- The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863): This battle is often considered the turning point of the Civil War. The Union victory under General George Meade ended Confederate General Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the North and marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.
- The Battle of Antietam (September 17, 1862): Although it was technically a draw, the Battle of Antietam was a strategic victory for the Union. It stopped Lee's first invasion of the North and led President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people in Confederate territory.
- The Battle of Vicksburg (May 18-July 4, 1863): The Union victory under General Ulysses S. Grant split the Confederacy in two and gave the Union control of the Mississippi River, a major transportation route. This victory, along with the Battle of Gettysburg, marked a turning point in the war and helped secure the Union's ultimate victory.