Civil War Military Events From 1861 to 1865

December 26, 1860

U.S. Major Robert Anderson evacuates Fort Moultrie and his garrison relocates to Fort Sumter.

December 27, 1860

Confederate troops take over Fort Moultrie as well as Fort Johnson and Fort Pinkney in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.

January 1, 1861

Based in San Francisco, the Department of the Pacific is created for the U.S. Army.

January 1, 1862

Confederate forces begin bombardment of Fort McRea in Pensacola Harbor.

January 2, 1861

North Carolinian forces take the Fayetteville arsenal as well as Fort Macon and the forts of Wilmington.

January 3, 1861

Georgian forces claim Fort Pulaski critical to the defense of Savannah, Georgia.

January 8, 1861

A U.S. Army garrison stationed at Fort Barrancas (Pensacola, Florida) turns back an attempted assault to take the fort.

January 9, 1861

The steamer "Star of the West", laden with supplies and en route to Fort Sumter in Charleston (South Carolina), is fired upon by land-based cannons.

January 12, 1861

Floridian state forces claim the U.S. Navy Yard at Pensacola.

January 12, 1861

Star of the West, a steamer having delivered supplies to Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, returns to New York with her battle-damaged hull resulting from a Confederate attack.

February 8, 1861

State troops of Arkansas take the official state arsenal.

February 21, 1861

Stephen Mallory is appointed Secretary of the Navy for the Confederate States of America.

March 6, 1861

The Provisional Army of the Confederate States is established by the Confederate government.

March 16, 1861

The Confederate States Marine Corps is founded by the Confederate Congress.

March 27, 1861

Virginia establishes the State Rangers as a state-based militia force.

April 6, 1861

President Lincoln notifies the government of South Carolina that general supplies will be sent to Fort Sumter at Charleston Harbor - he gives his assurances that any strengthening of the position will only be made if the Fort is in danger of attack.

April 11, 1861

General P.G.T. Beauregard, a Confederate officer, calls for Fort Sumter to surrender. Commanding Union Major Robert Anderson refuses his demand.

April 12, 1861

With the refusal by Union forces at Fort Sumter to surrender their post, Confederate forces begin their ranged bombardment of the island.

April 12, 1861

At 4:30AM, a gun from Fort Johnson fires a star shell that detonates above Fort Sumter. This is the signal for the surrounding gun batteries to begin shelling the Union-held fort.

April 12, 1861

At 7:00AM, the guns of Fort Sumter return fire against Confederate positions in Charleston Harbor.

AprilI 13, 1861

Fort Sumpter is surrendered by Union Major Anderson to Confederate forces.

April 13, 1861

USS Sabine blockades the Confederate port at Pensacola, Florida.

April 13, 1861

At 2:30AM, Major Robert Anderson surrenders Fort Sumter to the Confederacy.

April 14, 1861

Having surrendered, Union forces abandon Fort Sumter.

April 15, 1861

President Lincoln pushes for 75,000 soldiers who will each serve three-month tenures.

April 16, 1861

Union forces leave and burn the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia resulting in the loss of thousands of rifles.

April 17, 1861

Confederate President Jefferson Davis calls on any and all privately-own vessels allied to the southern cause to openly attack Union merchants.

April 18, 1861

Robert E. Lee declines an offer by President Lincoln to command the United States Army.

April 18, 1861

State forces of Virginia take over what remains of the Harpers Ferry arsenal.

April 18, 1861

The 6th Massachusetts Regiment arrives in New York City.

April 19, 1861

President Lincoln calls on all southern ports to be blockaded, the territories in question being the lower East Coast all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

April 19, 1861

During unrest in Washington, D.C., four soldiers and twelve civilians are killed.

April 19, 1861

The New York 7th Regiment begins their march to Washington, D.C. to help bolster defenses there.

April 20, 1861

To avoid further clashes with troops, Baltimore formally asks President Lincoln to refrain from having military forces pass through the city.

April 20, 1861

Robert E. Lee, then a Colonel, resigns his position within the United States Army.

April 20, 1861

Union forces destroy a section of the Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia before abandoning it.

April 21, 1861

Thomas Jackson arrives in Richmond, Virginia with cadets from the Virginia Military Institute to ready them for war.

April 21, 1861

General Benjamin Butler, a Union officer, arrives at Annapolis, Maryland with his forces. However Governor Thomas Hicks takes offense to northern elements present in the state.

April 22, 1861

Lieutenant Joseph Wheeler, an officer in the United States Army, resigns his position to join the ranks of the south.

April 23, 1861

Robert E. Lee is given command of the forces of the state of Virginia (as a Major General).

April 24, 1861

Virginia formally aligns its state military capabilities with that of the Confederate Army.

April 24, 1861

USS Niagra, having arrived from Japan, is dispatched to the Charleston Harbor (South Carolina) area near Fort Sumter.

April 26, 1861

Fort Smith in Arkansas falls to Confederate elements.

April 27, 1861

Colonel Thomas Jackson takes command at Harpers Ferry (Virginia).

April 27, 1861

Colonel Thomas Jackson arranges for more infantry forces from the Shenandoah Valley area (Virginia).

May 3, 1861

President Lincoln asks Congress for additional troops for three-year terms - hoping to bolster the ranks of the Army and Navy services. Some 42,000 volunteer forces are required.

May 7, 1861

The state of Tennessee formally aligns its military capabilities with that of the Confederacy.

May 9, 1861

Military assets of Texas are officially handed over to the Texas Rangers by U.S. General David Twiggs.

May 10, 1861

Union elements take militia forces at Camp Jackson outside of St. Louis, Missouri. The action causes riots to break out.

May 11, 1861

U.S. Army General George McClellan is set in charge of the Department of the Ohio covering the states of Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania (western) and Virginia (western).

May 13, 1861

Union forces, under the command of Benjamin Butler, take Baltimore, Maryland.

May 14, 1861

William Tecumseh Sherman is named a Colonel in the U.S. Army's 13th Infantry Regiment.

May 14, 1861

Both Fort McHenry and Baltimore, Maryland are occupied by troops under the direction of General Benjamin Butler.

May 16, 1861

In an effort to strengthen its forces, the government of the Confederacy offers $10 enlistment bonuses.

May 24, 1861

Union forces cross the Ohio River into Virginia. Part of their mission is to secure forces loyal to the north found in the eastern part of the state.

June 1, 1861

The Confederate cause records its first casualty of war - Captain John Q. Marr - who died at the Fairfax Court House in Virginia.

June 1, 1861

In a proclamation to Virginians, General Beauregard gives a speech hoping to inspire the masses against actions of the north. He skillfully wields words like "tyrant", "murdering" and "outrage".

June 2, 1861

With General Beauregard now in command, the "Potomac Department" becomes the "Army of the Potomac".

June 2, 1861

CSS Savannah manages to beat the Union blockade of Charleston Harbor and escape to open water.

June 3, 1861

En route from Cuba and laden with a cargo hold of sugar, USS Joseph is intercepted and captured by CSS Savannah.

June 3, 1861

USS Perry manages to capture CSS Savannah and her crew intact. The prize is relocated to New York waters.

June 3, 1861

In the war's first contact battle between the two sides, Union forces claim the victory over Confederate elements at Philippi in West Virginia. The retreat of the Confederates, under General Robert Garnett, is so fast the engagement is known as the "Philippi Races".

June 4, 1861

Suffering defeat in the first true land battle of the war, Confederate forces clear out of Philippi, West Virginia.

June 5, 1861

In trying to muster greater hatred of the north, General Beauregard claims to Virginians that the north stands as a tyrant and has invaded their territory.

June 8, 1861

The Kentucky government keeps its military forces neutral in the ongoing - and growing - conflict between the north and south.

June 9, 1861

Mary Ann Bickerdyke begins her tenure as a wartime nurse for the north. Her contributions would go on to include establishment of 300 field hospitals and post-war support of veterans.

June 10, 1861

In the war's first complete pitched battle, the Confederates claim the victory over the Union at Big Bethel, Virginia.

June 10, 1861

Captain Judson Kilpatrick becomes the first Union officer wounded in the conflict, this after Union forces are repulsed at Big Bethel, Virginia.

June 13, 1861

In order to improve conditions for injured and recovering troops, the United States Sanitary Commission is established in the north.

June 15, 1861

Jefferson City, Missouri - the state's capital - is claimed by Union forces under the command of Captain Nathaniel Lyon.

June 17, 1861

Confederate forces claim the victory in a skirmish against Union forces at Vienna, Virginia.

June 17, 1861

Captain Lyon leads his victorious Union forces against opposing militia at Boonville, Missouri in what becomes the Battle of Boonville. Losses are light for both sides and helps the Union maintain control of the Missouri River.

June 17, 1861

Thomas Jackson, a Colonel in the Confederate Army, is now promoted to Brigadier General.

June 17, 1861

Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army achieves the rank of Colonel and named to the 21st Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

June 27, 1861

Union numbers defending the Union capital of Washington, D.C. now number close to 40,000 men.

July 1, 1861

At this point in the war, the United States Navy claims a fleet of over 80 warships and some 13,000 personnel.

July 4, 1861

President Lincoln, in a special session of Congress, asks for 500,000 men for the Union war effort. Current Union strength numbers 260,000 men with 165,000 of these being volunteers.

July 11, 1861

Union forces are victorious over Condeferate elements at Rich Mountain in West Virginia.

July 13, 1861

In Carrick's Ford (West Virginia), Confederate General Robert Garnett becomes the first officer-level casualty of the war.

July 16, 1861

Forces under the command of Union General Irvin McDowell are on the march from Washington, D.C. towards Manassas, Virginia.

July 18, 1861

Contact is made between opposing sides at Blackburns' Ford, Virginia.

July 19, 1861

Robert Toombs, the acting Secretary of State for the Confederacy, resigns his post to lead forces in Georgia as a brigadier general.

July 20, 1861

Union commander Irvin McDowell moves his 10,000 men from Centreville in two forces moving west and south westward. His intention is to flank the left side of the Confederate army.

July 21, 1861

At 8:30AM, Confederate forces at Stone Bridge are made aware of the Union presence at Sudley Road. Confederate General N.G. Evans moves his units to cover any Union retreat.

July 21, 1861

Confederate General N.G. Evans and his men meet Union forces in battle.

July 21, 1861

Finding themselves outnumbered, General Evans and his force retreats to Henry House Hill under the Federal pressure.

July 21, 1861

The front lines repeatedly change hands in the battle as both sides make - and lose - progress.

July 21, 1861

Confederate forces withdraw from their positions at Henry House Hill.

July 21, 1861

Confederate General Thomas Jackson brings in fresh troops ready-to-fight.

July 21, 1861

At 4:00PM the Confederates manage to force Union parties into retreat back towards Centreville.

July 22, 1861

Confederate forces claim the first major victory of the war at the "Battle of First Manassas" - known to the north as the "First Battle of Bull Run". The war spanned just one day but resulted in tens of thousands of casualties including nearly 2,000 for the Confederates and over 2,700 for the Union. The battle also marks the war's first photographic images - these taken by Matthew Brady.

July 22, 1861

General George McClellan is handed control of the Division of the Potomac near Washington, D.C. by President Lincoln.

July 22, 1861

After heavy losses incurred by both sides, the Battle of Bull Run is over. Federal forces retreat hastily back towards the safety of Washington, D.C.

July 27, 1861

CSS Sumter arrives in Venezuela.

July 27, 1861

Having assumed his new post near Washington, D.C., Union General George McClellan arranges the Army of the Potomac.

July 27, 1861

Confederate Colonel John Baylor, with forces from Texas at his disposal, claims Fort Fillmore at San Augustine Springs in New Mexico.

July 30, 1861

Union General Benjamin Butler pens a letter to Simon Cameron, the United States Secretary of War, explaining his refusal to return any fleeing slaves - considering them materials to be claimed by the conquerors.

August 2, 1861

General George McClellan forms an agreement with reporters and photographers offering military telegraph services in exchange for limited publishing of Union details.

August 3, 1861

For the first time in warfare a reconnaissance balloon is used by Union forces to assess Confederate positions. The balloon is launched from USS Fanny at Hampton Roads to observe the enemy at Sewell's Point, Virginia.

August 3, 1861

Union warships open fire on Confederate positions at Galveston, Texas.

August 3, 1861

William T. Sherman, then a colonel in the Union ranks, is promoted to Brigadier General.

August 7, 1861

Colonel Ulysses S. Grant is named Brigadier General in command of volunteer forces at Cairo, Illinois.

August 7, 1861

To limit Union troop housing options, Hampton, Virginia is burned by Confederate troops under the command of General John B. Magruder.

August 10, 1861

The Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri is won by Confederate forces.

August 10, 1861

Union General Nathaniel Lyon is killed during the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri. He becomes the first Union general to be slain.

August 12, 1861

The Confederates announce an alliance with Indian tribes located within southern territories.

August 21, 1861

Cherokee Indians meet at Tahlegue and announce their alliance with the Confederate States of America. Their numbers total 4,000.

August 29, 1861

Union forces take Fort Hatteras in North Carolina.

August 29, 1861

Union forces take Fort Clark in North Carolina.

August 29, 1861

The Hatteras Inlet of North Carolina is claimed by Union forces.

August 30, 1861

Missouri slaves of owners supporting the Confederacy are freed by Union General John C. Fremont after he announces martial law in the state.

September 2, 1861

The emancipation of Missouri slaves by Union General John C. Fremont is put down by President Lincoln. He is then reassigned.

September 3, 1861

Confederate forces move into Western Kentucky and take Columbus along the all-important Mississippi River.

September 4, 1861

General Grant and his forces move into Paducah, Kentucky.

September 5, 1861

In an effort to elevate care for the Union wounded in the Western Theater, the Western Sanitary Commission is established in St. Louis, Missouri.

September 7, 1861

Ship Island, off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi, is claimed by Union forces.

September 10, 1861

Confederate forces enact a retreat of Carnifex Ferry in West Virginia

September 10, 1861

Union General William Rosecrans is wounded at the fighting in Carnifex, West Virginia.

September 11, 1861

The state government of Kentucky calls for the removal of Confederate troops from its soil. The demand falls on deaf ears.

September 11, 1861

Confederate General Robert E. Lee attempts to take Union positions at Cheat Mountain in West Virginia. This marks Lee's first major foray in the war.

September 12, 1861

Confederate-aligned state forces of Missouri begin a siege of Lexington.

September 13, 1861

General Lee's assault on Cheat Mountain is a failure.

September 13, 1861

Forces from the frigate USS Colorado burn an enemy ship during a raid on Pensacola, Florida. The group is led by Lieutenant J.H. Russel.

September 17, 1861

Ships of the United States Navy move in to secure Ship Island off the coast of Mississippi.

September 20, 1861

Confederate forces capture Lexington, Missouri.

October 1, 1861

Confederate Navy forces capture USS Fanny.

October 1, 1861

Confederate generals request 20,000 additional troops to take Maryland. Their request is denied by President Jefferson Davis.

October 4, 1861

United States Navy authorities put into place plans for its first ironclad warship - to become the famous USS Monitor.

October 7, 1861

"Stonewall Jackson", currently a Brigadier General serving with the Confederate Army, is handed the promotion to Major General.

November 7, 1861

Union forces take Port Royal Harbor in south Carolina.

October 8, 1861

A Confederate force raids a Union camp at Santa Rosa Island (Pensacola).

October 9, 1861

Union troops manage to push back a Confederate attack targeting supplies on Santa Rosa Island in Pensacola Harbor, Florida.

October 13, 1861

Confederate General Turner Ashby's forces raid Harpers Ferry in Virginia.

October 21, 1861

Confederate forces successfully intercept a traveling Union force at Ball's Bluff, Leesburg, Virginia.

October 21, 1861

Colonel Joseph Plummer leads a Union force to victory over the enemy at Frederickstown in Missouri.

