Ten Costliest Battles of the Civil War

Lazy Bayou

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Apr 17, 2011
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Mississippi
#1
Battle of Gettysburg
Date: July 1-3, 1863
Location:Pennsylvania
Confederate Commander: R. E. Lee
Union Commander: G. Meade
Confederate Forces: 75,000
Union Forces: 82,289
Winner:Union
Casualties:51,112 (23,049 Union / 28,063 Confederate)
#2
Battle of Chickamauga
Date: September 19-20, 1863
Location: Georgia
Confederate Commander: B. Bragg
Union Commander:W. Rosecrans
Confederate Forces: 66,326
Union Forces:58,222
Winner:Confederacy
Casualties: 34,624 (16,170 Union / 18,454 Confederate)
#3
Battle of Chancellorsville
Date: May 1-4, 1863
Location:Virginia
Confederate Commander:R. E. Lee
Union Commander:J. Hooker
Confederate Forces: 60,892
Union Forces: 133,868
Winner:Confederacy
Casualties:30,099 (17,278 Union / 12,821 Confederate)

Date: May 8-19, 1864
Location:Virginia
Confederate Commander: R. E. Lee
Union Commander:U. S. Grant
Confederate Forces: 50,000
Union Forces:83,000
Winner: Confederacy
Casualties: 27,399 (18,399 Union / 9000 Confederate)
#5
Battle of Antietam
Date: September 17, 1862
Location:Maryland
Confederate Commander:R. E. Lee
Union Commander:G. McClellan
Confederate Forces:51,844
Union Forces: 75,316
Winner:Inconclusive (Strategic Union Victory)
Casualties:26,134 (12,410 Union / 13,724 Confederate)
#6
Battle of The Wilderness
Date: May 5-7, 1864
Location:Virginia
Confederate Commander:R. E. Lee
Union Commander: U. S. Grant
Confederate Forces:61,025
Union Forces:101,895
Winner:Inconclusive
Casualties: 25,416 (17,666 Union / 7750 Confederate)
#7
Battle of Second Manassas
Date: August 29-30, 1862
Location: Virginia
Confederate Commander:R. E. Lee
Union Commander:J. Pope
Confederate Forces: 48,527
Union Forces:75,696
Winner: Confederacy
Casualties: 25,251 (16,054 Union / 9197 Confederate)
#8
Battle of Stone's River
Date: December 31, 1862
Location: Tennessee
Confederate Commander:B. Bragg
Union Commander: W. Rosecrans
Confederate Forces: 37,739
Union Forces: 41,400
Winner: Union
Casualties: 24,645 (12,906 Union / 11,739 Confederate)
#9
Battle of Shiloh
Date: April 6-7, 1862
Location:Tennessee
Confederate Commander:A. S. Johnston/ P. G. T. Beauregard
Union Commander:U. S. Grant
Confederate Forces:40,335
Union Forces:62,682
Winner:Union
Casualties: 23,741 (13,047 Union / 10,694 Confederate)
#10
Battle of Fort Donelson
Date: February 13-16, 1862
Location:Tennessee
Confederate Commander: J. B. Floyd/S. B. Buckner
Union Commander: U. S. Grant
Confederate Forces: 21,000
Union Forces:27,000
Winner: Union
Casualties: 19,455 (2,832 Union / 16,623 Confederate)

http://www.civilwarhome.com/Battles.htm
 
I believe the Confederate casualties at Donelson were a good deal less than reported by this source. Forrest wasn't the only one to escape, because the Virginians also marched out. Actual forces surrendered seem to have been exaggerated by Union forces and downplayed (even as late as 1867-68) by Confederates. The current estimate of the count is approximately 13,500. I have it it mind to check the microfilm records of all the camps where they were sent. Camp Douglas housed around 8,800 by my count, but I still haven't checked the other camps.
 
I believe the Confederate casualties at Donelson were a good deal less than reported by this source. Forrest wasn't the only one to escape, because the Virginians also marched out. Actual forces surrendered seem to have been exaggerated by Union forces and downplayed (even as late as 1867-68) by Confederates. The current estimate of the count is approximately 13,500. I have it it mind to check the microfilm records of all the camps where they were sent. Camp Douglas housed around 8,800 by my count, but I still haven't checked the other camps.

And the actual Confederate casualties at Spotsylvania and the Wilderness were considerably higher, too.
 
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