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Civil War Timeline
Civil War Timeline -
The Constitutional Union Party Meets in Baltimore
On this day, the Constitutional Union Party meet in Baltimore to select presidential candidates. This was a platform taken from the Consitution. The members selected John Bell of Tennessee for President and Edward Everett of Massachusetts. They represented people of the American Party, -
The Democratic National Convention
In Charleston, South Carolina, the Democratic National Convention was held. The convention ended in deadlock without picking candidates. They decide to debate again the following month. -
The Republican Convention
On this day, the Republican Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois. The three leading candidates were Seward, Chase, and Lincoln. Lincoln won on the third presidential ballot and Hamlin was chosen for vice-president. -
National Democratic Convention in Richmond
The Southern delegates met in Richmond for a National Democratic Convention. The delegates discussed strategies and different topics. They decided to wait and see what happens before making any big decisions. -
Democrats Reconvene in Baltimore
The Democrats reconvened in Baltimore in order to select a nominee after their previous attempt failed. Douglas could not make the necessary 2/3 majority unless the anti-Douglas delegates left. Once they did leave, the Convention nominated Douglas and Johnson. -
Lincoln Wins the Election
Republican Lincoln won the election with close to forty percent of the vote. He defeated Douglas, Breckinridge, and Bell. -
South Carolina Secessionist Convention
The members of the South Carolina Secessionist Convention were called to order on this day. The members unanimously decided to secede and appointed people to get together the necessary dpcuments. This lead to the secession a few days later. -
Crittenden's Compromise
Senator John Crittenden of Kentucky proposed a plan that allowed states south of the Missouri Compromise line to enter the Union as slave or free states. This plan hoped to resolve the secession crisis on the South. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. South Carolina was also one of the founding states of the Confederacy. -
John Floyd Resigns
On this day, John Floyd resigned as the Secretary of War. He was indicted for conspiracy and fraud. It was believed that he gave funds and guns to people in the South. Neither charges were fully investigated. -
Mississippi Secedes From the Union
Following South Carolina's lead, Mississippi is the second state to secede. A Declaration of Immediate Causes justified the state's seccesion. -
Florida Secedes from the Union
Florida was the third state to secede. Florida chose to keep their statement about the secession private. -
Alabama Secedes from the Union
Alabama was the fourth state to secede.The state passed the Ordinance of Secession a few days after the other states. -
Georgia Secedes from the Union
Georgia was the fifth state to secede. The decision to secede was almost evenly split between those who wanted to secede immediately and those who opposed. The Declaration made it clear that the main reason for secession was to defend slavery. -
Louisiana Secedes from the Union
Louisiana is the sixth state to secede. The vote was one hundred and thirteen in favor of secession and seventeen against. Immediately after, the American flag was lowered and replaced with a new flag portraying the image on the state seal. -
Texas Secedes from the Union
Texas is the seventh state to secede. Texas adopted an Ordinance of Secession and issued a Declaration stating their reasons for secession, which included its solidarity with their sister slave states and displeasure with the way the government treated Texas. -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes President
Lincoln becomes the sixteenth President of the United States. He represented the Republican party. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was an island fortification in Charleston, South Carolina. After a 33 hour bombardment by Confederate cannons, Union forces surrender. The first engagement of the Civil War ends in the Confederacy's favor -
Virginia Secedes from the Union
Virginia is the eighth state to secede. Richmond, Virginia went on to become the capital of the Confederacy and a very important place during the Civil War. -
Arkansas Secedes from the Union
Arkansas became the ninth state to secede from the Union. At first, Arkansas voted against secession but chose to become part of the Confederacy after Lincoln called for the Union states to put down the rebellion. -
North Carolina Secedes from the Union
North Carolina became the tenth state to secede. Although it was one of the last states to secede, North Carolina was a crucial source of soldiers, supplies, and materials. -
Tennessee Secedes from the Union
Tennessee became the eleventh and final state to join the Confederacy. At first, East Tennessee was completely against separation, but West Tennessee was extremely for it. The deciding vote came from Middle Tennessee. which completely changed the votes. -
Lincoln Orders Armies to Advance
President Lincoln issued General War Order No. 1. This ordered all land and sea forces to advance and sent a message to commanders to stop the excuses and delays in seizing Confederate forces. -
Battle of Fort Henry
Ulysses S. Grant carried out an attack on Fort Henry, a lightly defended Confederate fort in Tennesee. This attack was an effort to gain control of rivers and supply lines west of the Appalachians. Grant and his troops won and took control of the fort. -
Battle of Fort Donelson
