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:
CampaignEffective dates of campaignNotes
SumterApril 12–13, 1861
Bull RunJuly 16–22, 1861
Henry & DonelsonFebruary 6–16, 1862
Mississippi RiverFebruary 6, 1862 - July 9, 1863
PeninsulaMarch 17 - August 3, 1862
ShilohApril 6–7, 1862
ValleyMay 15 - June 17, 1862
ManassasAugust 7 - September 2, 1862
AntietamSeptember 3–17, 1862
FredericksburgNovember 9 - December 15, 1862
MurfreesboroughDecember 26, 1862 - January 4, 1863
ChancellorsvilleApril 27 - May 3, 1863
GettysburgJune 29 - July 3, 1863
VicksburgMarch 29 - July 4, 1863
ChickamaugaAugust 16 - September 22, 1863
ChattanoogaNovember 23–27, 1863
WildernessMay 4–7, 1864
AtlantaMay 7 - September 2, 1864
SpotsylvaniaMay 8–21, 1864
Cold HarborMay 22 - June 3, 1864
PetersburgJune 4, 1864 - April 2, 1865
ShenandoahAugust 7 - November 28, 1864
FranklinNovember 17–30, 1864
NashvilleDecember 1–16, 1864
AppomattoxApril 3–9, 1865