Campaigns of the American Civil War
The campaigns of the American Civil War are categorized in various ways. The U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry has identified 25 campaigns that are used for streamers, decorative devices attached to unit flags that denote participation in historic battles or campaigns.
The Civil War campaign streamers are equally divided with blue and gray. Units that received campaign credit as a Confederate unit use the same ribbon with the colors reversed. Blue refers to Federal service and gray to Confederate. Joined together they represent the unification of the country after the Civil War.
The following inscriptions in yellow, shown in all capital letters, are authorized on the streamers:
Campaign | Effective dates of campaign | Notes |
Sumter | April 12–13, 1861 | |
Bull Run | July 16–22, 1861 | |
Henry & Donelson | February 6–16, 1862 | |
Mississippi River | February 6, 1862 - July 9, 1863 | |
Peninsula | March 17 - August 3, 1862 | |
Shiloh | April 6–7, 1862 | |
Valley | May 15 - June 17, 1862 | |
Manassas | August 7 - September 2, 1862 | |
Antietam | September 3–17, 1862 | |
Fredericksburg | November 9 - December 15, 1862 | |
Murfreesborough | December 26, 1862 - January 4, 1863 | |
Chancellorsville | April 27 - May 3, 1863 | |
Gettysburg | June 29 - July 3, 1863 | |
Vicksburg | March 29 - July 4, 1863 | |
Chickamauga | August 16 - September 22, 1863 | |
Chattanooga | November 23–27, 1863 | |
Wilderness | May 4–7, 1864 | |
Atlanta | May 7 - September 2, 1864 | |
Spotsylvania | May 8–21, 1864 | |
Cold Harbor | May 22 - June 3, 1864 | |
Petersburg | June 4, 1864 - April 2, 1865 | |
Shenandoah | August 7 - November 28, 1864 | |
Franklin | November 17–30, 1864 | |
Nashville | December 1–16, 1864 | |
Appomattox | April 3–9, 1865 |