October 21, 1861

U.S. Army Colonel Edward Baker, a longtime and close friend of President Lincoln, is killed at Ball's Bluff, Virginia. He becomes the only sitting senator to be killed in action during the war.

October 22, 1861

Union Colonel Joseph Plummer is promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.

November 1, 1861

General McClellan is named General-in-Chief of all United States military forces by President Abraham Lincoln.

November 7, 1861

The Battle of Belmont is fought on Missouri soil. It marks the first major engagement for Union General Ulysses S. Grant. A force of about 5,000 Confederates square off against 3,114 Union in Mississippi County, Missouri. It is a Confederate victory but gives Grant much-needed experience in field command.

November 7, 1861

Confederate forces, including generals Leonidas Poke and Gideon Pillow, are victorious against a Union force under the command of General Grant at Belmont, Missouri.

November 8, 1861

USS San Jacinto captures the British mail steamer "Trent" en route from Havana to Europe - aboard are a pair of Confederate commissioners, James Mason and John Slidell.

November 11, 1861

The Union ship G.W. Parke Curtis releases an observation balloon to spy on Confederate positions off the Potomac River.

November 12, 1861

A Scottish-built merchant ship, the "Fingal", acquired in England by Confederate agents, successfully runs the Union blockade at Savannah to deliver much-needed supplies.

November 19, 1861

To better meet the need for resupply and reinforcements, Confederate President Jefferson Davis implores the Congress to fund the construction of an East-West railway system.

November 19, 1861

Julia Ward Howe pens "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". The poem is written to the song "John Brown's Body".

November 22, 1861

Indian territories of the south are now under Confederate rule.

November 23, 1861

Union defenders at Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island in Pensacola, Florida push back a rebel force attempting to overtake their positions.

November 26, 1861

Dranesvill, Virginia sees a Union victory as cavalry forces from both sides go head-to-head in one of the war's smaller battles - the Battle of Dranesville.

December 1, 1861

By this time, Union infantry numbers in Kentucky swell to 70,000 men.

December 2, 1861

In the next meeting of the United States Congress, President Lincoln calls for a new railroad to be constructed to help in the Union war effort.

December 2, 1861

Union fighting strength numbers some 661,000 men by this date.

December 10, 1861

Union General Albin Shoepf's forces are run out of Somerset (Kentucky) by a Confederate force led by General Felix Zollicoffer,

December 20, 1861

Near Dranesville, Virginia, Union forces of the Army of the Potomac (led by General Edward Ord) are victorious over General Jeb Stuart and his Confederate elements.

December 21, 1861

The Navy Medal of Honor is signed into law by President Lincoln (Public Resolution 82).

December 28, 1861

The Battle of Sacramento is fought in Sacramento, Kentucky. 500 Confederates square off against 200 to 300 Union troops. The battle ends as a Confederate victory.

January 1, 1862

Union General John Schofield pens a letter to his soldiers to refrain from destruction, plunder and theft of civilian property.

January 4, 1862

Confederate troops claim Bath, Virginia.

January 8, 1862

Both forces meet through cavalry clashes in Charleston, Missouri.

January 9, 1862

The New Orleans Campaign begins.

January 11, 1862

Edwin M. Stanton is named the new Secretary of War by President Lincoln.

January 16, 1862

Seven gunboats are commissioned into formal service by the Union Navy.

January 19, 1862

Union forces are victorious over the Confederates at Logan Cross Roads (Mill Springs) in Kentucky.

January 22, 1862

In an effort to raise enlistment numbers, the Confederate government announces an increase to the enlistment bonus to $50 (from $10).

January 27, 1862

In an effort to stir General McClellan to action, President Lincoln announces a deadline of February 22 for an all-out advance of Union forces against confederate positions.

January 1, 1862

A disagreement between Secretary of War Judah Benjamin and General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson nearly leads to the resignation of the talented general. Jackson ultimately wins the showdown.

January 30, 1862

The USS Monitor is officially launched to sea.

January 31, 1862

The United States government forms the United States Military Railroads system.

February 4, 1862

USS Tuscarora fails to corral CSS Sumter at Southampton, England.

February 4, 1862

The price of saltpeter, compounds needed for the manufacture of gunpowder, is raised to 0.40 cents per pound by Confederate Secretary of War Judah Benjamin.

February 4, 1862

En route to Fort Heiman and Fort Henry down the Tennessee River, Union General Grant arrives at Camp Halleck with his forces. General McClernand's division disembarks along the eastern shore out of range of Fort Henry's guns.

February 5, 1862

General Grant has General Charles F. Smith's division disembark along the western shore of the Tennessee River in preparation for the assaults on Fort Heiman and Fort Henry dowriver.

February 6, 1862

Union General McClernand is ordered by General Grant to begin his march towards Fort Henry at 11:00AM.

February 6, 1862

At 11:00AM, General Smith's forces begin their march against Fort Heiman along the Tennessee River.

February 6, 1862

Union Flag Officer Foote leads his gunboat flotilla against Fort Henry. The action takes place from 11:00AM until about 1:55PM and is in concert with land movements of General McClernand and General Smith under General Grant.

February 6, 1862

At 6:00PM on this date, General Grant's troops finally claim (through occupation) Fort Henry on the Tennessee River.

February 8, 1862

The Union Navy is victorious over Confederate forces at Roanoke Island in North Carolina.

February 8, 1862

Union Flag Officer Foote dispatches three of his river gunboats up the Tennessee River for raiding actions. He retains some four boats for local work.

February 10, 1862

Confederate forces of the "Mosquito Fleet" fall to elements of the Union Navy near Elizabeth City, North Carolina as part of the Battle of Elizabeth City. The Mosquito Fleet was originally in service to the state and later passed to the Confederate Navy.

February 11, 1862

General Grant orders an advanced force to begin their march towards Fort Donelson.

February 12, 1862

Despite the combined strength of General McClernand and Smith's divisions, General Grant is forced to stop within twelve miles of Fort Donelson as he remains outnumbered.

February 13, 1862

Forces under the command of Union General Ulysses S. Grant begin their attack to take Fort Donelson along the Tennessee River.

February 13, 1862

Without order from General Grant, both General McClernand and General Smith launch unsuccessful attacks against Fort Donelson.

February 14, 1862

General Henry Halleck's Union forces move into Springfield, Missouri.

February 14, 1862

Under heavy and accurate fire, Union Flag Officer Foote's gunboat floatilla are repelled by the guns of Fort Donelson.

February 14, 1862

Union forces under Lew Wallace arrive at Fort Donelson from Fort Heiman and are further reinforced by fresh troops transport via the river Cumberland. With three divisions now formed under General Grant, he holds numerical superiority against the defenders at Fort Donelson.

February 16, 1862

Union General Grant is victorious at Fort Donelson along the Tennessee River in Tennessee. 14,000 prisoners are taken after the General demands an "unconditional and immediate surrender" of the enemy.

February 17, 1862

General Ulysses S. Grant is promoted to the rank of Major General (of volunteers) (from the rank of Brigadier General).

January 17, 1862

To award wartime service going above-and-beyond the norm, a motion to create the nation's first "Medal of Honor" passes a hurdle in Senate voting.

February 20, 1862

Confederate forces retreat from their positions in Columbus, Kentucky.

February 20, 1862

Union Captain David Farragut arrives outside of New Orleans, Louisiana with his naval forces in tow. He takes up position at Ship Island near Biloxi, Mississippi. This is part of the campaign to retake the strategically important port city.

February 20, 1862

The Battle of Valverde begins pitting 3,000 union troops against 2,590 confederates in New Mexico Territory. Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley leads with General Thomas Green against Edward Canby. They are supported by Texas cavalry as well as land militia forces.

February 21, 1862

The Battle of Valverde ends in a Confederate victory.

February 22, 1862

Camp Morton in the state of Indianapolis receives its first batch of Confederate Prisoners of War (PoW).

February 22, 1862

Andrew Johnson is announced as military governor by President Lincoln over Union-held territories of Tennessee.

February 23, 1862

Union troops enter Nashville, Tennessee.

February 28, 1862

The Battle of Island Number Ten (New Madrid, Missouri) begins. Union forces are led by John Pope and Andrew Footer against Confederate foes headed by John McCown and William Mackall. Six Union gunboats are aided by eleven mortar rafts, facing a Confederate force of 7,000.

March 3, 1862

Union naval forces take Fernandina in Florida.

March 3, 1862

General N.H. McLean in St. Louis, Missouri declares that all Confederate supporters will be hung "...as robbers and murderers..."

March 5, 1862

The Department of the Mississippi is given to Confederate General Beauregard.

March 3, 1862

CSS Virginia is launched at the Norfolk Shipyard.

March 5, 1862

USS Monitor departs New York waters.

March 6, 1862

The Battle of Pea Ridge begins. It involves Confederate-aligned Cherokee units. 10,500 Union elements face off against 16,500 confederates in northwestern Arkansas. Among those in the Union ranks is "Wild Bill" Hickok.

March 8, 1862

The Battle of Pea Ridge ends as a Union victory. 1,384 Union personnel are killed against 2,000 Confederate losses.

March 8, 1862

Union cavalry forces near Nashville, Tennessee, under the command of Colonel John H Morgan conduct a series of raids on enemy positions.

March 8, 1862

In the Battle of Hampton Roads, Virginia, CSS Virginia tangled with Union Navy forces n an effort to help unseat the Blockade.

March 8, 1862

Arriving from Norfolk, CSS Virginia enters Hampton Roads at about 1PM.

March 8, 1862

USS Cumberland is rammed and sunk by CSS Virginia.

March 8, 1862

USS Congress is set alight by CSS Virginia.

March 8, 1862

While attempting maneuver, USS Minnesota is run aground.

March 8, 1862

At 6:06PM, CSS Virginia retreats to Norfolk as the sun sets.

March 8, 1862

At 9:00PM, USS Monitor arrives on the seen and takes up position near USS Minnesota.

March 9, 1862

In waters off of Hampton Roads, Virginia, CSS Virginia squares off against USS Monitor in naval history's first duel between two ironclad warships. The engagement ends in a draw.

March 9, 1862

Already having been burning for hours, USS Congress explodes at 12:30AM.

March 9, 1862

At 7:00AM CSS Virginia departs Norfolk and heads to Hampton Roads to finish off USS Minnesota.

March 9, 1862

CSS Virginia is met by USS Monitor in what would come to be known as the "Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack". Merrimack was the former name of CSS Virginia prior to her conversion as a Confederate ironclad.

March 9, 1862

Fighting between USS Monitor and CSS Virginia continues until 12:15PM at which point CSS Virginia withdraws. The battle, for all its importance to both sides, is labeled indecisive as little headway is made for either party. The Battle of Hampton Roads is over.

March 11, 1862

Having grown tired of General McClellan's inaction to this point in the war, President Lincoln moves to take the General's title of General-in-Chief away. McClellan continues to lead as commander of the Army of the Potomac.

March 11, 1862

Union General Henry Halleck is named in charge of the Department of the Mississippi.

March 13, 1862

General Robet E. Lee begins his term as a military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

March 14, 1862

The Battle of New Bern is had in Craven County, North Carolina. 11,000 Union soldiers are supported by fourteen gunboats against a Confederate Army showcasing 4,000 troops and single cavalry regiment. The result is a Union victory with minimal losses on both sides.

March 14, 1862

Union forces claim New Madrid, Missouri.

March 14, 1862

New Bern, North Carolina falls to a combined Union land-naval force led by General Ambrose Burnside.

March 15, 1862

To better handle the ongoing war situation covering Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, Union authorities establish the Department of the South.

March 17, 1862

CSS Nashville manages to break through the Union blockade at Beaufort, Florida.

March 17, 1862

Union General George McClellan begins marching his army towards the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.

March 23, 1862

At a battle site in Kernstown, Virginia, Confederate forces led by Stonewall Jackson are repelled.

March 23, 1862

Confederate General Henry Sibley claims Sante Fe, New Mexico.

March 23, 1862

The First Battle of Kernstown (Winchester, Virginia) is had. This one-day engagement sees a Union force numbering between 6,350 and 9,000 against a Confederate force of 3,000 to 4,200. Both sides gain the advantage as the Union claim a tactical victory and the Confederates a strategic one. Casualties number 590 for the North and 718 for the South.

March 28, 1862

General Henry Sibley is forced to retreat from his postions at Santa Fe.

March 31, 1862

The Department of the South falls under the charge of Union General David Hunter.

April 1, 1862

Confederate military authorities revoke all leave permissions due to the growing war commitment - with particular attention being paid to manpower availability.

April 4, 1862

Gneeral John Pope's Union forces at New Madrid, Missouri, complete the construction of a canal intended to bypass Confederate firepower along the Mississippi River at Island Number Ten.

April 4, 1862

The Peninsular Campaign begins under the leadership of Union General George McClellan (Army of the Potomac). The target is the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. By April 30th, Union forces will number 115,350 strong against an estimated force of up to 100,000 Confederates.

April 5, 1862

General McClellan's Army of the Potomac begins the siege of Confederate-held Yorktown in Virginia.

April 6, 1862

The Battle of Shiloh begins in Hardin County, Tennessee. Union generals Ulysses S. Grant and Don Buell lead a force of some 63,000 against 40,335 Confederates led by generals Beauregard and Albert Johnston.

April 7, 1862

The Battle of Shiloh ends in a Union victory. 13,047 Union soldiers are killed along with 10,699 Confederate soldiers.

April 7, 1862

Union General Pope and his men cross the Mississippi River.

April 7, 1862

As many as 3,500 Confederate soldiers surrender at Tiptonville in Missouri.

April 7, 1862

Island Number Ten along the Mississippi River, south of New Madrid, Missouri, is given up by the defending Confederate garrison.

April 8, 1862

The Battle of Island Number Ten draws to a close as the Union claims the victory. Some 7,000 Confederates surrender in the aftermath.

April 10, 1862

Once again President Abraham Lincoln is forced to plead for General McClellan to move to action in Virginia - comparing the current offensive with what was witnessed at Manassas some time earlier.

April 11, 1862

Fort Pulaski in Georgia falls to Union forces. The forts strategic placement at the mouth of the Savannah River made it important for both sides.

April 12, 1862

In one of the more bizarre operations of the war, Union operatives steal the locomotive named "General" in Northern Georgia running between Atlanta, Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The event is known as the "Great Locomotive Chase". James J. Andrews is head of the Union effort consisting of volunteers. The locomotive is eventually recaptured and the thieves executed.

April 14, 1862

A combined Union army-navy force takes New Bern, North Carolina.

April 16, 1862

Running short of new recruits, the Confederate government installs conscription for white males aged 18 to 35. A three-year commitment is required.

April 19, 1862

A combined Union army-navy force takes Camden, North Carolina.

April 24, 1862

The Confederate fleet near New Orleans, Louisiana is destroyed by a Union force under the command of Flag Officer David Farragut.

April 24, 1862

CSS Stonewall Jackson, launched in January of 1862, is driven ashore and burned and pressured by Union Navy elements.

April 25, 1862

With no more fight left, Confederate forces surrender the important port city of New Orleans to Union elements.

April 25, 1862

Fort Macon (Beaufort Harbor) along the North Carolina coast falls to Union forces.

April 26, 1862

Confederate elements at Fort Macon surrender.

April 28, 1862

Union forces lay siege to Corinth, Mississippi.

April 28, 1862

Confederate elements at Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson (New Orleans) surrender to Union forces.

April 29, 1862

Bridgeport, Alabama falls to Union forces.

May 1, 1862

The Union capture of New Orleans is complete.

May 1, 1862

Union General Sherman is promoted to the rank of Major General (of Volunteers).

May 3, 1862

General Jackson orders his men to depart the Shenandoah Valley in a ruse to trick Union observers. They soon return to the region by rail.

May 4, 1862

General McClellan's forces take Yorktown, Virginia. Land mines are first experienced here.

