee. He moved towards Corinth, where both armies settled in for a month-long siege. Beauregard was worried that the Union army would attack his defenses. So, he secretly left Corinth during the night of May 29–30. Halleck's forces did not find out until the next morning.

Beauregard was soon removed from command because of his health. Jefferson Davis replaced him with General Braxton Bragg. After the Union win at Corinth, Halleck spread his army out. They went across northern Mississippi, western Tennessee, and northern Alabama to protect the railroads. He sent Buell's Army of the Ohio east to capture Chattanooga. But problems with Union supplies stopped Buell from taking the city.

Bragg wondered how to fight back against the Union threat. He got a message from Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby Smith. Smith, who led the Confederate Department of East Tennessee, suggested they combine their forces. They could defeat Buell and take back Kentucky. Bragg moved his soldiers by train starting in late June. He arrived at Chattanooga near the end of July. From there, he moved into Kentucky towards the Ohio River. Buell also moved north. He managed to reach Louisville before Bragg did. From there, he moved south towards Bragg.

The two armies met in a battle near Perryville, Kentucky on October 8. Bragg's forces attacked Buell's left side but did not succeed. Bragg retreated that night and joined with Smith. He planned to stay in Kentucky. But when Buell threatened his escape route, Bragg moved south into Tennessee.

Naval and Coastal Battles

The Union navy, working with the army, captured more coastal areas along the Atlantic coast and Gulf coast. After the Union win at Hatteras Inlet the year before, other parts of the North Carolina coast were captured, including New Berne. In April, Union forces attacked and captured Fort Pulaski in Georgia. This happened after a thirty-hour bombing. This win cut off Savannah from ships that tried to get past the blockade. This meant that Wilmington, North Carolina, was the only major Atlantic port still held by the Confederates.

Several ports in Florida and along the Gulf coast were also captured. These included Apalachicola and St. Augustine in Florida, and Biloxi, Mississippi. In April, a Union group of ships led by Commodore David Farragut sailed past Forts Jackson and St. Philip. These forts were near the mouth of the Mississippi River. This forced New Orleans to surrender. New Orleans was the biggest Confederate port city in terms of people and trade.

Battles West of the Mississippi River

In the area west of the Mississippi River, the Confederates launched several attacks. All of them failed. In late January, Union Major General Samuel R. Curtis moved the Missouri State Guard out of Missouri and into northwestern Arkansas. Because of a lack of supplies, Curtis had to stop his advance near Pea Ridge.

In response to the Union advance, Confederate President Jefferson Davis sent Major General Earl Van Dorn to Arkansas. He was to take command of the Confederate forces there. After he arrived in early March, Van Dorn started his own attack. This led to the two-day Battle of Pea Ridge, which was a Confederate loss. After the battle, he was told to take his army east of the Mississippi River. He was supposed to join the Confederate army at Corinth, Mississippi. But he arrived too late to fight in the Battle of Shiloh.

Battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., by Kurz and Allison. This image shows the battle in progress.

In Texas, Brigadier General Henry Sibley formed a group of cavalry soldiers. He led them into the New Mexico Territory. He planned to drive the remaining Union forces out and then move into Colorado. He wanted to capture the gold and silver mines there. He fought the main Union force in the territory, led by Colonel Edward R.S. Canby, at the Battle of Valverde on February 17. Even though the Confederates won this battle, Sibley could not force Canby to surrender.

Instead, Sibley continued north, leaving Canby behind him. As he moved north along the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe Trail, his group met a Union force. This force included the 1st Colorado Infantry. They met at Glorieta Pass on March 28. The Confederates again pushed the Union force off the field. But during the battle, a Union group burned most of the Confederate supply wagons and their supplies. This meant the Confederates had to retreat back to Texas. They reached Texas by mid-April, having lost over 1,500 men out of their original 3,700.

Key Engagements of 1862