After the capture of Fort Henry, Grant led his troops and initiated the attack of Fort Donelson, a Confederate fort on the Cumberland River. Grant and his troops surrounded the fort and the Confederates surrendered three days later. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Confederate Army initiated a surprise attack on Union forces in Tennessee. Confederates were unable to keep their positions, despite initial success, which ended in a Union victory. There were more than 23,000 casualties between both sides. -
Union Captures New Orleans
Under the command of David Farragut, 17 Union Ships, move up the Mississippi and take over New Orleans. The capture of this South's greatest seaport was a huge advantage for the North. -
Battle of Seven Pines
Confederate General Johnston attacked Union General McClellan's troops near Richmond. The battle was inconclusive, but Johnston was wounded in the battle. -
Robert E. Lee Takes Command
After General Johnston was wounded in the Battle of Seven Pines, Robert E. Lee replaces him. Lee renames the force to the Army of Northern Virginia, but McClellan is not intimidated. -
The Seven Days Battle
The Seven Days battle consisted of six different battles in Virginia, east of Richmond. Although Lee had less men and lost more men than McClellan, he still forced McClellan to retreat. This resulted in a Confederate victory. -
Battle of Antietam
After a success at the 2nd Battle at Bull Run, it was Lee's turn to move against the Union's capital. The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day battle, ending with more than 26,000 casualties. It was considered a Union victory. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Ambrose Burnside, the newly appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac, ordered his troops to cross the Rappahannock River. His troops made an attack on Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in Fredericksburg, VA. The Confederates won the battle, which boosted morale. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and declared that " all persons held as slaves, within the rebellious states, are, and henceforward shall be free." This proclamation was limited because it only applied to rebel states and the freedom of all slaved depended on a Union victory. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
At the Battle of Chancellorsville, Lee's army was outnumbered by Hooker's but still managed to defeat them. Robert E. Lee faced the Union forces, who were nearly twice the size of his own. General Lee split his troops into two and surprised General Hooker. The Union army fell back but Lee split up his troops again and forced the Union to retreat. Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded and there were more than 30,000 casualties, but this is considered to be Lee's greatest victory. -
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Dies
After being accidentally shot during the Battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson died of pneumonia. Stonewall Jackson was one of the greatest generals of the Civil War and terrorized the Union by his bold marches. The South suffered a huge loss after Jackson died. -
West Virginia Enters the Union
When Virginia voted to secede from the Union after the outbreak of the civil war, most of West Virginians opposed the secession. Clearly, Virginia was split and Lincoln proclaimed the admission of West Virginia into the Union on this day. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was a three-day engagement. Both sides met by chance and ended with a Union victory. This outcome stopped Lee's invasion of the North and boosted Union morale. The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the Civil War. -
Vicksburg Is Surrendered to Grant
After a six-week siege, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi was surrendered to the Union. Grant arrived and conquered small battles in Mississipi and knew that he had to secure the Confederate stronghold. Vicksburg was an important area where guns could be placed above to control river traffic. The troops were extremely short on supplies and surrender. One week later, the Union was in control of the Mississippi. -
Battle of Chickamauga
At the Battle of Chickamauga, Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee defeated William Rosecrans and his Union forces. The Confederates were pushed out of Chattanooga by Rosecrans and Braggs called for reinforcements. He launched a counterattack and forced Rosecrans to give way. There were heavy losses on both sides, but the Union forces were defeated. -
Gettysburg Address
After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln delivered his famous speech to consecrate the battlefield in an attempt to unify the nation. In his speech, Lincoln talked about human equality mentioned in the Declaration of Independence and importance of preserving the Union. -
Battle of Chattanooga
After the loss at Chickamauga, Grant sent General Thomas to explore the center of the Confederate line. The attack took place in three parts. This Confederate center was turned into a major Union victory and ended with the retreating of Confederate troops. -
Lincoln Issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
President Lincoln issued Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction with hopes to reunify the nation. It allowed full pardon for all engaged in the rebellion, except for the highest Confederate officers and leaders. New state governments were allowed to be formed when ten percent of the eligible voters took an oath of allegiance to the United States. Finally, Southern states admitted in this fashion were encouraged to decide what to do with freed slaves, allowing them to keep their freedom. -
Andersonville Created