May 5, 1862

The Battle of Williamsburg occurs with inconclusive results for both sides. General McClellan leads Union forces against General Johnston and Longstreet. Casualties total 2,283 for the North and 1,682 for the South.

May 6, 1862

To face off against Union General John C. Fremont, Stonewall Jackson combines forces with Brigadier General Edward Johnson at Staunton, marching west to meet the enemy.

May 8, 1862

On this date the Battle of McDowell occurs - a one-day engagement pitting 6,500 Federals against 6,000 Confederates. Stonewall Jackson leads the latter and the battle goes down as a Confederate victory. Losses total 2,59 for the North and 420 for the South. Brigadier General Robert Milroy commanded the North.

May 9, 1862

Confederate forces leave their positions at Norfolk and relocate to the capital of Richmond to bolster defenses there.

May 10, 1862

Norfolk Navy Yard is destroyer by exiting Confederate forces.

May 10, 1862

With Confederate forces having retreated out of Norfolk, Virginia, Union forces move in and claim the important seaside town.

May 10, 1862

Pensacola Navy Yard is destroyed by retreating Confederate forces.

May 10, 1862

Pensacola, Florida falls to advancing Union forces.

May 5, 1862

A Confederate river fleet voyages out of Memphis, Tennessee and meet a Union squadron - Southern forces are repelled in the ensuing battle.

May 10, 1862

A naval engagement is fought four miles up river from Fort Pillow in Tennessee with the Confederates claiming the victory.

May 11, 1862

CSS Virginia, no longer able to operate as a true ironclad and relegated to heavy battery duty, is scuttled at Hampton Roads.

May 12, 1862

Having chased Union forces off north of Franklin (West Virginia), Stonewall Jackson turns back towards the Shenandoah Valley.

May 12, 1862

Union forces occupy Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

May 12, 1862

Natchez, Mississippi is claimed by Union forces.

May 13, 1862

Robert Smalls, a slave of Charleston, South Carolina, frees himself and his crew by capturing CSS Planter. The ship is delivered to the Union blockade. This action assists in persuading President Lincoln to include blacks into the ranks of the U.S. Army and Navy services.

May 14, 1862

Despite numerical superiority, General McClellan stops his advancing Union troops 20 miles outside of the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, to await inbound reinforcements.

May 15, 1862

Confederate guns at Drewry's Bluff turn back the James River Flotilla approaching Richmond. The squadron had managed to reach within 8 miles of the Confederate capital city.

May 15, 1862

Per General Butler's order, any woman insulting Union troops in New Orleans is to be treated as a prostitute.

May 15, 1862

The Virginia State Line militia is organized.

May 18, 1862

Thomas Jackson returns to the Shenandoah Valley en route to meet Union General Nathaniel P. Bank's force. He reaches Mount Solon, Virginia.

May 20, 1862

Jackson by-passes General Bank's force by way of the southeast side of Massanutten Mountain and up the Luray Valley.

May 23, 1862

On this date, General Jackson engages Union forces in the Battle of Front Royal. The engagement ends as a Confederate victory with 773 Union elements killed to just 36 Confederates. John Reese Kenly commanded the North garrison. The action now threatens supply lines to General Bank's forces.

May 5, 1862

The First Battle of Winchester is had. Confederate Thomas Jackson is victorious over the Union forces led by Nathanial Banks. Banks had retreated to Winchester and was met by Jackson, who ultimately was able to secure victory and the town itself.

May 25, 1862

President Lincoln, by telegraph, demands an attack on Richmond by General McClellan.

May 27, 1862

Union General Banks retreats with his forces across the Potomac Rover with Thomas Jackson in hot pursuit. This ends the first phase of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign and claims several victories for the South.

May 30, 1862

Falling to Union pressure, General Beauregard orders a withdrawal from Corinth, Mississippi.

May 30, 1862

Union forces are back in Front Royal, Virginia in the hopes of reclaiming captured forces.

May 31, 1862

The Battle of Seven Pines (Battle of Fair Oaks) begins in Henrico County, Virginia.

June 1, 1862

Robert E. Lee concludes his term as military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

June 1, 1862

The Battle of Seven Pines (Battle of Fair Oaks) ends as an inconclusive victory. Confederate General Joseph Johnston is badly wounded. Casualties amount to 6,134 Confederates against 5,031 Union fighters.

June 2, 1862

Rose Greenhow, the Confederate spy known as "Rebel Rose", is banished to the South.

June 4, 1862

Fort Pillow in Tennessee is abandoned by Confederate forces.

June 6, 1862

Memphis, Tennessee is surrendered by Confederate forces following a running naval battle.

June 6, 1862

Union guns open up on Chattanooga, Tennessee.

June 8, 1862

The Battle of Cross Keys is had pitting a Union force of 11,500 led by General Fremont against 5,800 Confederates under General Ewell. The result is a Confederate victory with 664 Union casualties versus 287 Confederates.

June 9, 1862

Union forces are driven back at Port Republic in Virginia during the one-day engagement known as the Battle of Port Republic. Union losses count 1,002 against the Confederate's 816.

June 12, 1862

General Jeb Stuart begins a series of raids against Union forces in Virginia.

June 15, 1862

Confederate General Jeb Stuart completes his raiding against General McClellan's forces in Virginia.

June 16, 1862

The Battle of Secessionville takes place in Charleston, South Carolina. It is a Confederate victory by Nathan Evans and Thomas Lamar. Union General Henry Benham, who had violated orders in the engagement, is arrested

June 18, 1862

Confederate forces leave their positions at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.

June 24, 1862

Construction on a canal is started by Union engineers along the Mississippi River near heavily-defended Vicksburg. General Thomas Williams directs.

June 25, 1862

The Seven Days Battles are begun - six major engagements spanning seven days and pitting forces of General McClellan against forces of General Robert E. Lee. It marks a Confederate victory though losses are heavy for both sides. the battles take place around the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia near Oak Grove.

June 26, 1862

The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek - also Battle of Mechanicsville - is fought between General McClellan and General Robert E. Lee. Losses total 361 for the Union and 1,484 for the Confederates. However, the Union can only claim a tactical victory. This is the second battle of the Seven Days Battles.

June 6, 1862

The Army of Virginia (formerly the Army of the Potomac) is now handed to General John Pope per President Lincoln's order.

June 27, 1862

The third contest of the Seven Days Battles is fought during the Battle of Gaine's Mill. It is a Confederate victory by Robert E. Lee over McLellan.

June 27, 1862

The Union Army of the Cumberland is now under the direction of General William Rosecrans.

June 27, 1862

The fourth installment of the Seven Days Battles is fought during the Battle of Garnett's and Golding's Farm. It results as inconclusive and neither side fail to make headway. Losses are minimal by the war's standard - 189 Union elements to the Confederate's 438.

June 28, 1862

Union Navy boats pass under the guns of Vicksburg to reach friendly forces up the Mississippi River.

June 29, 1862

The Battle of Savage's Station, the fifth of the Seven Days Battles, is fought. It is another inconclusive engagement with the Union suffering 1,038 casualties against the Confederate's 473. Sumner led the Union forces against Magruder. Union forces withdraw.

June 30, 1862

The Battle of White Oak Swamp - as part of the Seven Days Battles - of fought and marks another inconclusive victory. Union General Franklin leads against Stonewall Jackson. Losses are minimal for both sides.

July 1, 1862

The Seven Days Battles draw to a close. Casualties total 18,849 for the Union and as many as 20,100 for the Confederates. It is a Confederate victory nonetheless as General McClellan's forces fail to make progress. It makes the culmination of the Peninsular Campaign.

July 1, 1862

The Battle of Booneville is fought at Booneville, Mississippi. Losses are light for both sides with the Union claiming the victory.

July 1, 1862

A 5000-strong Confederate cavalry assault is repulsed by a much smaller Union force of 827 with Colonel Philip Sheridan in command.

July 2, 1862

The United States Congress passes a law forcing oaths to the Union cause to be given by governmental and military officials.

July 4, 1862

Colonel John Morgan begins his raids against Union-held Kentucky lands.

July 5, 1862

The Battle of Lebanon takes place in Lebanon Kentucky. As many as 400 Union troops face off against 2,460 Confederates. The battle goes down as a Confederate victory.

July 7, 1862

Under the direction of Union General Benjamin Butler, William Mumford is hanged in New Orleans for his April removal of an American flag.

July 9, 1862

President Lincoln pays General McClellan a visit at Harrison's Landing in Virginia.

July 11, 1862

General Henry W. Halleck is appointed General-in-Chief over Washington, D.C. by President Lincoln.

July 11, 1862

Confederate cavalry forces, under the command of Colonel John Morgan, take Lebanon, Kentucky.

July 13, 1862

Murfreesboro, Tennessee is taken by Confederate cavalry forces under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

July 14, 1862

The Medal of Honor award is approved by President Lincoln.

July 14, 1862

The command of the Union Army of Virginia falls General John Pope.

July 16, 1862

For the first time in US Naval history, the rrank of Rear Admiral is attained - the honor given to David Farragut.

July 17, 1862

The First Battle of Cynthiana is had in Cynthiana, Kentucky. Confederate General John Morgan and his raiders are victorious in taking the town as well as its defending Union garrison.

July 18, 1862

Newburgh, Indiana is captured by General Adam "Stovepipe" Johnson. In what became known as the "Newburgh Raid", Johnson was able to convince defending Union forces that his army was of considerable size though, in reality, it numbered twelve men and had two joints of stovepipe fitted to a wagon to simulate a cannon.

July 21, 1862

The District of Memphis (Tennessee) now falls under the command of General Sherman.

July 22, 1862

A prisoner exchange between Union and Confederate authorities is agreed upon.

July 28, 1862

Confederate Colonel john Morgan completes his raids against Kentucky.

July 29, 1862

Confederate female spy Belle Boyd is arrested.

July 31, 1862

From a position at Coggin's Point in Virginia, Confederate guns manage little damage against Union warships located near Harrison's Landing.

August 5, 1862

Confederate General Henry Allen is wounded in the Battle of Baton Rouge, leading to his left leg being amputated. He will later be named governor of Confederate Louisiana.

August 5, 1862

The Battle of Baton Rouge takes place on this date. Forces include 2,500 Union against 2,600 Confederate. The battle goes down as a Union victory with similar losses to both sides (371 and 478 respectively).

August 5, 1862

Confederate Captain Alexander Todd is killed in fighting near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Todd is the brother-in-law of sitting President Abraham Lincoln. He is also the victim of friendly-fire.

August 5, 1862

Union forces successfully defend Baton Rouge, Louisiana from a Confederate advance.

August 5, 1862

After developing mechanical issues, CSS Arkansas is abandoned on the Mississippi River and blown up by Confederate forces near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

August 8, 1862

Stonewall Jackson's forces cross the Rapidan River just north of Gordonsville to head off Union general Pope and his forces.

August 9, 1862

Stonewall Jackson's forces are victorious over Union troops at Cedar Mountain, Virginia.

August 9, 1862

Nathaniel Banks' Union forces manage several victories before being driven back by Stonewall Jackson's forces.

August 13, 1862

Allowed to work on the front lines by Union authorities, Clara Barton - founder of the Red Cross - attends to both friendly and enemy troops in the field. She would be present at the battles of Second Bull Run, Antietam and Fredricksburg thereafter.

August 13, 1862

Confederate cavalry claim London, Kentucky.

August 18, 1862

Union General Pope is forced back over the Rappahannock River due to growing Confederate pressure.

August 22, 1862

J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry forces raid around Catlett's Station (Virginia) and capture 300 Union troops, detailed plans and supplies.

August 22, 1862

J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry raid brings him to Union General Pope army's rear.

August 24, 1862

CSS Alabama, arriving from England, is commissioned for service.

August 25, 1862

Stonewall Jackson begins a flanking maneuver against Pope's army.

August 26, 1862

Stonewall Jackson and his forces are able to pass between Washington, D.C. and the army of General Pope.

August 27, 1862

Stonewall Jackson captures a major Union supply depot at Manassas Junction.

August 28, 1862

Jackson redeploys his forces West of the old Bull Run battlefield.

August 28, 1862

The Second Battle of Bull Run officially begins. Confederate shelling is heard at 6:30PM. The action takes place around Brawner's Farm (Groveton).

August 29, 1862

Sigel's sector is strengthened by Major General Hooker's division by 1PM.

August 30, 1862

General Longstreet's force, under Major General Richard Anderson and having arrived on the battlefield at 3AM, enacts a counterattack that ultimately pushes Union elements to retreat.

August 30, 1862

The Second Battle of Bull Run ends as a considerable Confederate victory (as did the first). The Confederate forces were outnumbered man-to-man but managed significant casualties against the enemy.

September 1, 1862

The Battle of Chantilly (Virginia) - also known as "Ox Hill" - takes place. It ends inconclusively as both sides fail to gain the initiative. Casualties number 1,300 Union and 800 Confederate. The battle marks the end of the Northern Virginia Campaign that includes Second Bull Run.

September 1, 1862

Union General Isaac Stevens is killed at the Battle of Chantilly.

September 1, 1862

Union General Philip Kearny is killed at the battle of Chantilly.

September 2, 1862

Union General Pope orders his forces to retreat to the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

September 2, 1862

Union General John Pope is relieved of command of the Army of Virginia by order of President Lincoln.

September 2, 1862

General George McClellan is appointed by President Lincoln to succeed outgoing General Pope as leader of the Army of Virginia.

September 2, 1862

The Army of Virginia is renamed the Army of the Potomac.

September 2, 1862

General Lee's army at Chantilly is bolstered by the arrival of General D.H. Hill and his force.

September 4, 1862

Near Leesburg, Virginia, the Army of Northern Virginia begins its crossing along the Potomac River.

September 5, 1862

General Lee makes his first foray into a Union state - crossing the Potomac River and entering Maryland.

September 5, 1862

Confederate forces under the command of General Braxton Bragg enter the state of Kentucky.

September 5, 1862

CSS Alabama captures the Ocmulgee in the Azores. This marks the Confederate vessel's first claim of a commercial vessel. The enemy ship is burned while its crew is taken prisoner.

September 6, 1862

Confederate and Union ground forces clash at Washington, North Carolina.

September 7, 1862

General Robert Lee has amassed his army at Frederick, Maryland.

September 7, 1862

General George McClellan begins a slow advance away from Washington, D.C. to meet the Confederate threat emerging from Virginia.

September 9, 1862

Special Orders 191 is given by General Lee, ordering a special column formation to be taken by his troops to increase the chances of overtaking Harpers Ferry and the Union forces garrisoned there.

September 11, 1862

General Lee assigns General Longstreet to guard the approaches from the north while General Hill is given the task of the defending the approaches from the south of Harpers Ferry.

September 11, 1862

General Jackson engages Union forces at Martinsburg and drives them back towards Harpers Ferry.

September 13, 1862

The Army of the Potomac arrives at Frederick, Maryland. Once there, soldiers recover a copy of General Lee's plans.

September 13, 1862

Captured Confederate plans are given over to Union General McClellan - who suspects the plans are a trap.

September 14, 1862

The Battle of South Mountain takes place. It is a Union victory for General McClellan, General Burnside and General Franklin over General Lee and General Hill.

September 14, 1862

The Battle of Crampton's Gap (Burkittsville) is a Union victory for General Franklin over General Cobb. Forces number 12,800 to 2,100, respectively.

September 14, 1862

The Battle of South Mountain is had in Maryland leading to a Union victory. 28,000 Union troops square off against 18,000 Confederates. Losses for both sides are nearly equal.

September 14, 1862

Union General Jesse Lee Reno is killed at the Battle of South Mountain in Maryland.

September 15, 1862

Harpers Ferry falls to Confederate forces under the command of General Jackson.

September 15, 1862

General Jackson's forces open up with artillery strikes against Union forces at Harpers Ferry.

September 15, 1862

The Battle of Harpers Ferry ends as a Confederate victory.

