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Civil War Timeline
Civil War Timeline -
Pony Express Begins
The 'Pony Express' mail service used horseback riders in 157 Pony Express relay stations across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the Western United States to deliver messages between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts in about ten days. -
Democratic Convention in Charleston
Democratic convention in Charleston, South Carolina divided over slavery -
General Jackson Commands Harper's Ferry
Thomas Jackson is assigned to command Harpers Ferry -
Democratic Convention in Richmond
Southern delegates hold a National Democratic convention in Richmond. Party leaders urge a "wait and see" approach. -
Henry Repeating Rifle
Benjamin Henry perfects the Henry rifle which was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company, and used in considerable numbers by certain Union army units in the American Civil War. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln, who had declared "Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free..." is elected president, the first Republican, receiving 180 of 303 possible electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote. -
First Secession Convention
The convention had been called by the governor and legislature of South Carolina once Lincoln's victory was assured. Delegates were elected on December 6, 1860, and the convention convened on December 17. Its action made South Carolina the first state to secede. -
Crittenden Compromise
Pro-Union Senator John Crittenden of Kentucky proposes the Crittenden Compromise, which allowed states south of the old Missouri Compromise line to determine for themselves whether they entered the Union slave or free. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
South Carolina secedes from the Union. Followed within two months by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. -
Harriet Tubman Frees Slaves
Harriet Tubman arrives in Auburn, New York, on her last mission to free slaves, having evaded capture for 8 years on the Underground Railroad -
Mississippi Secedes from the Union
Mississippi is the second state to leave the union after South Carolina seceded 1 month prior. -
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America is formed with Jefferson Davis, a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army officer, as president. -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes President
Lincoln becomes the 16th President of the United States. He represented the Republican party. -
Fort Sumter and Beginning of Civil War
The Confederates open fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina and the Civil War begins. -
Lincoln Calls for 75,000 Militiamen
President Lincoln issues a Proclamation calling for 75,000 militiamen, and summoning a special session of Congress for July 4. -
Virginia Secedes from the Union
Virginia secedes from the Union, followed within five weeks by Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina, thus forming an eleven state Confederacy with a population of 9 million, including nearly 4 million slaves. The Union will soon have 21 states and a population of over 20 million. -
Lincoln Issues a Blockade on Southern Ports
President Lincoln issues a Proclamation of Blockade against Southern ports. For the duration of the war the blockade limits the ability of the rural South to stay well supplied in its war against the industrialized North. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
First major battle of the Civil War, fought in Prince William County, Virginia. Ended with a confederate victory and 481 casualties from the Union and 387 from the South. -
McClellan Commander of the Department of the Potomac
President Lincoln appoints George B. McClellan as Commander of the Department of the Potomac, replacing McDowell. -
McClellan Appointed as General-in-Chief
President Lincoln appoints McClellan as general-in-chief of all Union forces after the resignation of the aged Winfield Scott. Lincoln tells McClellan, "...the supreme command of the Army will entail a vast labor upon you." McClellan responds, "I can do it all." -
General War Order No. 1
President Lincoln issues General War Order No. 1 calling for all United States naval and land forces to begin a general advance by February 22, George Washington's birthday. -
Capture of Fort Donelson and Fort Henry
Victory for Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in Tennessee, capturing Fort Henry, and ten days later Fort Donelson. Grant earns the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. -
Death of Lincoln's Son
President Lincoln is struck with grief as his beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, dies from fever, probably caused by polluted drinking water in the White House. -
Merrimac and Monitor War Ships
The Confederate Ironclad 'Merrimac' sinks two wooden Union ships then battles the Union Ironclad 'Monitor' to a draw. Naval warfare is thus changed forever, making wooden ships obsolete. -
Battle of Shiloh
Confederate surprise attack on Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's unprepared troops at Shiloh on the Tennessee River results in a bitter struggle with 13,000 Union killed and wounded and 10,000 Confederates, more men than in all previous American wars combined. The president is then pressured to relieve Grant but resists. -
Capture of New Orleans
17 Union ships under the command of Flag Officer David Farragut move up the Mississippi River then take New Orleans, the South's greatest seaport. -
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines as Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's Army attacks McClellan's troops in front of Richmond and nearly defeats them. But Johnston is badly wounded. -
Second Battle of Bull Runn