Andersonville was the Confederacy's largest prison camp for captured Union soldiers. Located in Georgia and run by Commander Wirz, this camp was known for its extremely unhealthy conditions and high death rate. There were about 33,000 men stuck on twenty-six acres of land. There were more than 13,000 deaths here, most caused by malnourishment and disease. -
Fort Pillow Massacre
The Confederate Cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest attacked the Union forces at Fort Pillow. Fort Pillow was located on the Mississippi River and among those were African American troops. More than three-hundred African Americans were killed in anger after Forrest surrendered to the Union forces. -
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the WIlderness was seen at the first stage of a major Union move toward the Confederate capital. The move toward Richmond was ordered by Grant. General Lee responded with an attack in the dense woods of an area known as Wilderness, Virginia. Despite the attack from the South, Union offensive continued. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
After Confederate forces met with the advancing Union Army, the Union forces tried to break the Confederate line, but the Confederates managed to hold their ground. The battle resulted in more than 29,000 deaths and included twenty hours of brutal combat. Grant disengaged his troops and continued to move south toward Richmond. Lee and his Confederate forces were able to stall Grant and his army. -
Battle of the Crater
Union forces dug an underground mine shaft below a Confederate fort, hoping to force the Confederates out and blow a big enough hole to aid in an attack. The charge went poorly and Confederate counterattacks drove out the Union troops and the seige lines that rhe Confedeacy had been using remained unchaned. -
Battle of Mobile Bay
Union Admiral David Farragut led his fleet into Mobile Bay, a bay in Alabama defended by two forts and a southern flotilla. Union forces were able to defeat the Confederate ships. They bypassed the forts and successfully captured one of the last major Southern ports. -
Battle of Cedar Creek
To end the Valley Campaigns of 1864, Confederate General Early launched a surprise attack against the Union army of General Sheridan. The Union forces were encamped on the banks of Cedar Creek, which was in Virginia. Sheridan's army went South and rallied reinforcements to return to battle. The Union's counterattack ended Early's route and the Union prevented the Confederacy from threatening through the Shenandoah Valley and protecting its important economic bases in Virginia. -
Lincoln Reelected
Although Lincoln was convinced that he would lose, he was reelected. He promised immediate armistice and harsh retribution for Southern states, but his opponent, George McClellan, promised a treaty with the Confederacy. Lincoln faced a lot of criticism from the Democrats and radical Republicans, but he ends up succeeding with 55% of the popular vote. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Union General William T. Sherman led 60,000 soldiers on a march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. This was a 285-mile trek and the purpose was to scare the people of Georgia into abandoning the Confederate beliefs. The Union soldiers stole and destroyed things of those who tried to fight back. This left a wide path of destruction and continued his destructive path until reaching North Carolina. -
Battle of Franklin, Tennessee
Confederate General Hood's army of Tennessee had many attacks against fortified positions that the North occupied. On this day, the massive assault on the entrenched Federal line lead to disaster for the Confederate forces. More than 2,326 men died from both sides and the Army of Tennesse lost many generals. The victorious Union troops retreat towards Nashville. -
Capture of Fort Fisher
After Lincoln ordered a blockade of Southern ports in 1861, Rebel engineers constructed Fort Fisher in North Carolina with timber and sand. This was the Confederacy's most important blockade-running port and was captured by the Union. -
Sherman Captures Columbia
After Sherman and his army plowed through Georgia, they headed north to further destroy the Confederacy. South Carolina was the first state to secede and was seen as the symbol of rebellion. Sherman's soldiers were able to capture the Confederate fort and left the city in charred remains. -
Wilmington Falls to Union Troops
After the fall of Fort Fisher, Confederate troops combined and feared the Union forces advancing. The Union forces attacked, closing the last important Southern port on the East Coast. -
Battle of Fort Stedman
General Lee and his Confederate forces desperately attempted to break out of Petersburg, Virginia and made Fort Stedman his last attack. His attempt to capture the fort failed and Confederates were thrown out. This was known as Lee's last offense. -
The Battle of Five Forks
The battle started when Grant's Union forces collapsed Lee's lines around Petersberg. The Confederates suffered many casualties and ended in Union victory. The Union was now in control of a vital intersection. This victory forced Lee's forces to retreat and eventualluy lead to the surrender a week later at Appomattox. -
Battle of Sailor's Creek
Soon after Lee's retreat from Petersburg, three separate corps of Lee's army were cut off by Sheridan's near Sailor's Creek. With almost one-third of Lee's army cornered along the banks, the Union forces were able to take down Lee's troops. -
Lee Surrenders
While Davis abandoned Richmond and burned it so the Union could not capture it, Lee and Grant met at Appomattox Court House. The two drew terms of surrender with the generous terms offered to Lee at Lincoln's request. All remaining resistance stopped within a month. -