September 15, 1862

A Confederate division under the command of General John Walker takes Loudoun Heights.

September 15, 1862

General Dixon Miles quickly surrenders the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry.

September 15, 1862

General Lee arranges his army behind Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland.

September 16, 1862

Confederate General Bragg claims Munfordville, Kentucky. Those Union defenders still alive are taken prisoner.

September 16, 1862

Having suffered a mortal wound at the Battle of Harpers Ferry, General Dixon Miles dies.

September 17, 1862

The Battle of Antietam is had near Sharpsburg, Maryland and results of the one-day engagement are tactically inconclusive. 87,164 Union troops (led by McClellan) face off against 38,000 Confederates (led by Lee). Casualties are 12,410 and 10,316 respectively.

September 17, 1862

Union forces at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee are driven away by the Confederates, leaving the remaining garrison to fend for itself.

September 19, 1862

The Union Army claims a victory at the Battle of Iuka, driving off the now-retreating Confederates. The battle takes place near Iuka, Mississippi and involves 4,500 Union and 3,179 Confederates.

September 19, 1862

General Robert E. Lee makes his return to Virginia territory.

September 20, 1862

Union forces attempt to take General Lee's army at Blackford's Ford after crossing the Potomac but are driven back.

September 25, 1862

Union warships bombard Confederates at Sabine City, Texas. The defenders are driven away.

September 27, 1862

The First Regiment Louisiana Native Guards is formed. It marks the first Union Army regiment made up entirely of free blacks.

September 27, 1862

Confederate conscription is extended and now includes men from the ages of 35 to 45.

September 29, 1862

Union General William Nelson is shot and killed by fellow Union General Jefferson C. Davis following an argument between the two men. Davis is later court-martialed.

September 30, 1862

The First Battle of Newtonia is had in Newtonia, Missouri. 1,500 Union forces face a brigade of Indians which results in a Confederate victory.

October 1, 1862

The Western Gunboat Fleet passes from the War Department to the Union Navy.

October 1, 1862

Confederate General Jeb Stuart undertakes his first cavalry raid into Pennsylvania.

October 3, 1862

Union forces gain the upper hand against the Confederates at Corinth, Mississippi. The battle marks one of the few uses of the bayonet charge in the whole of the war.

October 8, 1862

The Battle of Perryville is had in Boyle Country, Kentucky. It pits 22,000 Union against 16,000 Confederates and results in a Union strategic victory. Losses are 4,241 and 3,396 respectively.

October 8, 1862

Confederate General Bragg's troops retreat out of Kentucky.

October 10, 1862

Stonewall Jackson is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and now heads 2nd Corps (Army of Northern Virginia)

October 13, 1862

General John Pemberton is named General of the Department of Mississippi, Tennessee and East Louisiana.

October 22, 1862

Confederate troops take their positions at the now-abandoned Cumberland Gap garrison in Tennessee.

October 22, 1862

Union forces are driven off by defending Confederates at Yemassee in South Carolina.

October 26, 1862

General McClellan leads his forces over the Potomac River into neighboring Virginia.

October 28, 1862

The 79th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment from Kansas is the first black regiment to see combat for Union forces. It is involved in clashes at Island Mounds, Missouri.

October 30, 1862

Union General Buell, head of the Army of the Cumberland, is replaced by General Rosecrans.

November 3, 1862

Union ground forces, aided by five gunboats, attack Confederate positions at Bayou Teche in Louisiana.

November 5, 1862

General Ambrose Burnside replaces General George McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac per President Lincoln's request.

November 5, 1862

General Wade Hampton's forces are driven out of Barbee's Crossroads in Virginia by Union cavalry under the command of General Alfred Pleasonton.

November 23, 1862

New Orleans is home to a large show of force as tens of thousands of infantry are paraded through the streets.

November 24, 1862

General Joseph Johnston is appointed as commander of the Army of the West by President Davis.

November 28, 1862

General Wade Hampton directs a cavalry raid at Hartwood Church in Virginia against Union forces and captured nearly 100 men.

November 28, 1862

Cane Hill, Arkansas is site to a modest clash of forces. The Union claims the victory.

November 29, 1862

Following Union General Philip Kearny's death at the Battle of Chantilly in September of 1862, the Kearny Medal for Officers is established.

December 1, 1862

The Union claims some 1.3 million troops to its numbers.

December 7, 1862

The Battle of Prairie Grove is had in Washington County, Arkansas. The one-day clash is a Union victory.

December 7, 1862

The Union garrison at Hartsville, Tennessee falls to cavalry led by Colonel John Morgan.

December 11, 1862

Fredericksburg, Virginia is bombarded by artillery under General Burnside's direction.

December 11, 1862

General Burnside's Union forces cross the Rappahannock River to reach Fredericksburg, Virginia.

December 11, 1862

The Battle of Fredericksburg begins encompassing actions in Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg counties. The clashes pit a much smaller Confederate force of 78,513 against 122,009 Union troops. Commanders are General Lee (Confederate) against General Burnside (Union).

December 13, 1862

A Confederate cavalry raid into Dumbries, Virginia yields a wagon train and fifty prisoners for the attackers.

December 13, 1862

General Burnside's larger force is beaten by General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia as part of the Battle of Fredericksburg.

December 14, 1862

Union General Benjamin Butler is relieved of command of the Department of the Gulf by General Nathaniel Banks.

December 15, 1862

The Battle of Fredericksburg ends as a Confederate victory. Confederate numbers are 78,513 committed to action with losses numbering 4,201. Union numbers are 122,009 committed with 12,653 losses.

December 16, 1862

Beginning on December 16th, 1861 and running into the New Year, cavalry raids led by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest across eastern Tennessee are had.

December 17, 1862

General Grant forces out all merchant Jews under his district control due to Treasury violations (black market dealings involving cotton). This is known as General order No.11 and includes Jews in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky.

December 17, 1862

General Hampton leads a two-day raid on Union positions near Occoquan, Virginia.

December 20, 1862

Confederate forces destroy General Grant's base at Holly Springs in Mississippi.

December 23, 1862

To dissuade further involvement of free blacks in Union ranks, the government of the South decrees that any captured freed slaves fighting under the Union banner face prosecution under local laws. This includes both punishment and execution for fighting the South.

December 23, 1862

Confederate President Davis makes a call to label Union General Benjamin Butler an "outlaw" in response to Butler's earlier message regarding New Orleans' women.

December 25, 1862

Union forces destroy the railway network at Vicksburg, Mississippi accessing both Louisiana and Texas.

December 25, 1862

The Confederate "Christmas Raid" cavalry raid into Kentucky begin under the leadership of General John Morgan.

December 26, 1862

J.E.B. Stuart heads cavalry raids against Dumphries, Virginia, netting 200 prisoners. The raids span from December 26th into December 31st.

December 26, 1862

Union forces are beaten back at Chickasaw Bayou in Vicksburg, Mississippi. This two-day engagement marks the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou. Again, a much smaller Confederate force bests a larger Union army. The battle spans into December 29th.

December 28, 1862

Confederate General John Morgan completes his cavalry "Christmas Raid" venture into Kentucky.

December 31, 1862

The Battle of Stones River begins. Union General Rosecrans leads a force of 43,400 against 35,000 Confederates under General Bragg at Murfressboro, Tennessee. The battle is also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro.

January 1, 1863

Union forces flee Galveston, Texas after a surprise attack by General Magruder and his men. The city is now firmly in Confederate control.

January 1, 1863

Union Navy forces move back into position around Galveston, Texas, ensuring the naval blockade stays in place.

January 2, 1863

The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, comes to an end. It is a much-needed Union victory. Losses total 12,906 for the Union and 11,739 for the Confederates.

January 4, 1863

President Lincoln is at odds with General Grant on the topic of expelling Jewish merchants operating within Grant's military district. He calls on Grant to repeal the earlier expulsion order.

January 8, 1863

Springfield, Missouri is raided by a combined Confederate cavalry force led by General Marmaduke and Colonel Quantrill.

January 11, 1863

The Union Army claims Fort Hindman off the Arkansas River near Little Rock. Union Navy gunboats assist in the successful action.

January 11, 1863

USS Hatteras is sunk by CSS Alabama near Galveston, Texas.

January 14, 1863

Bayou Teche, Louisiana is site to another Union-versus-Confederate engagement. This action involves both land forces and gunboat support for the Union.

January 15, 1863

CSS Florida conducts various raids down the East Coast of the United States and beyond, her journey beginning in the port-city of Mobile, Alabama.

January 20, 1863

Union forces, under the leadership of General Burnside, attempt a surprise offensive against General Lee's army in Virginia. However, conditions are such that the march is aborted. It comes to be known as the "Mud March".

January 21, 1863

Confederate warships capture several Union vessels at Sabine Pass in Texas. This success alleviates the naval blockade for a time.

January 21, 1863

Union General Fitz John Porter is dishonorably discharged from the Union ranks for his conduct in the Second Battle of Bull Run.

January 23, 1863

Union General Joseph Hooker is released from service under General Burnside.

January 25, 1863

General Hooker is placed in charge of the Army of the Potomac - succeeding General Burnside. The assignment is handed down by President Lincoln himself.

January 30, 1863

General Ulysses S. Grant assumes command of Union forces near Vicksburg, Mississippi.

January 30, 1863

Union land forces, aided by the Navy, cut-off enemy supply lines running from North Carolina into Richmond, Virginia.

January 31, 1863

Union naval forces at Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, are defeated in a raid by CSS Palemetto State and CSS Chicora.

February 3, 1863

A Confederate attempt to retake Fort Donelson in Tennessee is thwarted.

February 14, 1863

After running aground in the Black River (Louisiana), USS Queen of the West is taken by Confederate forces.

February 24, 1863

USS Indianola is grounded by Confederate warships and taken over. The action takes place near Warrenton in Mississippi.

February 28, 1863

CSS Rattlesnake (fmr CSS Nashville) is destroyed by Union warships at Fort McAllister near Savannah, Georgia.

March 3, 1863

To help strengthen Union numbers, the Enrollment Act (Civil War Military Draft Act), the first of its kind in U.S. history, is enacted. It covers those aged 20 to 45.

March 3, 1863

An honorary brevet rank award is established by the U.S. Congress.

March 3, 1863

The U.S. Congress declares the Medal of Honor award now open to officer-level persons.

March 3, 1863

In a two-day clash of cavalry forces at Thompson's Station, Tennessee, Confederate forces are victorious.

March 8, 1863

Union General Edwin Stoughton is captured while asleep at Fairfax Court House in Virginia by Partison Rangers led by Confederate Lieutenant John Mosby.

March 8, 1863

The under-construction Union canal at Vicksburg, Mississippi is flooded out due to a levee break.

March 11, 1863

In an action at Greenwood, Mississippi, Union warships fail to neutralize Fort Pemberton.

March 13, 1863

The late Philip Kearny is honored by the establishment of the Kearny Cross award arranged for privates and non-commissioned officers.

March 14, 1863

Despite heavy damage, a Union fleet under the direction of Admiral Farragut gets by the confederate guns of Port Hudson in Louisiana.

March 14, 1863

Steele's Bayou Expedition is begun. The operation sees a combined Union force directed by General Grant and Rear Admiral Porter attempt to reach the rear of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The expedition would last until March 27th.

March 15, 1863

The Department of the Ohio now falls under the command of General Ambrose Burnside.

March 17, 1863

Confederate forces at Fort Pemberton block General Grant's passage along the Yazoo River in Mississippi.

March 17, 1863

Kelly's Ford, Virginia, is the site of a brief cavalry clash between both sides.

March 17, 1863

The Provost Marshall Department if created by the U.S. government. The department will head the military police and drafting of new personnel into the armed services.

March 22, 1863

Confederate General John Hunt Morgan begins a series of raids against Kentucky.

March 25, 1863

Brentwood, Tennessee and Franklin, Tennessee are raided by cavalry forces under the command of General Forrest.

March 25, 1863

The first Medal of Honor awards are handed out by the U.S. government.

March 26, 1863

The Confederate government moves to take civilian goods by force.

March 27, 1863

Union forces attempting to reach Vickerburg's rear are repulsed as part of Steele's Bayou Expedition. Union leaders included General Grant and Admiral Porter.

March 30, 1863

Confederate forces are beaten by the Union Army in Kentucky. Confederate General Pegram's forces are pushed back across the Cumberland River. The Union charge is led by General Quincy Gillmore.

April 1, 1863

General Morgan completes his raids against the state of Kentucky.

April 1, 1863

CSS Georgia is commissioned for service into the Confederate Navy near Brest, France. The vessel was constructed in Scottish shipyards.

April 5, 1863

It is revealed that thousands of Confederate prisoners have died in captivity at Camp Douglas in Chicago, Illinois.

April 7, 1863

Union ironclads engage the defenses at Fort Sumter but do not manage to break the will of the defenders.

April 8, 1863

USS Keokuk is lost following its previous day's participation in the engagement at Fort Sumter.

April 10, 1863

Franklin, Tennessee is raided by Confederate cavalry forces.

April 12, 1863

General James Longstreet takes on Union positions at Suffolk, Virginia.

April 17, 1863

Union Navy boats attempt to bypass the guns of Vicksburg through night time voyages.

April 17, 1863

General Benjamin Grierson of the Union Army undertakes a series of cavalry raids against Confederate positions beginngin at LaGrange, Tennessee.

April 21, 1863

Union forces are successful in claiming McMinnville, Tennessee.

April 26, 1863

Union forces are successful in driving back Confederate cavalry at Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

April 27, 1863

Confederate forces are successful in driving back a Union navy attack at Grand Gulf, Mississippi.

April 27, 1863

General George Stoneman leads a series of cavalry raids across Virginia.

April 28, 1863

The "Invalid Corps" is established by the Union Army. It includes two classes of soldiers: those partially disabled and still in active service and those discharged due to a disability but still wanting to serve.

April 30, 1863

The Battle of Chancellorsville begins in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Union forces are directed by General Hooker while the Confederates are led by general's Lee and Jackson. The Confederates number a much smaller force at just over 60,000 men. They face Union strength (Army of the Potomac) of over 130,000.

May 1, 1863

Union troops are victorious at Port Gibson in Mississippi.

May 1, 1863

Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's raiding actions are formally recognized by the Confederate Congress.

May 2, 1863

General Benjamin Grierson's cavalry raids against Confederate positions ends at Baton, Rouge, Louisiana.

May 3, 1863

A much smaller force of Confederate cavalry, led by General Forrest, captures Union cavalry raiders in Alabama.

May 3, 1863

Grand Gulf, Mississippi is evacuated.

May 3, 1863

General William Averell is replaced by General Joseph Hooker in the Union ranks.

May 3, 1863

General Grant arrives at Grand Gulf, Mississippi near Vicksburg.

May 4, 1863

The siege of Suffolk, Virginia, directed by Confederate General Longstreet ends.

May 6, 1863

The Battle of Chancellorsville is over as a Confederate victory. However, the Confederate Army is dealt a blow when it is revealed that Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded (by friendly fire). Losses for both sides include 17,300 for the Union and 13,300 for the Confederates.

May 7, 1863

General Grant departs the Grand Gulf, Mississippi region.

May 8, 1863

General Stoneman's raids into Virginia end.

May 10, 1863

General "Stonewall" Jaskson dies of complications related to wounds suffered days earlier at the Battle of Chancellorsville. The event is a major blow to the Confederate military cause.

May 12, 1863

Union forces outside of Jackson, Mississippi are victorious at Raymond (Battle of Raymond). General James McPherson is the commander of the Army of the Tennessee and heads a force 12,000 strong against 4,400 Confederates (under John Gregg). Losses are 446 Union to 820 Confederates.

May 13, 1863

Union forces reach Clinton, Mississippi.

May 14, 1863

General Grant captures Jackson, Mississippi (Battle of Jackson, Mississippi). Losses include 286 Union and 850 Confederates.

