Civil War Union Events
The Union military became the bare thread that was called by President Lincoln to hold a nation together.
There are a total of (947) Civil War Union Events events in the CivilWarTimeline.net database. Entries are listed below by date-of-occurrence ascending (first-to-last). Other leading and trailing events are also included for perspective.
December 26, 1860
U.S. Major Robert Anderson evacuates Fort Moultrie and his garrison relocates to Fort Sumter.
January 1, 1861
Based in San Francisco, the Department of the Pacific is created for the U.S. Army.
January 3, 1861
Delaware votes to remain in the Union despite its position as a slave state.
January 4, 1861
President James Buchanan, in light of the impending war between North and South, calls for a Day of Special Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer.
January 6, 1861
New York mayor, Fernando Wood, calls for New York city to secede from the Union in an effort to remain neutral for the upcoming conflict.
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.
January 29, 1861
Kansas is officially brought into the Union holding non-slave state status.
January 29, 1861
John Dix, the acting United States Secretary of the Treasury, orders authorities in New Orleans to shoot anyone attempting to bring down the American flag.
February 4, 1861
In an effort to settle the issue of slavery, representatives of some twenty-one states meet in Washington, D.C. to form the Washington Peace Conference. The conference runs until February 27th.
February 11, 1861
President-elect Abraham Lincoln departs Springfield, Illinois.
February 21, 1861
President-elect Abraham Lincoln makes a stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is made aware of an assassination plot against his life. In response a special train journey is arranged for him to Washington, D.C.
February 23, 1861
Abraham Lincoln, President-elect of the United States, has his inaugural photograph taken at Matthew Brady's studio.
March 2, 1861
Tennessee state senator Andrew Johnson makes the declaration that any who opposed the Union would be hanged if he were President. Johnson will one day lead the nation as its 17th President.
March 4, 1861
Abraham Lincoln is officially inaugurated as the next President of the United States, succeeding James Buchanan.
March 5, 1861
Three Confederate representatives arrive in Washington, D.C. but their status is not acknowledged by Secretary of State William Seward.
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 calls for a special session of Congress to discuss the growing rebellion in the south.
April 15, 1861
President Lincoln pushes for 75,000 soldiers who will each serve three-month tenures.
April 16, 1861
With the stroke of a pen, President Lincoln abolishes the practice of slavery in Washington, D.C.
April 16, 1861
President Lincoln calls on all states in the Union to cease doing business with those southern states that have moved to secede.
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 18, 1861
Robert E. Lee declines an offer by President Lincoln to command the United States Army.
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
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 20, 1861
A resolution is passed in Union Square (New York) calling for citizens to band together and help save the nation from destruction.
April 20, 1861
Telegraphs are confiscated by the United States government to help identify those that would cause harm to the Union.
April 20, 1861
American citizens are arrested throughout Baltimore, Boston and New York without due process - brought about by warrants issued under the name of the United States Secretary of State.
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
The United States government moves in to take over the now-vacated estate of Robert E. Lee, known as "Arlington House". The estate sat on the Potomac River.
April 22, 1861
Lieutenant Joseph Wheeler, an officer in the United States Army, resigns his position to join the ranks of the south.
April 24, 1861
USS Niagra, having arrived from Japan, is dispatched to the Charleston Harbor (South Carolina) area near Fort Sumter.
April 27, 1861
President Lincoln adds east coast ports in Virginia and North Carolina to the existing naval blockade action of the South.
April 29, 1861
The state of Maryland votes to remain in the Union.
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 6, 1861
Arkansas becomes the latest state to secede from the Union.
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 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 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 8, 1861
The state of Tennessee formally secedes from the Union.
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 11, 1861
Union loyalists in Western Virginia arrange their own local government. The work lasts through June 19th.
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
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 2, 1861
President Lincoln suspends "writ of habeas corpus" in unique circumstances - the writ allowing a person the right to report an unlawful detention or imprisonment before a court.
July 11, 1861
Union forces are victorious over Condeferate elements at Rich Mountain in West Virginia.
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 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
The United States Congress pushes through a resolution that declares the raging war to be about the preservation of the Union and not the ending of slavery.
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
Having assumed his new post near Washington, D.C., Union General George McClellan arranges the Army of the Potomac.
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 5, 1861
The federal government issues the first-ever income tax to help finance the Union war effort.
August 6, 1861
The Second Confiscation Act is passed by the United States Congress. Details include forfeiting of slaves should one be caught aiding the Confederate war effort.
August 6, 1861
Having completed much-needed work, the United States Congress ends its special session.
August 7, 1861
Colonel Ulysses S. Grant is named Brigadier General in command of volunteer forces at Cairo, Illinois.
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 23, 1861
House arrest is the verdict handed to Rose O'Neal Greenhow. She was accused of spying for Confederate forces.
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 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
President Lincoln turns down a request by Chicago-area group to issue an emancipation proclamation. The president is convinced the action would sway border states to the Confederate cause.
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.
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 2, 1861
To avoid arrest as a traitor, United States Senator John C. Breckinridge escapes Kentucky to join the Confederate cause.
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.
October 24, 1861
Tennessean William Brownlow releases the final edition of the newspaper "Knoxville Whig" which has stood in support of anti-secession.
October 31, 1861
The "Rebel Legislature" of Missouri votes to secede from the Union.
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 18, 1861
At Russellville, Kentucky, some authorities gather to vote for independence. George Johnson is named its new governor.
November 18, 1861
Author and poet Julia Ward Howe witnesses a review of Union troops outside of Washington, D.C. inspiring her to produce a new work.
