The most important generals in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War were:
Ulysses S. GrantGeorge B. McClellanIrvin McDowellJohn PopeAmbrose BurnsideGeorge G. MeadeRobert E. LeeP. BeauregardJoseph JhonstonJames LongstreetStonewall JacksonA. P. HillJubal Early
In the Western Theater, the most prominent generals were:
Ulysses S. GrantHenry HalleckWilliam ShermanGeorge ThomasDon Carlos BuellWilliam RosecransJames McPhersonAlbert Sidney JohnsonP. BeauregardJoseph JhonstonBraxton BraggJohn Bell HoodNathan Bedford ForrestEdmund Kirby Smith
In the Trans-Mississippi, the most notable generals were:
Nathaniel BanksJames BluntEdward CanbySamuel CurtisJohn FrémontNathaniel LyonJohn PopeWilliam RosecransJohn SchofieldEdmund Kirby SmithTeophilus HolmesRichard TaylorThomas HindmanJohn MagruderSterling PriceEarl Van DornBenjamin McCullochStand Watie
Some of the key battles of the war were:
The Battle of Fort Sumter: it took place on April 12 1861 and was the first engagement between both armies.
The Battle of Glorieta Pass (March 1862), which the Union Army won against the Confederates and prevented the South from occupying California.
The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1st - 3rd 1863): considered as a turning point in the Civil War, Southern General Lee was defeated by the Union Army.