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Abraham Lincoln is elected President
Abraham Lincoln is elected as the 16th president of the United States and the first elected Republican president. As the first Republican President his party openly opposes the spread of slavery in the United States -
The First Secession Convention Meets in South Carolina
The first secession convention is held in South Carolina, three days later, South Carolina secedes from the Union. -
Six More States Secede From the Union
Following South Carolina, six more states secede from the Union. On February 8/9, these states, along with South Carolina, form the Confederate States of America in Mongomery, Alabama. On February 18, Jefferson Davis is appointed as the first president of the confederacy. -
Southern Forces Fire Upon Fort Sumpter, South Carolina
Southern forces fire upon Fort Sumpter, South Carolina, one month and 8 days after Abraham Lincoln's inauguration, officially starting the civil war. In response, Lincoln issues a public declaration that an insurrection exists and calls for 75,000 militia to stop the rebellion, triggering 4 more states to secede. -
Battle of Bull Run
Fought near Manassas, Virginia, the Union Army under General Irwin McDowell succeeds in driving back Confederate forces under General Pierre Gustav Toutant Beauregard, but more troops under General Joseph E. Johnston cause events that send McDowell's army in a retreat to the defenses of Washington. This is the battle that earned Thomas Johnathan Jackson the nickname Stonewall Jackson. -
The Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri
The Union Army led by General Nathaniel Lyon, attacks the Confederate troops and state militia southwest of Springfield, Missouri, after the death of Lyon and their defeat they are forced to retreat. The Confederate victory emphasizes the strong southern presence west of the Mississippi River. -
Surrender of Fort Donelson, Tennessee
The primary southern fort on the Cumberland River surrendered the river to the Union. This was when Union General Ulysses S. Grant gained his nickname "Unconditional Surrender". -
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge in Elkhorn Tavern, Arkansas. The Union victory loosened Confederate hold on Missouri and damaged southern control of some of the Mississippi River. -
The Battle of Shiloh
At Pittsburgh Landing, The Battle of Shiloh was the first major battle in Tennessee. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston was killed on the first day of fighting. The Union victory further secured the career and fame of Union General Ulysses S. Grant. -
The Battle of Seven Pines
Held near Richmond, Virginia, The Battle of Seven Pines saw General Joseph Johnston, commander of the Confederate army in Virginia, wounded and replaced by Robert E. Lee who renamed the troops the "Army of Northern Virginia". -
Battle of Memphis, Tennessee
A Union flotilla under the command of Commodore Charles Davis defeats a Confederate river force on the Mississippi River and Memphis surrenders. The Mississippi River is now in Union control except for its course west of Mississippi where the city of Vicksburg stands as the last southern confederate base on the river. -
The Second Battle of Bull Run
Fought on the same ground as the Battle of Bull Run a year before, the Union army was defeated again and sent retreating back to Washington. Both battles resulted in Union defeat. -
The Battle of Antietam, Maryland
The single bloodiest day of the Civil War ends General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North. After the Union victory, President Lincoln introduced the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed every slave in the Confederate States. -
The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The bloodiest battle of the Civil War, which resulted in the end of General Robert E. Lee's hopes of a successful invasion of the North. -
The Battle for Chattanooga
Union forces break the Confederate siege of the city in successive attacks, the storming of Lookout Mountain on November 24 and Battle of Missionary Ridge the following day. The Union victory sends the Confederate Army retreating into Georgia where General Bragg reorganizes his forces before resigning from command. -
Union Capture/Occupation of Meridian, Mississippi
Union forces under William T. Sherman enter the city of Meridian, Mississippi after a successful monthlong campaign through central Mississippi. The capture of this important southern town, especially its industrial and storage capabilities, severely hurts the efforts of the Confederacy to maintain its armies in the deep south, Georgia, and west of the Mississippi River. -
Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia
The opening battle of the "Wilderness Campaign", General Ulysses S. Grant, accompanying the Army of the Potomac under General Meade, ordered the campaign to begin on May 3. General Lee retaliated by attacking the Union forces in the dense woods and underbrush in an area west of Fredericksburg, Virginia known as the Wilderness, -
Assault on Petersburg, Virginia
After removing troops from the lines at Cold Harbor, the Army of the Potomac crossed the James River along with troops from the Army of the James. They attacked the outer defenses of Petersburg, which was the primary junction for several southern railroads. After four days of bloody attacks, Grant decides that only a siege can effectively isolate the city and cut off Confederate supplies to Richmond. -
Battle of Monocacy, Maryland.
In an attempt to draw Union troops away from the ongoing siege of Petersburg and Richmond, confederate forces led by Jubal Early moved north into Maryland. Early made progress until he reached Frederick, Maryland, where a force of 6,000 Federal troops under General Lew Wallace, delayed his advance. The battle was a Union defeat, but it succeeded in holding back Early's march until troops could be sent to the capital's defense. -
The Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia.
In a surprise attack, Jubal Early's Confederate troops successfully attack and drive troops of the Army of the Shenandoah from their camps on the banks of Cedar Creek south of Middletown, Virginia. General Philip Sheridan rides southward, rallying dispirited troops who return to the battlefield. By the end of the day, Early's forces are retreating. Despite several attempts to stop the Union advance in the coming weeks, the battle for control of the Shenandoah Valley has ended. -
Battle of Appomattox Court House and Surrender
After a failed attempt to break through Union forces, General Lee seeks an audience with General Grant to discuss terms of surrender. That afternoon, Lee signs the document of surrender. On April 12, the Army of Northern Virginia formally surrenders and is disbanded. This marks the end of the Civil War
