As with the war itself, battles had different names. Whereas the
South named them after the closest town, such as Sharpsburg, the
North often chose the closest river or geographical landmark, such
as Antietam Creek. Thus the Battle of Sharpsburg and the Battle of
Antietam are one and the same. This section covers the battles in
chronological order, from First Bull Run (Manassas) through the
Peninsula campaign, from Antietam (Sharpsburg) to Fredericksburg,
through Gettysburg to the Wilderness, from the trenches of
Petersburg to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox and Lincoln’s
assassination. Also highlighted are important decisions made by
the Lincoln administration for the Union and the Davis
administration for the Confederacy. |