The Ten Costliest Battles of the Civil War
At least 618,000 Americans died in the Civil War. The number that is most often quoted is 620,000 although some experts say this number is actually 700,000. At any rate, these casualties exceed the nation's loss in all its other wars, from the Revolution through Vietnam. Listed here are the ten costliest battles of the Civil War - based on total casualties. Keep in mind that the word "casualty" does not mean death, but loss. These losses include those who were killed, wounded, missing, and captured.
Gettysburg
Date:
July 1-3, 1863
Location:
Pennsylvania
Confederate Commander:
Robert E. Lee
Union Commander:
George G. Meade
Confederate Strength:
75,000
Union Strength:
82,289
Winner:
Union
Casualties:
51,112
(23,049 Union and 28,063 Confederate)
Chickamauga
Date:
September 19-20, 1863
Location:
Georgia
Confederate Commander:
Braxton Bragg
Union Commander:
William Rosecrans
Confederate Strength:
66,326
Union Strength:
58,222
Winner:
Confederacy
Casualties:
34,624
(16,170 Union and 18,454 Confederate)
Chancellorsville
Date:
May 1-4, 1863
Location:
Virginia
Confederate Commander:
Robert E. Lee
Union Commander:
Joseph Hooker
Confederate Strength:
60,892
Union Strength:
133,868
Winner:
Confederacy
Casualties:
30,099
(17,278 Union and 12,821 Confederate)
Spotsylvania
Date:
May 8-19, 1864
Location:
Virginia
Confederate Commander:
Robert E. Lee
Union Commander:
Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate Strength:
50,000
Union Strength:
83,000
Winner:
Confederacy
Casualties:
27,399
(18,399 Union and 9,000 Confederate)
Antietam (Sharpsburg)
Date:
September 17, 1862
Location:
Maryland
Confederate Commander:
Robert E. Lee
Union Commander:
George B. McClellan
Confederate Strength:
51,844
Union Strength:
75,316
Winner:
Union
Casualties:
26,134
(12,410 Union and 13,724 Confederate)
Wilderness
Date:
May 5-7, 1864
Location:
Virginia
Confederate Commander:
Robert E. Lee
Union Commander:
Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate Strength:
61,025
Union Strength:
101,895
Winner:
Inconclusive
Casualties:
25,416
(17,666 Union and 7,750 Confederate)
Second Manassas
Date:
August 29-30, 1862
Location:
Virginia
Confederate Commander:
Robert E. Lee
Union Commander:
John Pope
Confederate Strength:
48,527
Union Strength:
75,696
Winner:
Confederacy
Casualties:
25,251
(16,054 Union and 9,197 Confederate)
Stones River
Date:
December 31, 1862
Location:
Tennessee
Confederate Commander:
Braxton Bragg
Union Commander:
William S. Rosecrans
Confederate Strength:
37,739
Union Strength:
41,400
Winner:
Union
Casualties:
24,645
(12,906 Union and 11,739 Confederate)
Shiloh
Date:
April 6-7, 1862
Location:
Tennessee
Confederate Commanders:
Albert Sidney Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard
Union Commander:
Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate Strength:
40,335
Union Strength:
62,682
Winner:
Union
Casualties:
23,741
(13,047 Union and 10,694 Confederate)
Fort Donelson
Date:
February 13-16, 1862
Location:
Tennessee
Confederate Commanders:
John B. Floyd and Simon B. Buckner
Union Commander:
Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate Strength:
21,000
Union Strength:
27,000
Winner:
Union
Casualties:
19,455
(2,832 Union and 16,623 Confederate)
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Last Modified: July, 2005