The Civil War years 1860-1860

By caycemc_27

  • South Carolina is the first to secede

    The state of South Carolina is the first to secede from the Union.

  • The Confederate Constitution signed

    The Constitution of the Confederate States of America is signed in Montgomery, Alabama. At this point 6 other states had suceded.

  • The War Begins

  • Battle of Bull Run

    The First Battle of Bull Run pits Union General Irvin McDowell against the new Confederate army. McDowell is defeated causing a panicked retreat back to Washington, which is about forty miles away. The withdrawal is hampered by the large numbers of spectators who are there to see the battle.

  • Merrimack VS. Monitor

    The Confederate ironclad USS Merrimack battles the Union ironclad USS Monitor in Chesapeake Bay. The battle is a draw but it makes wooden ships obsolete and ushers in the era of steel warships, changing naval warfare forever.

  • Battle of Shiloh

    Union General Ulysses S. Grant's forces are surprised at the town of Shiloh in Tennessee. The ensuing battle results in 13,000 Union and 10,000 Confederate casualties, more than in all previous American wars combined.

  • Robert E. Lee Assumes Command

    General Robert E. Lee assumes command of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

  • The Seven Days

    Over the course of seven days of fighting, General Robert E. Lee attacks George McClellan's Union Army of the Potomac near Richmond, Virginia. Huge casualties cause McClellan to withdraw north towards Washington

  • Second Battle of Bull Run

    The Second Battle of Bull Run is a resounding victory for Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. Union General John Pope is blamed for the loss and is relieved of his duties after the battle.

  • Antietam

    The Battle of Antietam is the bloodiest day in United States history. Over 26,000 men are killed, wounded or missing in action on both sides. Though officially a draw, the battle stops General Robert E. Lee's invasion of Maryland and he retreats back to Virginia.

  • Fredricksburg

    The Union Army under General Ambrose E. Burnside suffers a horrible defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia. Fourteen individual assaults on an entrenched Confederate position cost the Union 13,000 casualties.