75,000 Federals under Gen. John Pope are defeated by 55,000 Confederates under Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Gen. James Longstreet at the second battle of Bull Run in northern Virginia. Once again the Union Army retreats to Washington. The president then relieves Pope. -
Battle of Antietam
The bloodiest day in U.S. military history as Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Armies are stopped at Antietam in Maryland by McClellan and numerically superior Union forces. By nightfall 26,000 men are dead, wounded, or missing. Lee then withdraws to Virginia. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Army of the Potomac under Gen. Burnside suffers a costly defeat at Fredericksburg in Virginia with a loss of 12,653 men after 14 frontal assaults on well entrenched Rebels on Marye's Heights. "We might as well have tried to take hell," a Union soldier remarks. Confederate losses are 5,309. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln issues the final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in territories held by Confederates and emphasizes the enlisting of black soldiers in the Union Army. The war to preserve the Union now becomes a revolutionary struggle for the abolition of slavery. -
General Grant Command of the Army of the West
Gen. Grant is placed in command of the Army of the West, with orders to capture Vicksburg. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Union Army under Gen. Hooker is decisively defeated by Lee's much smaller forces at the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia as a result of Lee's brilliant and daring tactics. Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded by his own soldiers. Hooker retreats. Union losses are 17,000 killed, wounded and missing out of 130,000. The Confederates, 13, 000 out of 60,000. -
Stonewall Jackson's Death
The South suffers a huge blow as Stonewall Jackson dies from his wounds, his last words, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees." -
George G. Meade Commander of the Army of the Potomac
President Lincoln appoints Gen. George G. Meade as commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing Hooker. Meade is the 5th man to command the Army in less than a year. -
Battle of Vicksburg
Vicksburg, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River, surrenders to Gen. Grant and the Army of the West after a six week siege. With the Union now in control of the Mississippi, the Confederacy is effectively split in two, cut off from its western allies. -
New York City Draft Riots
Anti-draft riots in New York City include arson and the murder of blacks by poor immigrant whites. At least 120 persons, including children, are killed and $2 million in damage caused, until Union soldiers returning from Gettysburg restore order. -
Battle of Chickamauga
A decisive Confederate victory by Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee at Chickamauga leaves Gen. William S. Rosecrans' Union Army of the Cumberland trapped in Chattanooga, Tennessee under Confederate siege. -
Gettysburg Address
President Lincoln delivers a two minute Gettysburg Address at a ceremony dedicating the Battlefield as a National Cemetery. -
Battle of Chattanooga
The Rebel siege of Chattanooga ends as Union forces under Grant defeat the siege army of Gen. Braxton Bragg. During the battle, one of the most dramatic moments of the war occurs. Yelling "Chickamauga! Chickamauga!" Union troops avenge their previous defeat at Chickamauga by storming up the face of Missionary Ridge without orders and sweep the Rebels from what had been thought to be an impregnable position. -
Capture of Meridian, Mississippi
Union Capture and Occupation of Meridian, Mississippi. Union forces under William T. Sherman enter the city of Meridian, Mississippi after a successful month of campaigning through the central part of the state. The capture of this important southern town, well known for its industry and storage capabilities, severely hampers the efforts of Confederate commanders to sustain their armies in the deep south, Georgia and west of the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
A costly mistake by Grant results in 7,000 Union casualties in twenty minutes during an offensive against fortified Rebels at Cold Harbor in Virginia. -
Battle of Monocacy
In an attempt to draw Union troops away from the ongoing siege of Petersburg and Richmond, a Confederate force under Jubal Early quietly moved north into Maryland. Early had made excellent progress until he reached Frederick, Maryland, where a force of 6,000 Federal troops under General Lew Wallace, was arrayed to delay his advance. -
George B. McClellan Nominated for President
Democrats nominate George B. McClellan for president to run against Republican incumbent Abraham Lincoln. -
Atlanta, Georgia is Captured
Fall of Atlanta, Georgia. Confederate troops under General Hood evacuate the city of Atlanta. General Sherman's army occupies the city and its defenses the following day. -
Battle of Fisher's Hill
The Union Army of the Shenandoah under General Philip Sheridan attacked Jubal Early's Confederates near Fisher's Hill, overpowering the southerners and again forcing them to flee the battlefield. Union officers and officials in Washington believe this to be the final battle in the Shenandoah Valley. -
Battle of Cedar Creek
In a morning surprise attack, Jubal Early's Confederates successfully attack and drive troops of the Army of the Shenandoah from their camps on the banks of Cedar Creek south of Middletown, Virginia. Hearing the fight from his headquarters at Winchester, General Philip Sheridan rides southward, rallying dispirited troops who return to the battlefield. Despite several attempts to disrupt the Union advance in the coming weeks, the battle for control of the Shenandoah Valley is over. -
Lincoln Reelected as President