May 16, 1863

The Battle of Champion Hill (Baker's Creek) is a one-day engagement between the Army of the Tennessee under General Grant and the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. Force strength includes 32,000 and 22,000 respectively. Losses amount to 2,457 and 3,840 respectively. It is a Union victory.

May 17, 1863

Confederate forces are pushed back over Big Black River in Mississippi.

May 19, 1863

The Confederate defenders at Vicksburg (Mississippi) repel a Union push.

May 22, 1863

General Grant attempts, and fails, to take Vicksburg in a second offensive.

May 23, 1863

Vicksburg, Mississippi is besieged by Union forces.

May 27, 1863

Union forces fail to take Port Hudson in Louisiana.

May 27, 1863

The guns of Vicksburg aid in the sinking of USS Cincinnati.

May 30, 1863

General Jackson's old command is renamed "Stonewall Brigade" in his honor.

June 1, 1863

Operations of the Chicago Times is ordered stopped by General Burnside. President Lincoln steps in to reverse the order.

June 2, 1863

Former slave Harriet Tubman guides Union forces to raid Confederate plantations in the South Carolina Lowcountry. About 750 slaves are freed in the operation and these men strengthen Union numbers by joining their ranks. The raid is recognized as the Raid at Combahee Ferry.

June 7, 1863

The Battle of Milliken's Bend occurs. Confederate General Richard Taylor attacks a Union base at Madison Parrish, Louisiana. The attackers are driven off by a force led by commander Hermann Lieb. The result is a Union victory though casualties number 652 for the North.

June 7, 1863

French forces move in to secure Mexico City.

June 9, 1863

Confederate cavalry forces are victorious at Brandy Station, Virginia.

June 14, 1863

Confederate Lieutenant A. Wills Gould, an artillery officer under General Nathan Forrest, is stabbed to death by Forrest following Gould's attempt to kill him.

June 14, 1863

Winchester, Virginia falls to Confederate Cavalry under the command of General Richard Ewell.

June 17, 1863

Aldie, Virginia is the scene of a cavalry clash between North and South forces.

June 19, 1863

At the expense of the 1st Rhode Island Cavalry, Union forces are victorious in Middleburg, Virginia.

June 21, 1863

Union forces are victorious is a clash of cavalry with the South. The Confederates are led by J.E.B. Stuart and the fighting takes place at Upperville, Virginia.

June 23, 1863

Confederate forces are victorious at Brashear City, Louisiana.

June 25, 1863

Despite an attempt by Union engineers to destroy the Vicksburg defenses from below, Vicksburg remains under Confederate control.

June 26, 1863

General William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, son to Confederate General Robert E. Lee, is captured by Union forces in Hanover, Virginia.

June 27, 1863

General Joseph Hooker of the Union Army tenders his resignation from the Army of the Potomac due to a dispute with Army HQ on the status of the defense at Harpers Ferry. The resignation is accepted by President Lincoln.

June 28, 1863

General George G. Meade replaces General Joseph Hooker in charge of the Army of the Potomac.

June 28, 1863

General George G. Meade succeeds the resigned General Joseph Hooker at commander of the Army of the Potomac.

June 28, 1863

Union defenders at Fort Butler in Donaldsonville, Florida are victorious against attacking Confederate forces.

June 29, 1863

George Armstrong Custer is named General within the Union ranks. At the age of just 23, he becomes the youngest general of the Army during the war.

June 30, 1863

The route to Chattanooga is threatened when Confederate General Bragg is forced to abandon his positions in northern Tennessee.

June 30, 1863

Attacking Confederate cavalry forces, led by General Stuart, are repelled by a Union counterattack. The clash takes place at Hanover, Pennsylvania.

June 30, 1863

Confederate forces, at brigade strength, tangle with Union elements in Gettysburg in the hopes of securing supplies.

June 30, 1863

West Virginia officially becomes a supporter of the Union cause in the Civil War and commits its resources to the conflict

July 1, 1863

In the northwest of Gettysburg, at Marsh Creek at about 5:30AM, the first shots of the Battle of Gettysburg are fired between Confederate and Union forces.

July 1, 1863

At 8:00AM, Confederate forces - as part of General Henry Heth's division - under the direction of General James J. Archer and General Joseph R. Davis march on Gettysburg.

July 1, 1863

At 10:00AM, during the fighting at Gettysburg, Union General John F. Reynolds is killed.

July 1, 1863

General Abner Doubleday succeeds General Reynolds following the latter's death.

July 1, 1863

General Solomon Meredith's "Iron Brigade" repels General Archer's Confederates and captures Archer and a few hundred others.

July 1, 1863

At 12:00PM, Major General Oliver O. Howard of XI Corps arrives.

July 1, 1863

Confederate guns open up from Oak Hill at around 12:00PM.

July 1, 1863

At 2:00PM Major General Robert E. Rodes moved his troops against the Union right flank.

July 1, 1863

At 2:00PM, Union General Meade calls on General Winfield S. Hancock to succeed the slain General Reynolds.

July 1, 1863

Upon arriving on scene at about 2:30PM, General Robert E. Lee surveys the battlefield from Herr Ridge.

July 1, 1863

The division under the command of Union General Carl Schurz is routed at 2:30PM.

July 1, 1863

General Lee advances General Heth and William Dorsey Pender's forces. General Heth is wounded.

July 1, 1863

At 3:30PM General Schurz units retreat under attacks from General Jubal A. Early. Their retreat is through the town of Gettysburg itself.

July 1, 1863

At 4:00PM General Pender pushes Union forces to retreat into Gettysburg proper as well as into Cemetery Hill.

July 1, 1863

At 4:00PM, General Hancock arrives at Cemetery Hill.

July 1, 1863

At 4:30PM, Union forces retreat from Gettysburg and take up fortified positions at the town's south, in Cemetery Hill.

July 1, 1863

At 4:30PM, General Lee provides General Ewell with the option to attack Union forces at Cemetery Hill if an advantage can be had and maintained. Lee understands the Federal forces hold positions on high ground. Ewell does not move on the enemy - perhaps missing a tremendous opportunity to turn the tide of the battle on its first day.

July 1, 1863

General Daniel E. Sickles arrives and reinforces Union numbers.

July 1, 1863

By 6:30PM, the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg draws to a close.

July 1, 1863

Union engineers attempt a second demolition of Union defenses at Vicksburg, Mississippi. This attempt also fails to make progress.

July 1, 1863

Carlisle, Pennsylvania falls under an attack by General Jeb Stuarts cavalry forces.

July 2, 1863

At 4:00PM, Federal positions are assailed by Confederate elements at Little Round Top and Devil's Den. Devil's Den falls to the attackers but the defenders at Little Round Top hold out.

July 2, 1863

At 5:30PM, Wheat Field and Peach Orchard, Union-held named areas to the Southwest of Gettysburg, are attacked by forces under the command of General Lafayette McLaws.

July 2, 1863

The ownership of Wheat Field is changed some four times before General Sickle's forces are pushed to the base of Little Round Top. The defensive stand there holds off the Confederates however.

July 2, 1863

Union forces continue to hold primary positions though the Confederates claim some terrain against them - particularly at Cemetery Hills and Culp's Hill.

July 2, 1863

Confederate General John Morgan leads his cavalry forces on the first of several raids throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. The raiding actions will run nearly a month.

July 3, 1863

Pennsylvania resident Ginnie Wade becomes the only civilian fatality of the Battle of Gettysburg when she is struck in the shoulder by a stray bullet while kneading bread dough in the kitchen. The bullet pierced her heart - most likely killing her instantly.

July 3, 1863

From 5:30AM until 10AM, Confederate forces make repeated attempts to unseat and drive off Union forces at Culp's Hill. Little ground is gained in the fighting.

July 3, 1863

At about 1:00PM, 140 guns of the Confederate side open up on Union positions.

July 3, 1863

About 80 Union artillery pieces respond to the Confederate cannon bombardment.

July 3, 1863

Union-held Seminary Ridge is attacked by forces under the command of General Pickett, General Pettigrew and General Trimble.

July 3, 1863

At 3:30PM, General Stannard leads his Union troops against the side of General Pickett's charging division.

July 3, 1863

By 3:45PM, Confederate forces have advanced as much as they will in the battle as Union lines hold.

July 3, 1863

General Farnsworth and his cavalry forces suffer considerable losses against the Confederate lines - the charge called by General Kilpatrick against General Longstreet's position southwest of Big Round Top.

July 3, 1863

At the age of 26, cavalry General Elon J. Farnsworth is killed at the Battle of Gettysburg after a cavalry charge led by General Kilpatrick. Farnsworth protested the action but obeyed nonetheless.

July 3, 1863

At the end of the battle to control Gettysburg (a decisive Union victory), over 57,000 persons became casualties, many wounded, with 23,055 belonging to the Union lines and as many as 28,000 suffered by the Confederacy. Wounded number over 25,000 combined. The Confederacy suffered mightily in terms of officer-level depletion.

July 4, 1863

Vicksburg, Mississippi finally surrenders to General Grant and his Union forces. Some 30,000 prisoners are granted release with the promise not to engage the Union militarily again.

July 4, 1863

Union defenders hold off a Confederate attempt to retake Helena, Arkansas. The Confederates are led by General Theophilus Holmes and the price to take Helena is high for the attackers.

July 5, 1863

A besieged Union cavalry force at Bardstown, Kentucky surrenders to Confederate attackers.

July 9, 1863

Jackson, Mississippi is under siege from forces directed by Union General William Sherman.

July 10, 1863

Charleston, South Carolina is under bombardment from Union naval and land forces. Ironclads are directed by Admiral John Dahlgren.

July 12, 1863

Union forces at Jackson, Mississippi, attempt to overtake Confederate positions but are heavily repulsed. General Jacob Lauman directs the unsuccessful Union charge.

July 13, 1863

Union forces take Yazoo City, Mississippi.

July 13, 1863

The North and South will no longer adhere to the prisoner exchange agreement from earlier in the war.

July 13, 1863

General John Morgan's Confederate cavalry is spotted just north of Cincinnati, Ohio during one of his many raiding actions in Union territory.

July 13, 1863

Over a dozen civilians are killed during rioting in New York after the release of names from the first Union military draft. The rioting spans July 13th until July 16th and involves some 50,000 New Yorkers.

July 14, 1863

Confederate forces belonging to General Robert E. Lee cross the Potomac River.

July 15, 1863

The Department of Virginia and North Carolina is created by the Union.

July 18, 1863

Union forces fail to take Fort Wagner. near Charleston, South Carolina. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment taking part in the attack is made up of Negro soldiers, the first of its kind for the Union Army.

July 26, 1863

General John Morgan and his raiding cavalry forces are taken prisoner by Union elements near New Lisbon, Ohio.

July 30, 1863

The Order of Retaliation is handed down by President Lincoln. The measure calls for the execution of one Confederate soldier for every one Union soldier killed in violation of the rules of war.

July 31, 1863

The Union's Army of the Potomac numbers 75,000 men by this date, outpacing that of the Confederate's Army of Northern Virginia which claims just 41,000 to its ranks.

August 1, 1863

A Union prison camp is opened at Point Lookout, Maryland.

August 3, 1863

General Bragg's forces successfully evade Union capture when they cross the Cumberland Mountains.

August 21, 1863

Lawrence, Kansas is attacked by Captain William Quantrill. 150 men and boys are slaughtered in the action.

August 26, 1863

Union and Confederate cavalry elements meet one another at Rocky Gap outside of White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia. The clashes last until the 27th.

September 2, 1863

Lexington, Kentucky is taken by confederate forces under the command of General Edmund Kirby.

September 2, 1863

Knoxville, Tennessee is taken by General Burnside of the Union Army.

September 4, 1863

Union General Ulysses S. Grant is injured after being thrown by his horse. The incident takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana.

September 4, 1863

CSS Florida enters French waters off the coast of Brest.

September 6, 1863

Under pressure from a Union bombardment, Confederate forces relocate from Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.

September 8, 1863

Union warships fail to take Fort Grisby in Texas from Confederate defenders.

September 8, 1863

Union gunboats fail to defeat Confederate forces at Sabine Pass (Texas). Two of the three attacking warships are taken by the South.

September 9, 1863

Cumberland Gap, Tennessee is claimed by Union forces. Confederate defenders surrender.

September 9, 1863

General Rosecrans directs a capture of Chattanooga, Tennessee forcing Confederates to withdraw. The Confederate forces are led by General Bragg.

September 10, 1863

Following a Confederate withdrawal at Little Rock, Arkansas, Union forces move in. General Frederick Steele is the commander for the North.

September 13, 1863

Culpepper, Virginia is the site of a cavalry face-off between North and South.

September 20, 1863

Confederate forces, in one of the rare meetings where they outnumbered Union forces, claim the victory at the Battle of Chickamauga. Union elements collapse and are pushed away in the stunning defeat.

September 18, 1863

The Battle of Chickamauga begins pitting Northern forces led by General Rosecrans against Southern forces led by General Bragg. The North commits about 60,000 souls to the South's 65,000. The battle lasts two days and covers the counties of Catoosa and Walker in Georgia.

September 19, 1863

Another face-off between cavalry forces is witnessed at Rockville, Maryland.

September 20, 1863

The Battle of Chickamauga ends as a Confederate victory. General Rosecrans forces are pushed out of Georgia and retreat to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Losses are 16,170 for the Union and 18,454 for the Confederacy.

September 27, 1863

A cavalry force under the command of Colonel Joseph Shelby heads into Missouri for raiding actions. The venture lasts two days.

October 5, 1863

USS New Ironsides is attacked (by way of spar torpedo) by the submarine CSS David in Charleston, South Carolina waters.

October 6, 1863

Once again wearing Union uniforms, Quantrill and his raiders manage to surprise and kill another 63 Union personnel, this at Baxter Springs, Kansas.

October 10, 1863

Blue Springs, Tennessee is the site of clash between Union cavalry and Confederate forces. The result is a Confederate retreat into Virginia. The North is led by General James Shackelford and the South by General John S. Williams.

October 13, 1863

Union troops under General E.B. Brown at Arrow Rock, Missouri, are victorious over Confederate forces led by General Joseph Shelby.

October 16, 1863

Command of the armies of the West are handed to General Ulysses S. Grant by order of President Lincoln.

October 19, 1863

General Grant writes from Louisville, Kentucky "Hold Chattanooga at all hazards, I will be there as soon as possible." He would arrive in southeast Tennessee four days later.

October 19, 1863

Confederate General Jeb Stuart and his cavalry forces are victorious over Union elements at Buckland Mills, Virginia. The action is remembered as the "Buckland Races". Union elements are commanded by General Hugh Kilpatrick.

October 19, 1863

After the events of Chickamauga, Union General William Rosecrans is relieved of his command. He is succeeded by General George Thomas.

October 20, 1863

Confederate attackers are victorious over Union defenders at Philadelphia, Tennessee. Several hundred are taken prisoner.

October 21, 1863

The attack on Chattanooga is planned by Union authorities including General Grand and General Rosecrans.

October 28, 1863

The Gillmore Medal is announced by General Quincy Gillmore of the Union Army. This award serves to recognize those having attempted to retake Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor.

October 28, 1863

The battle of Wauhatchie begins pitting XI and XII Corps of the Union against General Longstreet's Corps and Jenkin's Brigade. The battle will span into the 29th of October.

October 29, 1863

The Battle of Wauhatchie concludes as a Union victory. Losses total 420 for the North and 408 for the South.

November 2, 1863

Henry Allen, a General in the Confederate Army, is named governor of Louisiana.

November 2, 1863

Union forces form up at Brazos Santiago, Texas near the Mexican border.

November 2, 1863

This date marks the start of the Battle of Brownsville (Texas). General Banks leads the Union against Mexican Patriots led by former Confederate Generals.

November 6, 1863

Union troops move into Brownsville, Texas, expanding their foothold in the Confederate state.

