What where the major engagements
The first major engagement was in February 1861 when The South Seized Federal Forts. President Buchanan -- Lincoln's predecessor -- refused to surrender southern federal forts to the confederate states, southern state troops seized them. At around the same time confederate troops didn’t allow a supply ship to give its supplies to union troops at for Sumter, the ships had to return to new York
April 1861
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was the official beginning of the war where confederate troops demanded the surrender of the fort. 68 troops who had been without supplys since December the previous year’s refused to surrender. Confederate troops surrounded the fort and held it under siege. Abraham Lincoln ordered new supplies to be sent and when they arrived the confederates attacked at 4.30 AM, the next afternoon the fort was surrendered
April 1861
Four more states join the confederacy
after the battle at fort Sumter Lincoln calls for more troops and Virginia Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee all seceded to the confederacy
June 1861
Four slave states stay in the union
Despite their acceptance of slavery, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri did not join the Confederacy, mainly because of political and military pressure in the area
July 1861
Bull run
Union troops led by General McDowell advanced towards Manassas Junction, where Confederate troops were dug in, blocking the road to Richmond. Both Confederate and Union troops were unprepared and poorly trained. Union troops advanced on Confederate troops, almost breaking through, but at the last moment, Confederate reinforcements arrived on the battlefield to send the Union troops retreating back to Washington
April 1862
battle of Shiloh
Confederate troops attacked union forces at Shiloh , Tennessee. By the end of the day the federal troops had taken heavy casualties and where nearly defeated, during the night however more union reinforcements arrived and...