Abraham Lincoln is re-elected president, defeating Democrat George B. McClellan. Lincoln carries all but three states with 55 percent of the popular vote and 212 of 233 electoral votes. "I earnestly believe that the consequences of this day's work will be to the lasting advantage, if not the very salvation, of the country," Lincoln tells supporters. -
March to Sea Begins
After destroying Atlanta's warehouses and railroad facilities, Sherman, with 62,000 men begins a March to the Sea. President Lincoln on advice from Grant approved the idea. "I can make Georgia howl!" Sherman boasts. -
Battle of Nashville
Hood's Rebel Army of 23,000 is crushed at Nashville by 55,000 Federals including Negro troops under Gen. George H. Thomas. The Confederate Army of Tennessee ceases as an effective fighting force. -
Hampton Roads Conference
A peace conference occurs as President Lincoln meets with Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens at Hampton Roads in Virginia, but the meeting ends in failure - the war will continue. -
Lincoln Inaugurated for Second Term
President Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated for his second term as president in Washington, DC. -
Fall of Petersburg and Richmond
General Lee abandons both cities and moves his army west in hopes of joining Confederate forces under General Johnston in North Carolina. -
General Lee Surrenders
Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate Army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Grant allows Rebel officers to keep their sidearms and permits soldiers to keep horses and mules. -
President Lincoln is Shot
The Stars and Stripes is ceremoniously raised over Fort Sumter. That night, Lincoln and his wife Mary see the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater. At 10:13 p.m., during the third act of the play, John Wilkes Booth shoots the president in the head. Doctors attend to the president in the theater then move him to a house across the street. He never regains consciousness. -
President Lincoln Dies
President Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 in the morning from gunshot wounds. Vice President Andrew Johnson assumes the presidency. -
John Wilkes Booth Dies
John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed in a tobacco barn in Virginia. -
Jefferson Davis is Captured
Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia. -
Battle of Palmito Ranch
The final battle of the Civil War takes place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate victory. -
13th Amendment is Passed by Congress
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, is finally ratified. Slavery is abolished. -
Andrew Johnson Vetoes Civil Rights Bill
US President Andrew Johnson vetoes civil rights bill; it later becomes 14th amendment. -
Equal Rights in US
US Congress rejects presidential veto giving all equal rights in US -
American Equal Rights Association
The American Equal Rights Association was formed in the US. According to its constitution, its purpose was "to secure Equal Rights to all American citizens, especially the right of suffrage, irrespective of race, color or sex." -
14th Amendment Passed
US House of representatives passes 14th Amendment (Civil rights) -
Tennessee Ratifies 14th Amendment
Tennessee is 1st to ratify 14th Amendment to the US constitution, guaranteeing civil rights -
Tennessee is Readmitted to the Union
Tennessee becomes 1st Confederate state readmitted to Union -
Farragut Admiral of Navy and Grant General of Army
David Farragut is appointed as 1st Admiral of the Navy and Ulysses S. Grant is named the first General of the Army -
First Transatlantic Telegraph Cables
Atlantic telegraph cable successfully laid (1,686 miles long) -
Formal End to Civil War
President Andrew Johnson formally declares US Civil War over -
1st African American Delegate
Frederick Douglass is 1st US black delegate to a national convention -
14th Amendment Ratified by West Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota
The 14th Amendment grants equal treatment to all citizens of the U.S. It was ratified by numerous states and declared in 1868 -
Nebraska Becomes a State
Nebraska was the 37th state admitted to the union and had the capital moved from Omaha to the center at Lancaster. -
Tenure of Office Act
Congress passes the Tenure of Office Act, denying the right of the President to remove officials who had been appointed with the consent of Congress. -
Virginia Reject Negro Votes
Alexandria, Virginia rejects thousand of votes cast by Negroes, who were granted universal suffrage under the Reconstruction Act. -
Philip Sheridan Command of the 5th Military District
General Philip Sheridan assumes command of the 5th Military district encompassing Louisiana and Texas. He designates New Orleans as his headquarters. -
Purchase of Alaska
The United States reached an agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for a price of $7.2 million. The Treaty with Russia was negotiated and signed by Secretary of State William Seward and Russian Minister to the United States Edouard de Stoeckl. -
South Admitted Back into Union
Congress passes a bill admitting Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina into the Union. Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas, having refused to ratify the fourteenth amendment, were refused admission into the Union -
Johnson Demands Resignation of Stanton
President Andrew Johnson demands the resignation of Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War. -
US Annexes Midways Island
Reported and claimed for the United States in 1859 by Captain N.C. Brooks, the atoll was first called Middlebrooks and then Brooks. The name Midway dates from the islands’ formal annexation by the United States in 1867. -
Medicine Lodge Treaty
Near Medicine Lodge Creek, Kansas, a landmark treaty is signed by southern Great Plains Indian leaders. The treaty requires Native American Plains tribes to relocate to a reservation in western Oklahoma.
