10 Costliest Campaigns in the American Civil War

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This is a list of the 10 costliest campaigns (by the number of killed, wounded, and missing not counting captured. Casualties usually counts captured but here it doesn’t.) during the American Civil War. A Campaign is a series of battles fought to achieve a goal.

10. Cumberland and Tennesse Rivers Campaign

Drawing of Union general C.F. Smith attacking during the Battle of Fort Donelson.

30,010 Total Casualties

February – May 1862; Result: Union Victory; Location: Stewart, Hardin, Henry Co. Tennessee and Alcorn Co. Mississippi.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of Fort Donelson (4,145 Casualties), Battle of Shiloh (23,746 Casualties), Siege of Corinth (2,000 Casualties)

Union: 120,000 Strength; 16,778 Casualties
Confederacy: 65,000 Strength; 13,232 Casualties
Important Union Generals: Ulysses S. Grant, Henry Halleck, Don Carlos Buell, and Andrew Foote.
Important Confederate Generals: P.G.T. Beauregard, Braxton Bragg, Earl Van Dorn, John Floyd, Gideon Pillow, Llyod Tilghman (prisoner), Simon Bolivar Buckner (prisoner), and Albert Sidney Johnson (killed).

9. Chancellorsville Campaign

Union Soldiers of the VI Corps of the Army of the Potomac before the Second Battle of Fredericksburg.

30,351 Total Casualties

April – May 1863; Result: Confederate Victory; Location: Spotsylvania Co. Virginia.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of Chancellorsville (19,274 Casualties), Battle of Salem Church (9,546 Casualties), Second Battle of Fredericksburg (2,000 Casualties)

Union: 133,868 Strength; 17,287 Casualties
Strength: 60,298 Strength; 12,764 Casualties
Important Union Generals: Joseph Hooker, George Meade, John Sedgewick, George Stoneman, Daniel Sickles, Darious Couch, John Reynolds, Henry Slocum, Winfield Hancock, Alfred Pleasonton, William Averell, and Oliver Howard.
Important Confederate Generals: Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson (killed), J.E.B. Stuart, Richard H. Anderson, George Pickett, A.P. Hill, Fitzhugh Lee, Wade Hampton, John Bell Hood, and Jubal Early.

8. Chickamauga Campaign

Painting of the Battle of Chickamauga.

34,624 Total Casualties

August – September 1863; Result: Confederate Victory; Location: Catoosa, Walker, Dade Co. Georgia and Hamilton Co. Tennessee.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of Chickamauga (34,624 Casualties)

Union: 60,000 Strength; 16,170 Casualties.
Confederacy: 65,000 Strength; 18,454 Casualties.
Important Union Generals: William Rosecrans, George H. Thomas, Thomas Wood, Alexander McCook, James Negley, and John Widler.
Important Confederate Generals: Braxton Bragg, James Longstreet, John Bell Hood, John Breckenridge, Thomas Hindman, D.H. Hill.

7. Appomattox Campaign

High Bridge over the Appomattox River. Site of the Battle of High Bridge, April 6-7, 1865

35,780 Total Casualties

March – April 1865; Result: Confederate Victory; Location: Dinwiddie, Amelia, Prince Edward, Cumberland, and Appomattox Co. Virginia.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of Five Forks (3,800 Casualties), Third Battle of Petersburg (8,936 Casualties), Battle of Sailor’s Creek (8,848 Casualties)

Union: 114,335 Strength; 10,780 Casualties.
Confederacy: 56,000 Strength; 25,000 Casualties.
Important Union Generals: Ulysses S, Grant, George Meade, Edward O.C. Ord, Phillip Sheridan, Andrew Humphreys, Gouvener Warren, Horatio Wright, John Parke, John Gibbon, Godfrey Weitzel, Wesley Merritt, George Crook, and George Custer.
Important Confederate Generals: Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, John Gordon, A.P. Hill (killed), Richard H. Anderson, Fitzhugh Lee, Richard Ewell, Henry Wise, George Pickett, and Joseph Kershaw (all surrendered).

6. Maryland Campaign

Dead Confederate soldiers on Hagerstown Road after the Battle of Antietam.

44,501 Casualties Total

September 1862; Result: Union Victory; Location: Washington, Frederick Co. Maryland, Loudoun Co. Virginia, and Jefferson Co. West Virginia.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of Antietam (22,727 Casualties) and Battle of South Mountain (5,010 Casualties)

Union: 102,234 Strength; 28,272 Casualties.
Confederacy: 55,000 Strength; 16,229 Casualties.
Important Union Generals: George B. McClellan, Ambrose Burnside, William B. Franklin, Jesse L. Reno (killed), Fitz John Porter, Joseph Hooker, Edwin Summer, Joseph Mansfield, William Franklin, and Alfred Pleasonton.
Important Confederate Generals: Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, A.P. Hill, D.H. Hill, J.E.B. Stuart, William Pendelton, John Bell Hood, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee and Richard H. Anderson.

5. Peninsula Campaign

Union General Thomas F. Meagher at the Battle of Seven Pines (AKA Fair Oaks).