November 6, 1863

The Battle of Brownsville ends as a Union victory.

November 7, 1863

Union forces are victorious at Rappahannock Bridge in Virginia. The attack involves a rare bayonet charge in the evening hours.

November 10, 1863

The Signal Corps is ordered to move its equipment to the Military Telegraph Service.

November 17, 1863

Union elements take Aransas Pass in Texas.

November 18, 1863

Confederate General Longstreet and his army force a retreat of Union elements (namely cavalry). The Union Army relocates to the safety of Knoxville, Tennessee but a siege is ordered to bring the enemy to surrender.

November 19, 1863

The Gettysburg Address is delivered by President Lincoln on the battlefield itself. It becomes one of the most revered and iconic speeches in American history despite its rather short length. The speech serves to dedicate the Soldier's National Cemetery in Gettysburg proper.

November 19, 1863

Confederate forces are driven from Fort Esperanza in Matagorda Bay, Texas.

November 23, 1863

The Battles for Chattanooga take place from November 23rd to NOvember 25th. Orchard Knob, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and Rossville Gap are some of the names associated with the actions. General Grant faces General Bragg and his Army of the Tennessee.

November 25, 1863

The Chattanooga Campaign comes to a close and is recorded as a Union victory, further enhancing General Grant's growing legacy in the war.

November 26, 1863

With Confederate forces in retreat from Chattanooga, Union Generals Sherman and Hooker follow in an attempt to smash the enemy.

November 27, 1863

Union General Meade and his forces move to tackle the forces of General Less at Mine Run, Virginia. The Battle of Mine Run ensues and spans from November 27th until December 2nd. Union strength numbers 81,000 against a Confederate Army of 48,000.

November 29, 1863

Prisoner General John Morgan and six associates dig their way to freedom from an Ohio prison.

November 29, 1863

Confederate attackers are forced back by Union defenders at Fort Sanders near Knoxville, Tennessee.

December 2, 1863

Results of the Battle of Mine Run are inconclusive. Casualties amount to 1,272 Union losses and 680 Confederate.

December 5, 1863

Confederate forces leave their siege of Knoxville and exit the state. This grants Union forces complete control of the Confederate territory.

December 7, 1863

The Union steamer USS Chesapeake is taken over by Confederate soldiers in civilian clothing. The brazen action takes place off the Massachusetts coast. The vessel is relocated to Canadian waters of Nova Scotia.

December 8, 1863

In an address to Congress, President Lincoln reveals that around 100,000 former slaves have joined the Union ranks in the fight against the South.

December 13, 1863

The Georgia State Line militia is arranged.

December 15, 1863

A Confederate attempt fails against Union cavalry elements at Bean's Station, Tennessee forcing General Longstreet to rearrange his subordinate command.

December 17, 1863

General Grant, for his services (and successes) in the ongoing war is recognized by the U.S. Congress by way of an official thanks and a gold medal.

January 1, 1864

General William Smith is named governor of Confederate Virginia.

January 2, 1864

Confederate General Patrick Cleburne suggests that some slaves be made free to help fight in the Southern Cause.

January 30, 1864

The Department of the Missouri is handed over to General Rosecrans of the Union Army.

February 1, 1864

From the period of February 1st to the 3rd, Confederate forces unsuccessfully attempt to retake New Bern, North Carolina from Union defenders.

February 2, 1864

USS Underwriter is claimed and destroyed by Confederate warships in the Neuse River (North Carolina).

February 3, 1864

Union General Sherman begins the Meridian Campaign, the taking of Meridian, Mississippi.

February 5, 1864

Union forces, under General Sherman, meet Confederate forces at Clinton and Jackson, Mississippi.

February 6, 1864

General Sherman reaches Jackson, Mississippi. The city is razed.

February 7, 1864

Jacksonville, Florida is the target of a Union force led by General Truman Seymour. Half of the attacking force is made up of black soldiers. The city is taken.

February 9, 1864

Colonel Thomas Rose and 107 others escape their Confederate prison in Richmond, Virginia. He is recaptured along with forty-seven of the group.

February 9, 1864

From the period of February 9th through the 14th, Union forces continue their march through Florida.

February 10, 1864

Another 109 Union officer-level personnel manage an escape from a Confederate prison in Richmond, Virginia.

February 11, 1864

A Union Army from Memphis, Tennessee crosses into Mississippi and marches on, destroying crop fields along their path.

February 14, 1864

General Sherman's force takes Meridian, Mississippi and destroys much of its infrastructure.

February 17, 1864

CSS Hunley becomes the world's first submarine to sink a surface vessel. The target becomes USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor. However, CSS Hunley is lost in the action.

February 19, 1864

Like General Grant, General Sherman receives an official thanks for his services in the ongoing war - namely his direction of the Chattanooga victory.

February 20, 1864

The Battle of Olustee (Florida) is had. 5,500 Union troops face 5,000 Confederates. The battle is a Confederate victory with 1,861 Union wounded to the South's 946. Commanding officers are Truman Seymour (Union) and Joseph Finnegan (Confederate).

February 21, 1864

West Point, Mississippi is the site of a Confederate victory over a much larger Union force. Confederate General Nathan Bedford leads the victors.

February 22, 1864

The Battle of Okolona takes place in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. Confederate forces, numbering 2,500 under the leadership of General Forrest, is victorious against a larger Union contingent of 7,000 under the direction of William Sooy Smith.

February 23, 1864

Some 400 Union prisoners are relocated from Belle Isle, Virginia to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia.

February 24, 1864

General Bragg is received at Richmond, Virginia to take on the position of Military Adviser to Confederate President Davis.

February 27, 1864

Georgia is home to a new war prison for Union troops. The facility is located in Andersonville, Georgia.

March 2, 1864

Confederates find plans to burn Richmond and kill Confederate President Davis. The information is found on the deceased body of Ulric Dahlgren following his unsuccessful raid into Richmond.

March 2, 1864

Union Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, aged 21, is killed during a raid into Richmond, Virginia. He carries plans for the burning of Richmond and the assassination of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president.

March 4, 1864

CSS Don, a Confederate Navy blockade runner, is run down and captured by USS Pequot near Beaufort, North Carolina.

March 5, 1864

With the Meridian Campaign completed, General Sherman makes his return to Union-held Vicksburg in Mississippi.

March 8, 1864

Five Union soldiers are murdered by Southern sympathizers on leave in Charleston, Illinois. The group is killed by a mob numbering one hundred.

March 9, 1864

Command of the Union armies in the West are given to General William Sherman.

March 9, 1864

General Ulysses S. Grant is promoted to the newly-created rank of Lieutenant General.

March 12, 1864

General Henry Halleck is replaced with General Grant by President Lincoln. Grant will now head the Union Army as its General-in-Chief.

March 12, 1864

Union gunboats and ironclads make their way towards Shreveport, Louisiana along the Red River.

March 14, 1864

Fort De Russy is taken by Union General Banks in Louisiana.

March 14, 1864

150,000 bales of cotton are ordered burned prior to the arrival of Union forces in Louisiana. The order is from Confederate General Edmund Smith.

March 18, 1864

The Veteran Reserve Corps is formed from the Invalid Corps.

March 18, 1864

Union forces take Alexandria, Louisiana without firing a shot.

March 20, 1864

General George Stoneman undertakes a three-day cavalry raiding campaign into Virginia and North Carolina from a Union base in Tennessee.

March 21, 1864

Henderson's Hill, Louisiana is the site of a capture of 250 unsuspecting Confederate soldiers by Union forces.

March 24, 1864

Union City, Tennessee and its defenders are captured by Confederate General Nathaniel Bedford.

March 25, 1864

Paducah, Kentucky, at the Kentucky-Tennessee border, is raided by Confederate elements of General Nathan Forrest.

April 2, 1864

Cavalry units, under the leadership of Union General James H. Wilson, capture Selma, Alabama.

April 7, 1864

Wilson's Plantation in Louisiana is the site of a meeting of cavalry forces from both sides.

April 8, 1864

Confederate forces at Sabine Crossroads along the Red River stop , and drive back, a Union advance.

April 9, 1865

The Battle of Fort Blakely comes to a close. It is a Union victory for Army of West Mississippi commander Edward Canby.

April 9, 1864

Pleasant Hill, Louisiana is the site of a Union victory over Confederate elements as the Red River Campaign advances. Union General Nathaniel Banks directs the victors.

April 10, 1864

Mary Edwards Walker, the lone female surgeon in the Union Army, is taken prisoner by Southern elements. This occurs at the Tennessee-Georgia border.

April 12, 1864

Fort Pillow, Tennessee, is the site of a Confederate victory by General Nathan Bedford. Black soldiers fighting for the Union are executed.

April 12, 1864

Confederate General Thomas Green is killed during a cavalry attack on a Union gunboat flotilla at Blair's Landing in Louisiana.

April 14, 1864

Around $1 million is raised for the U.S. Army's Sanitary Commission by the Manhattan Fair.

April 17, 1864

Prisoner exchanges with the South are stopped under the order of General Grant.

April 19, 1864

USS Southfield falls victim to an attack by CSS Albemarle near Plymouth, North Carolina. Southfield is sunk in the act. This loss drives Union naval forces away.

April 20, 1864

Plymouth, North Carolina falls to the Confederates.

April 20, 1864

Macon, Georgia falls to Union cavalry forces under the leadership of General Wilson.

April 21, 1864

Mary Walker, the Union's lone female surgeon, is delivered to the Confederate capital of Richmond in Virginia.

April 25, 1864

Marks's Mills, Arkansas is the site of a Confederate capture of over 200 Union supply wagons.

April 27, 1864

Tycoon is captured by the sloop-of-war CSS Alabama. This marks the final ship taken by the Confederate vessel.

May 1, 1864

By this date in the war, Union troop strength numbers over 660,000.

May 3, 1864

Union General Grant advances towards Richmond, Virginia - the Confederate capital - with a force numbering about 100,000.

May 3, 1864

General Steele's army is forced back into Little Rock, Arkansas.

May 4, 1864

Union General William Sherman begins his move towards Atlanta, Georgia.

May 5, 1864

Attempting to push past the Union blockade, a naval action involving CSS Albemarle takes place at the Roanoke River opening. Neither side makes any headway.

May 5, 1864

The Battle of the Wilderness takes place across Spotsylvania and Orange counties in Virginia. Generals Ulysses Grant and George Meade face-off against Robert E. Lee. Strength includes 124,232 for the Union and about 65,000 for the Confederacy.

May 6, 1864

Confederate General Micah Jenkins is killed by friendly fire during the Battle of the Wilderness.

May 6, 1864

Confederate General James Longstreet is seriously wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness by friendly fire.

May 7, 1864

The Battle of the Wilderness comes to an end as an inconclusive engagement. Losses and casualties for the Union number 17,666 and the Confederate totals 11,033.

May 7, 1864

The Division of West Mississippi is created under the Union banner.

May 7, 1864

The Battle of Todd's Tavern (Virginia) takes place between cavalry forces from both sides. Union elements are directed by General Philip Sheridan and Confederate forces are led by Jeb Stuart. The clash is inconclusive.

May 8, 1865

On this date, Confederate forces lay claim to five Union ships. The action occurs near Alexandria, Louisiana.

May 8, 1864

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House begins. Union Generals Grant and Meade square off, once again, against Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The action takes place in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Union forces number as many as 110,000 against a Confederate army of 63,000.

May 9, 1864

The Battle of Cloyd's Mountain is a limited engagement between 6,100 Union troops against 2,400 Confederates. It takes place in Pulaski County, Virginia and goes down as a Union victory. The battle is significant in eliminating the last Confederate line from Virginia into Tennessee. General George Crook directs the victors against Confederate Generla Albert Jenkins. Losses are 688 to 538, respectively.

May 9, 1864

Union General Sherman pushes towards Richmond, Virginia.

May 10, 1864

Railroad equipment and track sections are destroyed at Beaver Dam Station, Virginia, under the direction of General Custer.

May 10, 1864

Confederate forces, numbering 4,000, at Crockett's Cove, Virginia, stand their ground against a Union charge of 2,500 strong. The attackers are driven back into West Virginia. Confederate General William E. Jones claims the victory over Union General William Averell. The official battle results are listed as inconclusive.

May 11, 1864

The Battle of Yellow Tavern is had in Hanover County, Virginia. It is a Union victory for General Sheridan and a loss for the combined forces of Confederate Generals Jeb Stuart and Fitzhugh Lee. Numbers are 12,000 for the victors and 5,000 for the defeated. Casualties number 625 and 300 respectively.

May 12, 1864

The Battle of Meadow Bridge takes place and is a Union victory as part of the Overland Campaign. General Sheridan is victorious over generals Fitzhugh Lee and James Gordon.

May 12, 1864

Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart, aged 31, dies of wounds suffered at the Battle of Yellow Tavern the day before.

May 12, 1864

Union forces break through Confederate defensive lines at Snake Creek Gap. The action takes place near Dalton, Georgia and Union elements are directed by General Sheridan.

May 15, 1864

Confederate defenders at Resaca (Georgia), led by General Johnstom, are successful in holding their ground against Union attackers (General Sherman). The Battle of Resaca is determined to be inconclusive as the Confederates retreat. Nearly 100,000 Union men fought 60,000 Confederates. Losses were 4,500 to 2,800, respectively.

May 15, 1864

The Battle of Fort Darling - or Battle of Drewry's Bluff - is had pitting five Union warships against an artillery-laden Confederate fort in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It is a Confederate victory for General Beauregard. Union General Benjamin Butler is handed the defeat.

May 15, 1864

Confederate General Johnston withdraws his forces near Dalton, Georgia, under growing pressure from General Sherman.

May 15, 1864

The Battle of New Market takes place in Shenandoah County, Virginia. It is a Confederate victory for General Breckinridge over General Franz Sigel. Forces number 4,087 to 6,275, respectively, and losses total 531 to 841, respectively.

May 18, 1864

The Battle of Yellow Bayou is had in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. It results in a Union victory though not without both sides gaining, and eventually losing, the advantage several times during the battle. The Union is directed by Joseph Mower and the Confederates by Richard Taylor. Losses are 360 and 500 respectively.

May 20, 1864

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House concludes as a Confederate tactical victory. General Lee takes the credit over Union leaders General Grant and Meade. Casualties and losses number 12,687 for the victors and 18,399 for the defeated.

May 20, 1864

The Battle of Ware Bottom Church sees Confederate General Beauregard victorious over Union General Benjamin Butler. The fighting takes place in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

May 21, 1864

Confederate General Albert Jenkins dies of his wounds suffered at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain, Virginia. He was 33.

May 23, 1864

The Battle of North Anna begins spanning Caroline and Hanover counties in Virginia. Union forces are led by Ulysses Grant and George Meade against Robert E. Lee and the outnumbered Confederate army (Army of Northern Virginia).

May 24, 1864

The Battle of Wilson's Wharf is fought. It is a Union victory at Charles City, Virginia. General Edward Wild claims the victory over General Fitzhugh Lee.

May 26, 1864

The Battle of North Anna ends with inconclusive results as neither side gains the advantage.

May 26, 1864

The Battle of New Hope Church in Georgia sees the Military Division of the Mississippi, under the leadership of Generals Sherman and Hooker, lose to the Army of Tennessee led by General Johnston.

May 26, 1864

Following their retreat from Alexandria, Louisiana, Union forces and General Nathaniel Banks reside in Donaldsonville.

May 28, 1864

The Battle of Haw's Shop takes place on this date. It is inconclusive. The 4,000-strong Union force is led by General David Gregg against the 4,500 Confederates under the leadership of General Wade Hampton.

May 28, 1864

The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek begins.

May 30, 1864

The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek is inconclusive.

May 30, 1864

The Battle of Old Church takes place. It is a Union victory for General Alfred Torbert.