Lincoln is Assassinated
While attending a show at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., Lincoln is assassinated. The assassinator was John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate supporter. The attack was five days after Lee's surrender. This was devastating and forced the nation to mourn his death. -
Battle of Palmito Ranch
The Battle of Palmito Ranch is considered to be the final battle of the Civil War. It was fought in Texas and was considered a rebel victory. -
The End of the Civil War
The surrender terms were signed by Smith, which meant the last Confederate army was done fighting. This officially ended the Civil War, the bloodiest four years in U.S history. -
A New Freedmen's Bureau Bill
In 1865, the Lincoln administration created the Freedmen's Bill. It aided former slaves by giving them food, housing, education, healthcare, and employment contracts. In 1866, President Jackson vetoed the bill. Another Freedmen's Burea Bill was passed -
Johnson Vetos the Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act defined all people born in the United States as citizens and gave everyone their civil rights. Johnson vetoed this because he believed it was unconstitutional and questioned the federal government's limited rights. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This act gave everyone in the United States civil rights and liberties. This was the first federal law to describe citizenship and give everyone equal protection by the law. It was intended to protect the rights of Africans in the United States in the wake of the Civil War. -
Ratification of the 14th Amendment
On this day, Connetticut becamew the first state to ratify the 14th amendment. Within the next year, New Hampshire, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Vermont would follows the lead and ratify the amendment too. -
General of the Army
A General of the Army is the second highest possible rank. When Congress established this rank, Grant was promoted to a four stat general and then put into this position. -
14th Amendment Adopted
The 14th Amendment was ratified by three-quarters of the states and later adopted on this day. This amendment guaranteed African American citizenship. -
Secret Service Investigates the Ku Kulx Klan
After the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan was created to victimize newly freed slaves and encouraged whit southern resistance. The KKK extended into every southern state by 1870. On this day, the Secret Service began investigating the Ku Klux Klan in order to stop the violence. -
Proclamation 157
On this day, President Johnson declared peace, order, tranquility, and civil authority throughout the United States. This meant there was a state of peace that existed with all of the rebel states. -
Fire Destroys Warships
In a Philadelphia ship-yard, there was a fire that destroyed many ships used in the Civil War. This fire was an accident and destroyed the USS New Ironside, a ship that greatly helped the Union. -
South Carolina Rejects the 14th Amendment
On the sixth anniversary of their secession from the Union, South Carolina rejected the 14th amendment. Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina also rejected the amendment before South Carolina. -
More States Ratify the 14th Amendment
During the month of January, Ohio, New York, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, West Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, Nevada, Indiana, and Missouri rattifired the 14th amendment. These states joined the others in their hope to bring the nation forward. -
More States Reject the 14th Amendment
During this year, many states rejected the 14th amendment. Kentucky, Virginia, Louisiana, Delaware, and Maryland all rejected it in hope to keep some of their Confederate ways. -
Blacks are Finally Allowed to Vote
Because of the outcome of the Civil War, Blacks slowly started gaining some freedom. On this day, the District of Columbia granted blacks the right to vote. -
The First Reconstruction Act is Passed
On this day, The First Reconstruction Act was passed and applied to all ex-Confederate states. It split those states into military districts and a Northern general was put in charge of the people living in those districts. -
Alexandria Rejects Votes
On this day, Alexandria, Virginia rejected thousands of votes from African Americans. They were granted suffrage under the Reconstruction Act, but still faced discrimination post Civil War. -
General Sheridan in charge of the Fifth Military District
On this day, General Sheridan was put in charge of the Fifth Military District. This district included Louisiana and Texas. He appointed New Orleans as his headquarters. 03 -
The Second Reconstruction Act is Passed
On this day, Congress passed the Second Reconstruction Act after the First Reconstruction Act failed. The First Act left the South in dismay and unsure about who was in charge. This act required all voters to recite their oath of allegiance to the United States. This stripped the Southern office members their positions since most would not recite their allegiance. -
States Admitted into the Union
Congress passed a bill that allowed Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina into the Union. Texas, Virginia, and Mississippi refused to ratify the 14th amendment and were not able to join the other states in the Union. -
Reconstruction Committee Created
On this day, the House of Representatives met to appoint members for a reconstruction committee. They were in charge of creating plans for the future of the nation. -
Grant Is Named ad interim Secretary of War
Ulysses S. Grant was known as a great Union general during the Civil War. On this day, he was named ad interium Secretary of War.