52,417 Total Casualties

March-July 1862; Result: Confederate Victory; Location: Mainly Henrico and Hanover Co., also York, James City, New Kent, and Chesterfield Co. Virginia.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of Seven Pines (11,565 Casualties), Battle of Gaines’ Mill (15,330 Casualties), Battle of Malvern Hill (8,650 Casualties), Battle of Glendale (7,470 Casualties)

Union: 105,587 Strength; 23, 119 Casualties.
Confederacy: 112,220 Strength; 29,298 Casualties.
Important Union Generals: George B. McClellan, Samuel Heintzleman, Winfield Hancock, Fitz John Porter, Edwin Summer, Erasmus Keyes, John Sedgewick, Joseph Hooker, Darious Couch, George Sykes, and George Stoneman.
Important Confederate Generals: Robert E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnston (wounded), John Magruder, James Longstreet, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, D.H. Hill, Jubal Early, A.P. Hill, Richard H. Anderson, Jubal Early, George Pickett, Joseph Kershaw, J.E.B. Stuart, Wade Hampton (wounded), and Gustavus Smith.

4. Gettysburg Campaign

A drawing of the Battle of Brandy Station, which was the largest cavalry battle of the War.

64,043 Total Casualties

June – July 1863; Result: Union Victory; Location: Spotsylvania, Stafford, Culpepper, Frederick, Loudoun, Fairfax, and Warren Co. Virginia, York, Cumberland, Adams, and Franklin Co. Pennsylvania, and Washington Co. Maryland.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of Gettysburg (51,049 Casualties), Second Battle of Winchester (4,712 Casualties), Battle of Brandy Station (1,530 Casualties)

Union: 104,256 Strength; 32,043 Casualties.
Confederacy: 75,000 Strength; 32,000 Casualties.
Important Union Generals: George Meade, Joseph Hooker, John Reynolds, Winfield Hancock, Daniel Sickles (wounded), George Sykes, John Sedgewick, Oliver Howard, Henry Slocum, Alfred Pleasonton, Robert Milroy, and Judson Kilpatrick.
Important Confederate Generals: Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, A.P. Hill, Fitzhugh Lee, James Longstreet, Richard Ewell, George Pickett, John Bell Hood, Jubal Early, Richard H. Anderson, Henry Heth, and Wade Hampton.

3. Atlanta Campaign

Burning of Atlanta, Georgia by Sherman’s army.

66,666 Total Casualties

May – September 1864; Result: Union Victory; Location: Whitfield, Gordon, Calhoun, Bartow, Paulding, Cobb, Lee, Fulton, DeKalb, Coweta, and Clayton Co. Georgia.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of Resaca (7,000 Casualties), Battle of Kennesaw Mountain (4,000 Casualties), Battle of Peachtree Creek (4,400 Casualties), Battle of Atlanta (9,222 Casualties), Battle of Ezra Church (3,642 Casualties)

Union: 112,819 Strength; 31,687 Casualties.
Confederacy: 78,000 Strength; 34,979 Casualties.
Important Union Generals: William T. Sherman, George H. Thomas, James McPherson (killed), John Schofield, Oliver Howard, and Joesph Hooker.
Important Confederate Generals: Joseph E. Johnston, John Bell Hood, William Hardee, Leonidas Polk (killed), Joseph Wheeler, Thomas Hindman, Patrick Cleburne.

2. Richmond-Petersburg Campaign

Confederate trenches after the battles. Petersburg, Virginia, April 3, 1865.

70,000 Total Casualties

June 1864 – March 1865; Result: Union Victory; Location: Mainly Henrico and Dinwiddie Co. and Petersburg, Virginia also Prince George, Brunswick, Charlotte, Greensville, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, and Sussex Co. Virginia.

Major Battles in Campaign: Second Battle of Petersburg (15,386), Battle of the Crater (5,289), Second Battle of Deep Bottom (4,399), Battle of Globe Tavern (5,916), Battle of Fort Stedman (5,044)

Union: 125,000 Strength; 42,000 Casualties.
Confederacy: 60,000 Strength; 28,000 Casualties.
Important Union Generals: Ulysses S. Grant, George Meade, Benjamin Butler, Winfield Hancock, Gouvener Warren, Horatio Wright, Ambrose Burnside, Phillip Sheridan, Godfrey Weitzel, David Birney, Edward O.C. Ord, and William F. Smith.
Important Confederate Generals: Robert E. Lee, P.G.T. Beauregard, James Longstreet, Richard Ewell, A.P. Hill, Richard H. Anderson, George Pickett, Jubal Early, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee, and Robert Hoke.

1. Overland Campaign

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House fought May 9-21, 1864, was the largest battle of the Overland Campaign.

89,926 Total Casualties

May – June 1864; Result: Union Victory, despite taking 44% casualties. Confederate took 54% Casualties; Location: Spotsylvania, Orange, Henrico, Caroline, Hanover, Charles City, and Louisa Co. Virginia.

Major Battles in Campaign: Battle of the Wilderness (28,699 Casualties), Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (31,086 Casualties), Battle of Cold Harbor (18,025 Casualties)

Union: 124,232 Strength; 54,926 Casualties.
Confederacy: 65,000 Strength; 35,000 Casualties.
Ulysses S. Grant, George Meade, Ambrose Burnside, Winfield Hancock, John Sedgewick (killed), Phillip Sheridan, William F. Smith, David Birney, and Horatio Wright.
Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet (wounded), Richard Ewell, A.P. Hill, J.E.B. Stuart (killed), Richard H. Anderson, Jubal Early, Henry Heth, George Pickett, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee, and Robert Rodes.

One thought on “10 Costliest Campaigns in the American Civil War”

  1. Gabriel,
    Certainly some graphic pictures. The camera brought the true picture of war into our lives.
    Sadly after all the blood and gore we don’t get the results we want.
    Wasn’t General A.P.Hill something? I had such a good time with you, your family and Lisa at his final burial. That sounds a little crazy but we are happy that he is finally in his resting place.
    Also, we had some wonderful food that day!!
    Love you, Gramsey

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