May 31, 1864

The Battle of Cold Harbor begins as part of the Overland Campaign. Union forces number over 100,000 and are led by generals Ulysses S. Grant and George Meade. They face a Confederate army numbering around 60,000 and are led by General Robert E. Lee.

May 31, 1864

The "Radical Democracy Party", a divisional group of the Republican Party, nominates former Union General John Fremont to run against incumbent Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 election.

June 5, 1864

Piedmont, Virginia is the site of a Union victory under General David Hunter. The Battle of Piedmont spans June 5th and June 6th.

June 6, 1864

Staunton, Virginia falls to Union forces led by General David Hunter. Not a shot is fired.

June 9, 1864

General John Morgan undertakes his last raid on Kentucky soil, this at Mt. Sterling. The results are disastrous as they face Union military opposition.

June 9, 1864

Failing to unseat General Lee's defenders at Petersburg, Virginia, Union General Grant enacts a siege of the city. The siege will last (officially) until March 25th, 1865 and result in a Union victory.

June 10, 1864

The Battle of Brice's Crossroads is recorded. A smaller Confederate force of 3,500 cavalry is victorious against a Union army consisting of 4,800 troops, 3,300 cavalry, and 22 field guns. General Nathan Forrest directs the victors over General Samuel Sturgis of the Union. The action takes place near Guntown, Mississippi.

June 11, 1864

The Second Battle of Cynthiana is had in Kentucky. The Union victory emerges from a two-day contest in which 3,450 Union face-off against 1,200 Confederates. Losses equal 1,092 and 1,000 respectively.

June 11, 1864

The Battle of Trevalian Station is had in Louisa County, Virginia. Confederate Generals Wade Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee are victorious over Union leader General Sheridan. The battle spans into the 12th. Strength is 6,762 Confederates versus 9,286 Union. Casualties are 813 to 1,512 respectively.

June 12, 1864

The Battle of Cold Harbor ends as a much-needed Confederate victory for General Robert E. Lee. Frontal assaults against fortified Confederate positions mar the Union advance which leads to thousands of casualties.

June 12, 1864

Confederate General John Morgan retreats with his cavalry force away from Cynthiana, Kentucky.

June 14, 1864

Petersburg, Virginia is in the crosshairs of General Grant. His forces cross the James River en route to the town.

June 14, 1864

A former planter in Tennessee, Confederate General Leonidas Polk is killed by artillery fire at Kenesaw Mountain in Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign.

June 16, 1864

During a speech in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, President Lincoln calls for more troops to finish the fight.

June 17, 1864

The Battle of Lynchburg is fought over a two-day span by two small forces. The Confederates numbering 14,000 under General Jubal Early are victorious in beating back 16,643 Union attackers led by General David Hunter.

June 24, 1864

The Battle of Saint Mary's Church takes place as part of the Overland Campaign. It is inconclusive.

June 27, 1864

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountin results in a Confederate victory. General Joseph Johnston faces off against Union General William Sherman in the clash. Numbers are 17,733 to 16,225 respectively and losses include 1,000 to 3,000, respectively.

June 30, 1864

To help finance the ongoing war, the United States government passes the Internal Revenue Act. This allows the government to increase income tax rates.

July 2, 1864

With Washinton, D.C. as the primary target, cavalry forces led by General Jubal Early raid into Maryland. The operation would span into July 13th.

July 3, 1864

James Island, Charleston Harbor is the site of a successful Confederate defense of Fort Johnson against Union attackers.

July 4, 1864

A new provision signed into law by President Lincoln now guarantees a $100 yearly bonus to Union troops.

July 5, 1864

The New York Times is the recipient of a initial peace plan authored by the Confederacy.

July 7, 1864

Another Union attack is beaten back at Charleston, South Carolina, as the defenders continue to deny the important port city to the North.

July 9, 1864

The Battle of Monocacy in Frederick County, Maryland, sees a Union force (commanded by Lew Wallace) of 5,800 strong go up against a much larger Confederate army of 14,000. The successful delay of General Jubal Early's troops, en route to Washington, D.C., makes it a Union strategic victory. Washington, D.C. is reinforced in the mean time.

July 9, 1864

Union cavalry raids begin at Decatur, Alabama under the leadership of General Lovell Rousseau. The raids will head into Marietta, Georgia and span to July 22nd.

July 11, 1864

Fort Stevens in Washington, D.C. is fired upon by elements of Confederate General General Early (the Battle of Fort Stevens). This occurs during a visit by President Lincoln.

July 12, 1864

General Early removes his forces form the vicinity of Washington, D.C.

July 14, 1864

Harrisburg, Mississippi is the site of a successful Union defense against a Confederate attack. However, Union forces still flee and destroy the town in their wake. The force relocates to Memphis, Tennessee.

July 16, 1864

A skirmish is had between opposing forces at Heaton's Crossroads in northern Virginia (Loudoun County). Results of the one-day engagement are inconclusive. The event is also known as the Purcellville Wagon Raid.

July 17, 1864

The Battle of Cool Spring takes place over two days between a Union force of 5,000 against a Confederate army of 8,000. It results in a Confederate victory for General Jubal Early and John Breckinridge.

July 17, 1864

The Army of Tennessee sees a new commanding officer named - General John Hood succeeds General Joseph Johnston. The appointment is made by President Davis himself.

July 17, 1864

The railworks running between Montgomery, Alabama and Columbus, Georgia is destroyed by a Confederate force. This action occurs at Opelika, Alabama and is directed by General Rousseau.

July 20, 1864

The Battle of Rutherford's Farm takes place (also known as Carter's Farm and Stephenson's Depot). It is a Union victory for General Averell over General Ramseur. Forces number 2,350 Union against 3,300 Confederates.

July 20, 1864

The Battle of Peachtree Creek takes place in Fulton County, Georgia. 21,655 Union troops under George H. Thomas claim the victory over the 20,250 Confederate army led by General John Hood (Army of Tennessee). Losses are 1,900 to 2,500, respectively.

July 22, 1864

Confederate forces attempt another attack on General Sherman's army outside of Atlanta. The attack fails.

July 22, 1864

The Battle of Atlanta becomes a Union victory. 34,863 Union troops under Generals Sherman and McPherson face-off against the Army of Tennessee and its 40,438 troops led by General Hood and Hardee. Losses are 3,641 against 5,500, respectively.

July 24, 1864

Kernstown, Virginia is the site of a successful cavalry attack by General Jubal Early over Union forces. It is recorded as the Second Battle of Kernstown.

July 26, 1864

General George Stoneman directs several cavalry raids across Georgia over the period spanning five days. He begins in Decatur and ends at Macon.

July 28, 1864

Ezra Church, Georgia - outside of Atlanta - is the site of another failed Confederate attack against General Sherman's Union forces.

July 29, 1864

Railworks between Griffin and Jonesboro, Georgia are destroyed by Union forces.

July 30, 1864

A massive underground explosion by Union engineers fails to defeat the defenses of Petersburg, Virginia. General Burnside leads the Union forces.

July 30, 1864

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania is held for ransom by occupying Confederate troops. When the demand is not met, the town is burned.

July 30, 1864

During the Atlanta Campaign, Union General Stoneman is captured along with his aide near Macon, Georgia by Confederates. His prison term becomes just three months as he is released, mainly in part by the direct request of Union General Sherman himself.

August 1, 1864

The Battle of Folck's Mill takes place. It is an inconclusive engagement. Also known as the Battle of Cumberland.

August 3, 1864

General Horace Capron and his forces near Jug Tavern in Georgia come across a Confederate force.

August 7, 1864

The Battle of Moorefield takes place in Hardy County, West Virginia. It is a Union victory for General William Averell over Confederate leader John McCausland. Union strength is 1,760 against 3,000 Confederates. Casualties are 42 against 488, respectively.

August 8, 1864

The Union Army, directed by Gordon Granger, takes Fort Gaines (Dauphin Island) during the Battle of Mobile Bay. 900 prisoners are taken.

August 16, 1864

The Battle of Guard Hill in Warren County, Virginia is an inconclusive engagement between the two parties. General Thomas Devin leads Union forces against Confederate General William Wofford. Losses are 71 to 480, respectively. The engagement is also known as the Battle of Crooked Run.

August 17, 1864

General Sheridan is forced to retreat back across the Potomac under force from Confederate leader Jubal Early.

August 21, 1864

The Battle of Summit Point, also known under the names of Flowing Springs and Cameron's Depot, takes place in Summit Point, West Virginia. It is an inconclusive engagement involving Union General Sheridan and Confederate Generals Anderson and Early.

August 21, 1864

Union-held Memphis, Tennessee is attacked by Confederate forces under the command of General Nathan Forrest.

August 23, 1864

The Battle of Mobile Bay comes to a close on this date. It is a Union victory with 151 killed and 177 wounded for the Union and 13 killed and 22 wounded for the Confederate. One Union ironclad is sunk. 1,587 Confederate troops are captured in the fighting and one gunboat destroyed.

August 23, 1864

Union General Gordon Granger claims Fort Morgan during the Battle of Mobile Bay. Confederate General Richard Page surrenders the fort.

August 25, 1864

The Battle of Smithfield Crossing is another inconclusive engagement between the two sides in West Virginia. The fighting spans August 25th into August 29th.

August 25, 1864

Atlanta falls under siege to forces led by Union General Sherman.

Aigust 29, 1864

Union General George McClellan is nominated by the Democratic Party in Chicago, Illinois. He will square-off in the Presidential Election of 1864 against incumbent Abraham Lincoln.

August 31, 1864

President Lincoln delivers a speech to the men of the 148th Ohio Regiment.

August 31, 1864

The Battle of Jonesborough begins in Clayton County, Georgia. General Sherman leads 70,000 Union troops against 24,000 Confederates under General Hood and General Hardee.

August 31, 1864

A repulsed attack at Jonesborough effectively marks the last attempt by the Confederacy to hold Atlanta.

September 1, 1864

The Battle of Jonesborough ends as a Union victory for General Sherman.

September 1, 1864

With the situation growing hopeless, Confederate General Hood pulls his men out of Atlanta. Any useful structures and materials are burned.

September 2, 1864

General Sherman's force takes the city of Atlanta. This ends the Atlanta Campaign which began back in May of 1964 and is marked as a major Union victory - certainly helping President Lincoln's reelection chances.

September 3, 1864

From the period of September 3rd until the 4th, the Battle of Berryville takes place in Clarke County, Virginia. It is an inconclusive engagement.

September 4, 1864

Confederate General John Morgan is killed by Union troops. He dies aged 39 in Greeneville, Tennessee.

September 7, 1864

Civilians are ordered out of the city of Atlanta following its capture by Union forces.

September 8, 1864

Union General George McClellan accepts the Democratic candidacy for President of the United States.

September 14, 1864

The "Beefsteak Raid", a Confederate cavalry raid, takes place in Prince George County, Virginia. 300 Union troops are captured as are 2,685 heads of cattle. It is a Confederate victory.

September 16, 1864

General Grant's HQ in Virginia is raided. Some 2,500 cattle are taken. The Confederate force is led by General Wade Hampton.

September 18, 1864

Union defenders stand fast against a Confederate attack at Fort Gibson (Oklahoma / Indian Territory).

September 19, 1864

The Third Battle of Winchester (Battle of Opequon) is had. It is a Union victory in Virginia for General Sheridan over General Early.

September 19, 1864

The Third Battle of Winchester is fought as a Union victory. General Sheridan leads Union forces against Confederate Jubal Early in Virginia.

September 19, 1864

Confederate General Sterling Price begins a series of cavalry raids into Missouri.

September 21, 1864

The Battle of Fisher's Hill takes place in Shenandoah County, Virginia. It is a Union victory for General Sheridan over General Early. Fighting spans the 21st into the 22nd.

September 21, 1864

Middle Tennessee is the target of several cavalry raids by Confederate General Nathan Forrest.

September 22, 1864

General Sheridan of the Union Army is victorious over Jubal Early and his Confederate force at the Battle of Fisher's Hill in Virginia.

September 24, 1864

The Union Defenders at Athens, Alabama are removed by a Confederate cavalry force led by General Forrest.

September 27, 1864

Fort Davidson, Missouri is the site of a Union victory over the Confederates. The victors are commanded by General Thomas Ewing. General Sterling Price leads the Confederate attackers.

September 29, 1864

The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights is had. Union forces, numbering 26,600 strong, are led by General Benjamin Butler. The Confederate force numbers 14,500 and is led by General Robert E. Lee and General Richard Ewell. The battle spans September 29th into the 30th in Henrico County, Virginia and ends as a Union victory.

October 1, 1864

Confederate General Wheeler begins a week-long period of raids into Tennessee against Union targets - namely army supply lines.

October 2, 1864

The Battle of Saltville in Virginia takes place. The one-day battle is a victory for the Confederate Home Guard numbering 300. They face a force of 5,000.

October 2, 1864

Anderson's Cross Roads in Tennessee is the site of one of General Wheeler's raids into Union-held Tennessee. A supply wagon train is taken.

October 2, 1864

Command of the 3rd Cavalry Division is handed to General Custer.

October 3, 1864

McMinnville, Tennessee is taken by General Wheeler's cavalry force.

October 3, 1864

Confederate forces under General Bell take Big Shanty and Acworth - both in Georgia.

October 5, 1864

The Battle of Allatoona is fought in Bartow County, Georgia. Union strength numbers 2,025 against a Confederate army of 3,276. The clash is a Union victory, part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign, with casualties totaling 706 for the victors and 897 for the South.

October 7, 1864

Union forces are successful against General Wheeler's cavalry at Duck River in Tennessee.

October 9, 1864

The Battle of Tom's Brook takes place in Shenandoah County, Virginia. It is a Union victory.

October 11, 1864

The Butler Medal is commissioned by Major General Butler of the Union Army. This award recognizes heroic acts by black soldiers during the Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights. The medal is personally funded by Butler.

October 15, 1864

Camp Lawton, a large Confederate prison outside of Millen in Georgia opens its doors to the first Union troops.

October 16, 1864

More Confederate raids are had into Tennessee. General Forrest begins a near-month-long campaign targeting Union supply lines. The campaign ends around November 10th.

October 19, 1864

The Shenandoah Valley is made more secure with a Union victory at the Battle of Cedar Creek in Virginia. General Sheridan is victorious over General Early in this one-day affair.

October 22, 1864

A new offensive into Tennessee is begun by Confederate General John Bell.

October 22, 1864

The Battle of Byram's Ford is fought. Union forces are victorious in Kansas City, Missouri.The battle rages into the 23rd.

October 25, 1864

Confederate generals John Marmaduke and William Cabell are taken prisoner (along with 1,000 troops) through actions by Union General Alfred Pleasonton.

October 27, 1864

CSS Albemarle, commissioned as recently as April 1864, is sunk by a Union spar torpedo. She is captured and later raised and sold off.

November 4, 1864

Three Union gunboats in the Tennessee River are claimed by Confederate forces near Johnsonville, Tennessee.

November 8, 1864

Despite the ongoing war, the President Election is held on this date. Incumbent Abraham Lincoln decisively wins over challenger General George McClellan. Andrew John remains as Vice President.

November 15, 1864

Union General Sherman's "March to the Sea" is begin in Georgia. The campaign would last until December 21st and result in a major Union victory. The offensive starts in Atlanta, Georgia which is now under Union control.

November 22, 1864

The Battle of Griswoldville is fought in Jones County, Georgia. It is a Union victory.

November 22, 1864

Union General Sherman makes a stop at the estate of Confederate General Cobb. The home is razed when the force leaves.

November 23, 1864

Union forces at Fort Fisher in North Carolina fail to unseat Confederate defenders through explosives.

November 23, 1864

The city of Milledgeville - the capital of Georgia from 1804 until 1868 - is captured by Union forces numbering 30,000 under General Sherman. Much damage is had to the city but many of its classic homes are spared.

November 24, 1864

The Battle of Columbia in Tennessee is had between a Confederate force of 35,000, led by General Hood, against a Union Army numbering 28,000 under General Schofield. The fighting lasts until the 29th.

