The US Civil War is one of a few wars in which US citizens died on US soil, and it had an incredible death toll. All across the eastern United States, Civil War battlefields were the scene of tens of thousands of casualties, battles that left thousands of men dead. It is shocking to visit Civil War battlefields where such a tremendous amount of lives were lost, such as at Gettysburg, Antietam, or Shiloh, and see nothing but a few planks and the banality of a tranquil green pasture. These sites are an important part of the history of the US, so it is worthwhile and interesting to remark on some of the biggest and most deadly Civil War battles, to reestablish a sense of what really happened at these now-peaceful locations. It is no coincidence that all of the worst battles of the Civil War find places on lists of the most important Civil War battles. High casualties often left one side's morale crushed, if it had enough troops for morale to even matter. The battles that most often come up are the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Chickamauga, the Battle of Shiloh, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Cold Harbor. Also worth mentioning is the "siege" of Petersburg, which lasted nine months.The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most important Civil War battles, and it tops the list for total troops lost in a battle, as well as for most troops lost by either side during the Civil War. During this battle, Gen. Lee ordered an assault against Union positions on Cemetery Ridge. This became known as Picket's charge, after one of the three generals who led the assault, and its failure was arguably the turning point in the Civil War, the failure from which the South was never able to recover. Roughly 12,000 infantry soldiers face heavy rifle and artillery fire for three-fourths of a mile, and more than 6,000 died in the futile attempt. The Gettysburg National Military Park, built on the site of the battle, contains several monuments to the roughly 51,000 soldiers who died there. The Battle of Antietam is probably the next most famous as far as casualties. When Gen. Lee and Union General McClellan agreed to a truce so that both sides could recover their wounded on September 18, 1862, the two day battle had left roughly 23,000 casualties, the highest for any two-day battle in the war. This battle garners attention from historians because it was the bloodiest battle at that point in the war, because it was the first major battle fought on Northern soil, and because almost all of these casualties happened on September 17th. The Battle of Cold Harbor is significant because General Grant sent two charges against a nearly impregnable Confederate position, and thousands of them were killed or wounded. It was the most lopsided Civil War Battle of the entire war, and Grant would later say that the last assault was the only charge he ever regretted calling. At the close of the nearly 12-day battle, 12 of the 20,000 casualties were Union soldiers. At the Battle of Chickamauga, Union forces under Major General William Rosecrans were defeated by Confederate General Braxton Bragg on September 19th and 20th, 1863. This was the most significant Union defeat in the West and the Civil War battle with the second highest number of casualties, after Gettysburg, at roughly 34,000 casualties, 16,000 of which were Union Soldiers. Interestingly, both generals are often counted among the worst of the Civil War. In this particular battle, Rosecrans received some poor intelligence that led him to believe a gap was opening in his line, so without checking, he sent unclear orders to close the gap, which were both confusing in terminology and confusing because there was no gap. The confusion opened up an actual hole that Confederate General James Longstreet, not counted as one of the worst commanders of the Civil War, exploited to great effect, driving scores of Union soldiers off the field and breaking Gen. Rosecrans' spirit. The Battle of Chancellorsville is often included, especially as one of the top ten worst Civil War battles, because it may have been one of Gen. Lee's best. The battle was important in giving the Confederates the momentum needed to start the invasion of the north. At Chancellorsville, there were roughly 24,000 casualties, 14,000 of which were Union Soldiers. In this battle Gen. Lee took a risk and divided his forces twice to deal with Union Gen. Hooker's attacks, anticipating Hooker's "surprises" more than once, and through superior skill and mettle, pushed the Union troops out of Fredericksburg. There were countless other battles that left Civil War battlefields strewn with dead US soldiers, and each has its own claim to garishness. Of course, as a result, there are hundreds of Civil War parks, and innumerable memorials and monuments, and while certain Civil War battlefields are worth a visit for their historical gravitas, the most significant battles don't necessarily have the best battlefield parks, tours, or visitor centers. As such, when it comes to visiting Civil War parks, it is best to think of the destinations and sites as opposed to battlefields, since many battles spanned days and miles. Some of the most visited include, The Gettysburg National Military Park, the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, and Fort Sumter National monument. Other parks that are less heavily traffic but still well-regarded include Pamplin Historical Park, outside Petersburg, VA, Antietam National Battlefield, and Shiloh National Military Park. When visiting the sites of these horrible and significant Civil War battles, it bears remembering that their significance derives from the specific lives lost at each one.
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Visit the Stunning and Beautiful Sites of These Bloody Battles
Jeffery Holter is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. In his spare time he enjoys traveling to different Civil War Battlefields across the U.S. If you would like to learn more about Civil War Battlefields, please visit CivilWar.org
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