JULY 30: What’s In A (Battle) Name?

During the Civil War, the naming protocol for the location of a battle varied between the two sides. The Federals named battles after nearby geographical features, especially rivers or creeks. The Confederates named battles after the closest town or settlement to it.

A photo of the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam (Federals) / Sharpsburg (Confederates) in Maryland. (Credit: Library of Congress)

Here’s a list of Federal and Confederate names for the same battle.

Date                                    Federals                                                           Confederates

July 21, 1861                  First Bull Run                                                  First Manassas

Aug. 10, 1861                Wilson’s Creek                                               Oak Hills

Oct. 21, 1861                 Ball’s Bluff                                                       Leesburg

Jan. 19, 1862                 Logan’s Cross Roads                                Mill Springs

March 7-8, 1862          Pea Ridge                                                       Elkhorn Tavern

April 6-7, 1862              Pittsburg Landing                                        Shiloh

May 31-June 1, ‘62 Fair Oaks                                                          Seven Pines

June 26, 1862                Beaver Dam Creek                                       Mechanicsville

June 27, 1862                Chickahominy  River                                 Gaines’s Mill

Aug. 29-30, 1862         Second Bull Run                                           Second Manassas

Sept. 1, 2862                 Chantilly                                                           Ox Hill

Sept. 14, 1862              South Mountain                                           Boonsboro

Sept. 14, 1862              Crampton’s Gap                                          Burkittsville

Sept. 17, 1862              Antietam                                                           Sharpsburg

Oct. 8, 1862                   Chaplin Hills                                                   Perryville

Dec. 31, 1862-              Stones River                                                    Murfreesboro

   Jan. 2 1863

Feb. 20, 1864                 Ocean Pond                                                    Olustee

April 8, 1864                   Sabine Cross Roads                                  Mansfield

Sept. 19, 1864              Opequon                                                          Winchester

An illustration of the Battle of Mechanicsville (Confederates) / Beaver Dam Creek (Federals) in Virginia. (Credit: Library of Congress)