Civil War Battlefields in Tennessee

Tennessee was a very active state during the Civil War. Many of the sites where battles were fought in this state had to do with transportation. The fact that the western border of the state of Tennessee is the Mississippi River made it vital to both the Union and to the Confederacy.

Part of the Union's plan for winning the war was to control the Mississippi River. It was one of the early decisions that proved successful and helped to win the war for the Union.

The Union began their campaign in Cairo, Ill. and worked their way down the Mississippi River. In February 1862, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant led a Union force of 15,000 against first Fort Henry and then Fort Donelson. This was a major blow to the Confederacy as it opened the door to Union control of this part of the Mississippi River.

Fort Henry was a minor skirmish with only 119 casualties. The Confederates had a force of over 12,000 at Fort Donelson and this was a major confrontation that lasted several days. Union forces had swollen and though reports differ, it is believed to have been between 25,000 and 35,000. Casualties were high, a total of almost 4,000 from both sides not including the missing.

The war moved south along the Mississippi River and in April, one of the major battles of the Civil War was fought. Up to this point, casualties had been relatively light, that was going to change. When the two sides met at Shiloh Church, devastation followed. Before the fighting was over, almost 24,000 men had died. The first day of the battle favored the Confederates but they suffered a major blow in the death of General Albert Sidney Johnston.

Overnight, reinforcements arrived at the Union Army from Nashville and the second day went to the Union with the Confederates retreating by days end. Both sides were stunned by the ferocity of this battle and it was a wake-up call to those who thought this was going to be a shortived and relatively bloodless war.

Chattanooga was a major rail center and controlled a vital spot on the Tennessee River. Once the western part of Tennessee was under Union control, it was deemed time to control the eastern part and put a strangle hold on the ability of the Confederacy to ship goods and men.


In June 1862, the first skirmishes took place at Chattanooga, but it wasn’t until over a year later in November 1863 that the major battle for the control of Lookout Mountain took place. It was to be a Union victory and the south never controlled this area again.


The Battle of Franklin took place in and around Carnton Plantation. It was one was the most savage battles of the war. On November 30, 1864 40,000 men met on the field of battle. Much of the combat was hand to hand. The battle only lasted for 5 hours but it left 2500 dead, 7000 wounded and 1000 missing. The hurting that it placed on the Confederate Army would lead to the eventual end of the war in April 1865.

These are just some of the Civil War battlefields in Tennessee. Tennessee was the site of many other battles, both small and large, and to this day retains many of the scars and memorials to the many Americans who lost their lives there on both sides.