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 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 26, 1861
To avoid war with Britain, Confederate-aligned commissioners captured two months earlier on the British ship "Trent" are released.
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
The Confederate commissioners captured on the British steamer Trent continue their voyage to Europe - ending the "Trent Affair".
January 1, 1862
Union General John Schofield pens a letter to his soldiers to refrain from destruction, plunder and theft of civilian property.
January 8, 1862
Both forces meet through cavalry clashes in Charleston, Missouri.
January 9, 1862
The New Orleans Campaign begins.
January 9, 1862
David G. Farragut, a Union Flag Officer, is given command of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron.
January 11, 1862
Edwin M. Stanton is named the new Secretary of War by President Lincoln.
January 12, 1862
Confederate Navy forces attempt to unseat Union ships at New Orleans.
January 14, 1862
"Battle Hymn of the Republic" is published for the first time, this in the New York Herald Tribune.
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 20, 1862
The first ironclad is named USS Monitor by its designer John Ericcson.
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 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
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 6, 1862
Fort Henry, along the Tennessee River in Tennessee, falls to forces under the combine efforts of land and naval forces under the direction of General Grant. He then turns his attention eastward towards enemy-held Fort Donelson along the Cumberland 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).
February 20, 1862
Willie Lincoln, son of the President of the United States, succumbs to fever at the age of eleven.
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 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
USS Monitor departs New York waters.
March 6, 1862
To assuage Union border states, President Lincoln pushes for compensation to slave owners who end up losing their slaves.
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 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 10, 1862
Confederate General Joseph Johnson pulls his forces out of Manassas, wary of the threat posed by General McClellan's forces in the area.
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 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
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 26, 1862
The Battle of Glorieta Pass is fought between 1,300 Union troops and 1,100 Confederates. The engagement is a two-day affair spanning from March 26th until March 28th and leads to a Union Victory in northern New Mexico Territory.
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 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
Following the abolition of slavery in Washington, D.C., Congress pushes through a measure to compensate former slave owners in the D.C. area.
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 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 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, 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 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 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 20, 1862
The Homestead Act is signed into law by President Lincoln. This is arranged to encourage western migration for settlers and offered to those who have not gone against the Union.
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 24, 1862
A portable telegraph system is used operationally for the first time by Union 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
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 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 19, 1862
Per the United States Congress, slavery is now banned in Federal territories.
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 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 15, 1862
Confederate warship CSS Arkansas engages Union ships north of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
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
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 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 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
Ewell's division is ordered to Bristoe Station by Stonewall Jackson to delay Pope's arriving troops.
August 27, 1862
Stonewall Jackson captures a major Union supply depot at Manassas Junction.
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
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 4, 1862
Near Leesburg, Virginia, the Army of Northern Virginia begins its crossing along the Potomac River.
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 20, 1862
Union forces attempt to take General Lee's army at Blackford's Ford after crossing the Potomac but are driven back.
September 22, 1862
President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation is set to take effect on January 1st, 1863. The proclamation covers only those slaves in Confederate-governed states but excludes those border states supporting the Union.
September 23, 1862
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation is published across newspapers in the North.
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 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 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 5, 1862
Union naval forces claim Galveston, Texas.
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 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
CSS Cotton and shoreline guns at Berwick Bay, Louisiana, drive away Union naval forces.
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 21, 1862
Union General Edwin Sumner calls for Confederate forces to surrender Fredricksburg.
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 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 1, 1862
Abraham Lincoln addresses the U.S. Congress. In his speech, he declares openness to allowing freed slaves the option to resettle in other countries.
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 7, 1862
CSS Alabama is forced to release a captured steamer carrying 640 persons, including 140 Union troops, as it lacks the facilities to take them on.
December 10, 1862
Dumbries, Virginia is raided by Confederate cavalry attached to General Wade Hampton's forces.
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 12, 1862
USS Cairo is sunk by an electrically-detonated Confederate naval mine. The action takes place at Yazoo River near Haines Bluff, Mississippi.
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 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 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
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect. The proclamation does not cover those slaves residing in states within the Union itself.
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 29, 1863
A Confederate supply ship, Princess Royal, is intercepted by Union naval forces near Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
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
The U.S. government passes a resolution opposing foreign intervention in the bloody American conflict.
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 6, 1863
Detroit, Michigan is the scene of anti-black rioting.
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 New Jersey government calls for the U.S. to seek a peace with the Confederacy.
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 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 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 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
President Lincoln calls for a day of "Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer" amidst the growing, bloody years-long conflict between the North and South.
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 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 5, 1863
With vocal and public opposition to to Lincoln's war, Congressman Clement Vallandigham (Ohio) is arrested.
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 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 19, 1863
Vocal war critic (and now disgraced U.S. Congressman) Clement Vallandigham is banished to the South by President Lincoln.
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.
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 9, 1863
Confederate cavalry forces are victorious at Brandy Station, Virginia.
June 12, 1863
Confederate navy elements begin a period of raids against Union shipping along the American East Coast.
June 14, 1863
Winchester, Virginia falls to Confederate Cavalry under the command of General Richard Ewell.
June 17, 1863
CSS Atlanta is captured by Union warships at Wassaw Sound, Georgia.
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 24, 1863
Confederate navy forces conclude their raids against Union shipping targets along the northeast American coast.
June 24, 1863
Liberty Gap and Hoover Gap near Murfressboro, Tennessee are claimed by Union forces.
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
Union forces capture Confederate navy elements off the coast of Portland, Maine.
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.