November 25, 1864

Confederate agents set fires across New York City. The plan was hatched by Confederate cavalry commander John Morgan early on in Canada. The actions were modeled after the Draft Day riots of 1863. Some nineteen fires are started by eight agents dressed in civilian clothing.

November 26, 1864

General Wheeler and his Confederate cavalry forces are unsuccessful at Griswoldville, Georgia against the forces of General Sherman.

November 29, 1864

The Battle of Columbia (Tennessee) ends with a Confederate victory.

November 29, 1864

The Battle of Spring Hill is fought in Maury County, Tennessee. Union General Schofield claims the victory over General Hood.

November 30, 1864

The Battle of Franklin takes place on this date. 27,000 Union troops face-off against 27,000 Confederates. The battle is recorded as a Union victory for General Schofield over General Hood. Losses include 2,326 for the victors and 6,252 for the Confederates. An ill-advised charge by Hood costs the Confederate army dearly as losses total 25% of his fighting force.

November 30, 1864

The Battle of Honey Hill is fought in Jasper County, South Carolina, and ends as a Confederate victory despite a force of 1,400 facing 5,000 Union troops.

December 1, 1864

Union cavalry raids are launched throughout the Tennessee east and into the Virginian west. General George Stoneman leads the charges which will last into early January.

December 1, 1864

Confederate forces under the command of General John Hood of the Army of Tennessee amass outside of Nashville. Numbers will soon reach 30,000 for the Battle of Nashville by mid-month.

December 13, 1864

New York City celebrates the arrival of Admiral David Farragut after his major successes in New Orleans, Vicksburg, and Mobile Bay.

December 13, 1864

Fort McAllister falls to Union guns. The capture is another victory for General Sherman as the Union army inches its way closer to the prize that is Savannah, Georgia.

December 15, 1864

The Battle of Nashville (Tennessee) begins with a Confederate force of 30,000 under General Hood facing General Thomas and his 55,000-strong Union army.

December 16, 1864

The Battle of Nashville ends as a Union victory for General George Thomas. Confederate General Hood's losses are double (6,000 to 3,061) what Union forces see. The end of the fighting also spells the end for the Army of Tennessee.

December 20, 1864

With General Sherman's Union force gaining ground, the Confederates are forced to flee from their positions in Savannah.

December 21, 1864

Sherman's "March to the Sea" campaign ends as a Union victory. It began in captured Atlanta and ended with the fall of Savannah, Georgia.

December 21, 1864

The Confederate Navy's Savannah Squadron fleet is ordered destroyed to keep the vessels from falling into enemy hands.

December 22, 1864

Sherman's 'March to the Sea' comes to a close with the capture of Savannah, Georgia.

December 25, 1864

Again, defenders at Fort Fisher (Wilmington, North Carolina) survive another Union attempt to take their position. This time the Union enacts a combined land and sea attack to no avail.

December 26, 1864

President Lincoln, by letter, personally thanks General William Sherman for his successful campaign - his 'March to the Sea' - which began on November 15th that finally delivered Savannah, Georgia in time for Christmas.

December 27, 1864

Defenders at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, are successful in their defense against a Union offensive to retake the position.

December 28, 1864

Fort Harrison is taken by Union troops led by General Grant. This is significant in that the fort guards the route towards Richmond, Virginia - the Confederate capital.

January 10, 1865

Congress formally congratulates General Sherman on his exploits across Georgia resulting in the capture of Savannah.

January 11, 1865

General Robert E. Lee, realizing the fortunes of the Confederacy are growing limited, announces his support for a gradual freedom for slaves.

January 24, 1865

A Confederate attempt to assault General Grant's headquarters at City Point (Virginia) is called off.

January 31, 1865

By this date, the Confederate prisoner count at Camp Chase (Columbus, Ohio) nears 9,425.

February 1, 1865

A new march by General Sherman sees his army proceed north into South Carolina and then North Carolina.

February 4, 1865

John C. Breckinridge is appointed the new Secretary of War for the Confederacy. The appointment is managed by Confederate President Davis himself.

February 5, 1865

The Battle of Hatcher's Run begins in Dinwiddle County, Virginia. A 34,517 strong Union force faces a 13,835 strong Confederate army. Union forces are headed by General Andrew Hunmphreys and General Gouverneur Warren. Confederate forces are directed by John B. Gordon.

February 6, 1865

Robert E. lee is named chief commander of the entire Confederate military by Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

February 6, 1865

Confederate General John Pegram is killed during the Battle of Hatcher's Run.

February 7, 1865

The Battle of Hatcher's Run in Virginia comes to a close. It is a Union victory. Losses total 1,539 for the Union and 1,161 for the Confederacy.

February 9, 1865

The U.S. Congress officially congratulates General Philip Sheridan on his exploits centering on the Shenandoah Valley Campaign.

February 11, 1865

To deal with the issue of desertions in the Confederate ranks, General Lee offers broad forgiveness to those who return to fight with the period of twenty days.

February 11, 1865

The Battle of Wilmington (North Carolina) begins between 12,000 Union and 6,000 Confederate troops. Generals Schofield and Porter lead the Union against General Bragg of the Confederacy. Fighting would last until February 22nd.

February 17, 1865

Union forces, under General Sherman, take Columbia, South Carolina.

February 17, 1865

Posing as a male Confederate soldier, Mollie Bean is taken prisoner by Union forces outside of the Confederate capital of Richmond in Virginia. Under questioning, she reveals that she has fought with the 47th (North Carolina) for a period of two years, having been wounded at least twice.

February 18, 1865

Citizens flee Charleston, South Carolina prior to the arrival of Union troops.

February 18, 1865

Castle Pinckney in Charleston Harbor (South Carolina) falls to the South Carolina 21st Colored Infantry of the Union army.

February 18, 1865

CSS Shenandoah departs Melbourne, Australia.

February 21, 1865

The Battle of Douglas Landing takes place in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It is a Confederate victory.

February 22, 1865

The Battle of Wilmington ends with the Union capture of Wilmington itself.

February 23, 1865

The Confederate Senate rejects a proposal that would see as many as 200,000 blacks infused into the Confederate ranks.

February 27, 1865

Raids under the direction of Union General Sheridan begin against Confederate holdings across northern Virginia.

March 2, 1865

Confederate General Robert E. Lee offers peace negotiations to President Lincoln. The overture is rejected.

March 2, 1865

The Battle of Waynesboro takes place in Virginia. It is a Union victory and notable for the destruction of General Jubal Early's army. Strength includes 2,500 Union against 1,600 Confederates with casualties being 9 to 1,500, respectively.

March 4, 1865

A new national flag is approved by the Confederate Congress - the Confederate National Flag, Third Pattern. The pattern is the third of three seen during the conflict with the First Pattern showcasing a ring of stars and three stripes (red-white-red). The Second Pattern showcases the traditional Confederate flag in the upper left corner but the broad use of white space is deemed too close to a flag of surrender. Thus a new flag is commissioned as the Third Pattern.

March 10, 1865

The Battle of Monroe's Crossroads is recorded on this date. Fighting takes place near Fayetteville in North Carolina and is an inconclusive engagement.

March 13, 1865

Confederate President Jefferson Davis approves a bill that will allow slaves to 'earn' their freedom through enlistment in the Confederate ranks.

March 14, 1865

Union forces under the direction of General Sheridan take Fayatteville, North Carolina.

March 16, 1865

The Battle of Averasborough takes place in North Carolina. It is an inconclusive engagement between the forces of General Sherman and General Hardee.

March 19, 1865

The Battle of Bentonville takes place in Bentonville, North Carolina. It is a Union victory for General Sherman over General Johnston. Strength is 60,000 to 21,900 with losses reaching 1,527 to 2,606, respectively. Fighting goes into the 21st.

March 21, 1865

Confederate President Davis is alerted by General Lee that no more can be done to slow down General Sherman's Union army.

March 24, 1865

President Lincoln begins a three-week visit to General Grant at his headquarters in City Point, Virginia. Among those in attendance is General Sherman.

March 24, 1865

CSS Stonewall departs Spain en route to the American coast.

March 25, 1865

General Sheridan's cavalry raiding campaign into northern Virginia comes to a close.

March 25, 1865

Union troops are victorious at the Battle of Fort Stedman in Petersburg, Virginia. The engagement is also known as the Battle of Hare's Hill.

March 25, 1865

The Siege of Petersburg ends near Petersburg, Virginia. It is a Union victory.

March 27, 1865

The Battle of Spanish Fort (Alabama) begins.

March 28, 1865

In a meeting with top officers, President Lincoln pushes for surrender of the Confederacy under softer terms.

March 30, 1865

Confederate General Jubal Early is relieved of duty following several notable losses. General Robert E. Lee makes the final decision, citing Early's 'ability to inspire confidence' in his men going forward.

April 1, 1865

The Battle of Five Forks is fought between forces of General Sheridan and General Pickett near Petersburg, Virginia. It is a Union victory with lopsided losses for the Confederacy (2,950 Confederates to 830 Union).

April 2, 1865

The Battle of Fort Blakely begins in Baldwin County, Alabama. It is part of the Mobile Campaign and pits 45,000 Union attackers against 4,000 Confederate defenders. This battle marks the last combined-force engagement of the Civil War.

April 2, 1865

The Battle of Selma takes place in Selma, Alabama. It is a Union victory for General James Wilson and a defeat for Confederate General Nathan Forrest. Strength is 9,000 to 4,000, respectively. Confederate forces suffer mightily as some 2,700 are taken prisoner (General Forrest manages to escape capture).

April 2, 1865

Confederate President Jefferson Davis is advised by General Lee to leave Richmond, Virginia.

April 2, 1865

Confederate forces begin an evacuation of the capital of Richmond, Virginia.

April 3, 1865

Important government documents and gold reserves from the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, are relocated for safety.

April 3, 1865

Union forces claim both Petersburg and the Confederate capital city of Richmond in Virginia in a major blow to the Confederacy.

April 4, 1865

Union forces take Tuscaloosa, Alabama in the Battle of Tuscaloosa. It is captured by General John Croxton.

April 5, 1865

The Battle of Amelia Springs is deemed inconclusive.

April 5, 1865

President Lincoln tours the former Confederate capital of Richmond following its capture by Union forces.

April 6, 1865

The Battle of Sailor's Creek (or Sayler's) takes place between Union General Philip Sheridan and his 26,000-strong army against Generals Richard Ewell and John Gordon of the Confederacy. Confederate strength numbers 18,500 men. It is a Union victory in Virginia.

April 8, 1865

The Battle of Spanish Fort concludes as a Union victory.

April 8, 1865

Appomattox train station is the site of a Union capture of enemy supplies. General George Custer presides over the victory.

April 9, 1865

The Battle of Appomattox Court House takes place marking one of the final engagements of the American Civil War. The battle is a decisive Union victory and sees General Lee surrender his Army of Northern Virginia to General Grant. The Union army is made up of 150,000 soldiers against the Confederate's 28,000.

April 10, 1865

Washington, D.C. celebrates the Union victory at Appomattox Court House.

April 12, 1865

Union forces take Mobile, Alabama.

April 13, 1865

Confederate General Johnston calls for an armistice.

April 13, 1865

Raleigh, North Carolina is taken by Union forces under General Philip Sheridan.

April 13, 1865

Washington, D.C. celebrates the surrender of General Robert E. Lee.

April 13, 1865

The Union Army begins its massive draw down from wartime numbers.

April 14, 1865

The United States Flag once again flies over the walls of Fort Sumter - where the first shots of the war were fired.

April 16, 1865

The Battle of West Point takes place in West Point, Georgia. It is a Union victory for Oscar La Grange over Robert Tyler. This engagement marks the last battle to take place east of the Mississippi River.

April 18, 1865

Durham Station, North Carolina is the site of a Confederate army surrender. Union General William Sherman presides as he accepts the surrender of General Joseph Johnston and his forces.

April 20, 1865

Macon, Georgia is taken by Union forces directed by General James Wilson.

April 26, 1865

The army under Confederate General Johnston is formally surrendered to Union authorities.

April 26, 1865

After a lengthy manhunt for President Lincoln's killer, John Wilkes Booth is surrounded in a barn on rural Virginia farm (Port Royal). The barn is set ablaze and Booth is fatally shot.

April 26, 1865

The Army of Tennessee formally surrenders to Union authorities. This takes place at Greensboro, North Carolina.

May 4, 1865

Citronelle, Alabama is the site of a Confederate Army surrender to Union forces. General Richard Taylor directs the Confederates. Union General Edward Canby presides over the event.

May 4, 1865

While attempting to escape, Confederate President Jefferson Davis is taken prisoner by Northern forces near Irwinsville, Georgia.

May 10, 1865

President Andrew Johnson formally proclaims the end to the years-long war.

May 11, 1865

Chalk Bluff, Arkansas is the site of another Confederate Army surrender to Northern forces.

May 11, 1865

Tallahassee, Florida is the side of another Confederate Army surrender to Union authorities.

May 12, 1865

The last battle of the Civil War is fought at Palmetto Ranch near Brownsville (Texas). The Battle of Palmetto Ranch spans two days.

May 13, 1865

The Battle of Palmetto Ranch ends as a Confederate victory.

May 19, 1865

CSS Stonewall is handed over to the Cuban government by the Confederates.

May 19, 1865

The large Confederate prison-of-war camp at Tyler, Texas - Camp Ford - is officially closed.

May 22, 1865

Former Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, now a prisoner of the North, is relocated to Fort Monroe in Virginia.

May 23, 1865

The U.S. Army disbands the Army of the Potomac, its services no longer in need.

May 23, 1865

The Grand Review is held in Washington, D.C. by the Union Army covering a two-day span.

May 26, 1865

The last major Confederate force is surrendered to authorities of the North in Galveston, Texas. This involves Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith and his Trans-Mississippi Department. General Edward Canby presides over the event.

June 2, 1865

Confederate forces at Galveston, Texas finally surrender their positions at the port.

June 6, 1865

Amnesty is offered by the federal government to those Confederate prisoners-of-war who agree to not have fought against the Union by choice.

June 13, 1865

Presidetn Johnson rejects an amnesty plea from Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

June 22, 1865

The last shots of the American Civil War are fired on this date.

June 23, 1865

The last Confederate general surrenders to Union authorities. Colonel Asa Matthews presides over the procedure which sees General Stand Waitie surrender his Cherokee cavalry.

June 28, 1865

The last artillery shot of the war is fired, this by CSS Shenandoah, across the bow of an American whaler vessel. Eleven ships of the type are captured.

July 5, 1865

The Union prison camp at Columbus, Ohio is closed - Camp Chase.

July 18, 1865

The European Squadron is reactivated by the United States Navy. Admiral Louis Goldsborough is placed in command.

August 2, 1865

News of the war's end reaches the crew of CSS Shenandoah which then sets sail for the neutral waters of Liverpool in England. Lt James Waddell serves as her captain.

August 12, 1865

The Brazil Squadron is reactivated by the United States Navy.

August 17, 1865

Nurse Clara Barton raises the American flag over the Andersonville National Cemetery in Andersonville, Georgia. The site is near the Andersonville prisoner-of-war camp.

August 31, 1865

Washington College of Lexington, Virginia names former Confederate General Robert E. Lee as its president. The college will one day be renamed to Washington and Lee University.

September 5, 1865

Ports along the south of the United States are now all officially open for business.

November 6, 1865

CSS Shenandoah arrives in England.

November 10, 1865

The commanding officer and overseer - Major Henry Wirz - of the infamous Andersonville prison camp at Andersonville, Georgia is hanged. He is the only enemy authority to be hanged a war criminal. The event takes place in Washington.

December 4, 1865

The West India Squadron is reactivated by the United States Navy.

Civil War Military Events From 1861 to 1865

Military actions were just one part of the complicated - and long-running - American Civil War of the 1860s.