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Period: to
Civil War
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Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln is elected president in 1860. -
Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–13, 1861) was the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina, that started the American Civil War. -
Lincoln Calls for 75,000 Volunteers
Just two days after the Confederate flag flies over Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln is calling for 75,000 volunteers to form a militia -
McClellan Becomes Commander
Accepting Ohio's offer, McClellan was commissioned a major general of volunteers on April 23, 1861 -
McClellan Becomes Commander
He then commanded forces during the Rich Mountain campaign in what is now West Virginia to ensure that the portion of the state would not be fully taken by Confederates. This success, combined with the defeat of General Irvin McDowell at the battle of First Bull Run, led McClellan to become commander of the Army of the Potomac, and later General-in-Chief of all Federal armies upon the retirement of General Winfield Scott’s in November 1861. -
Secession of States
when the southerners had the last straw with Lincoln, 1w1 states seceeded.
South Caroline, December 20th, 1860, Mississippi, January 9th, 1861, Florida, January 10th, 1861, Alabama, January 11th, 1861, Georgia, January 19th, 1861, Lousiiana, January 26th, 1861, Texas, February 1st, 1861, Virginia, April 17th, 1961, Arkansas, May 6th, 1861, -
1st Manasses ( 1st Bull Run)
This was the first major land battle of the armies in Virginia. On July 16, 1861, the untried Union army under Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell marched from Washington against the Confederate army, which was drawn up behind Bull Run beyond Centreville -
Pope Becomes Commander
Following the outbreak of the Civil War, Pope was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in 1861 and was promoted to major general in 1862. After securing the Mississippi River for the Union almost as far south as Memphis, Pope attracted the admiration of President Abraham Lincoln. -
Forts Donelson & Henry
Fort Henry, along the Tennessee River, and Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland River, were two forts built to protect Tennessee and the Deep South from invasion. Unfortunately the two forts proved to be right in the way of the driving General Grant. On Feb. 6, 1862, Grant and Flag Officer Foote captured Fort Henry. -
Forts Donelson and Henry
Fort Henry, along the Tennessee River, and Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland River, were two forts built to protect Tennessee and the Deep South from invasion. Unfortunately the two forts proved to be right in the way of the driving General Grant. On Feb. 6, 1862, Grant and Flag Officer Foote captured Fort Henry. -
Merrimac vs. Monitor
The Confederate Merrimack or Merrimac was originally a wooden frigate. Federal troops fled the ship when they evacuated the Naval yard at Portsmouth, Virginia in 1861. Confederate forces raised it, and then covered the ship with iron plates. They renamed the ship Virginia, although I’ll be using Merrimack by which it is better known. -
Shiloh
Confederate forces led by General Johnston attacked Union General Grant's army at Pittsburg Landing. The Union forces were not prepared but they still managed to hold their own until the arrival of General Buell's army and other reinforcements at Pittsburg Landing. Further, the Confederates lost their leader when General Johnston was killed by a stray bullet. On the second day, April 7th, Grant launched a counterattack and the Confederates retreated to Corinth. -
Robert E. Lee Becomes Commander
In 1862, he was somewhat promoted to become the commander of the “Army of Northern Virginia,” as it was then called. While being the commander of this army, he won the significant Seven Day’s battle. Here he defended Richmond, Virginia’s capital and capital of the Confederacy, against General McClellan and his troops -
2nd Manassas ( 2nd Bull Run)
Bull Run, SECOND BATTLE OF: The second battle of Bull Run (or Manassas) was fought on Aug. 29-30, 1862. the fighting on the first day being sometimes called the battle of GROVETON. On the morning after the battle at Groveton, Pope's army was greatly reduced. It had failed to prevent the unity of Lee's army, and prudence dictated its immediate flight across Bull Run, and even to the defenses of Washington. -
Sharpsburg
On September 16, Major General George B. McClellan confronted General Robert E Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Sharpsburg, Maryland. At dawn September 17, Hooker's corps mounted a powerful assault on Lee's left flank that began the single bloodiest day in American military history. -
Burnside Becomes Commander
When Grant went east to begin his Overland Campaign in 1864, he took two men with him that he trusted to do battle with Robert E. Lee, Philip Sheridan and Ambrose Burnside. Although George Meade (the Victor at Gettysburg) was still in command of the Army of the Potomac, he had lost the confidence of the President. Grant determined he would attack Lee with two separate armies, as he did at the Battle of Chattanooga the previous year. The two separate armies were under Meade and Burnside, with Bur -
Fredricksburg
On November 14, Burnside, now in command of the Army of the Potomac, sent a corps to occupy the vicinity of Falmouth near Fredericksburg. The rest of the army soon followed. Lee reacted by entrenching his army on the heights behind the town. On December 11, Union engineers laid five pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock under fire. On the 12th, the Federal army crossed over, and on December 13, Burnside mounted a series of futile frontal assaults on Prospect Hill and Marye’s Heights that resul
