1861 Battles - Major Civil War Battles

• Fort Sumter

  April 12-13, 1861

  Fought in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, this was the first battle of the Civil War. A 33-hour barrage did little damage, but the federal garrison surrendered. Two days later, President Lincoln called up 75,000 volunteers, mobilizing the Union army.

• First Bull Run (Manassas)

  July 21, 1861

  This Virginia battle became the first large-scale land action of the war. Although the battle went well for the Union army in the beginning, a major panic ensued in the afternoon. Giving up the fight, thousands of fleeing Union troops made their way back to Washington.