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The Civil War Timeline
December 18,1860 -- The Crittenden Compromise
January 1861 -- The South Secedes.
When Abraham Lincoln, a known opponent of slavery, was elected
president, the South Carolina legislature perceived a threat.
Calling a state convention, the delegates voted to remove the state
of South Carolina from the union known as the United States of
America. The Secession of South Carolina was followed by the
secession of six more states -- Mississippi, Florida, Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas -- and the threat of Secession by four
more -- Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. These
eleven states eventually formed the Confederate States of America.
Ordinances of Secession
January 7 - Speech of Tennessee Governor Isham G. Harris
January 9 - Mississippi seceded from the Union.
January 10 - Florida seceded from the Union.
January 11 Alabama seceded from the Union. Speech of E.S. Dargan
January 19 Georgia seceded from the Union.
January 26 Louisiana seceded from the Union.
January 29 Kansas admitted to the Union.
February 1 Texas seceded from the Union.
February 1861-- The South Creates a Government.
At a convention in Montgomery, Alabama, the seven seceding states
created the Confederate Constitution, a document similar to the
United States Constitution, but with greater stress on the autonomy
of each state. Jefferson Davis was named provisional president of
the Confederacy until elections could be held.
February 1861-- The South Seizes Federal Forts.
When President Buchanan -- Lincoln's predecessor -- refused to
surrender southern federal forts to the seceding states, southern
state troops seized them. At Fort Sumter, South Carolina troops
repulsed a supply ship trying to reach federal forces based in the
fort. The ship was forced to return to New York, its supplies
undelivered.
March 4 1861-- Lincoln's Inauguration.
At Lincoln's inauguration the new president said he had no plans to
end slavery in those states where it already existed, but he also
said he would not accept secession. He hoped to resolve the national
crisis without warfare.
March 9 - Address of George Williamson to the Texas Secession
Convention
March 11 1861-- Confederate Constitution.
April 1861 -- Attack on Fort Sumter.
When President Lincoln planned to send supplies to Fort Sumter, he
alerted the state in advance, in an attempt to avoid hostilities.
South Carolina, however, feared a trick. On April 10, 1861, Brig.
Gen. Beauregard, in command of the provisional Confederate forces at
Charleston, South Carolina, demanded the surrender of the Union
garrison of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.
The Garrison commander Anderson refused. On April 12, Confederate
batteries opened fire on the fort, which was unable to reply
effectively. At 2:30 p.m., April 13, Major Anderson surrendered Fort
Sumter, evacuating the garrison on the following day.
The bombardment of Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the
American Civil War. Although there were no casualties during the
bombardment, one Union artillerist was killed and three wounded (one
mortally) when a cannon exploded prematurely when firing a salute
during the evacuation.
From 1863 to 1865, the Confederates at Fort Sumter withstood a 22
month siege by Union forces. During this time, most of the fort was
reduced to brick rubble. Fort Sumter became a national monument in
1948.
April 17 Virginia seceded from the Union.
April 25 Second Message of Isham Harris to the Tennessee Assembly
April 1861-- Four More States Join the Confederacy.
The attack on Fort Sumter prompted four more states to join the
Confederacy. With Virginia's secession, Richmond was named the
Confederate capitol.
May 6 Arkansas seceded from the Union.
May 18-19, 1861 Sewell's Point
May 20 North Carolina seceded from the Union.
May 29-June 1, 1861 Aquia Creek
June 1861-- West Virginia Is Born.
Residents of the western counties of Virginia did not wish to secede
along with the rest of the state. This section of Virginia was
admitted into the Union as the state of West Virginia on June 20,
1863.
June 1861-- Four Slave States Stay in the Union.
Despite their acceptance of slavery, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland,
and Missouri did not join the Confederacy. Although divided in their
loyalties, a combination of political maneuvering and Union military
pressure kept these states from seceding.
June 3, 1861 Philippi / Philippi Races
June 10, 1861 Big Bethel / Bethel Church
June 17, 1861 Boonville
July 2, 1861 Hoke's Run / Falling Waters / Hainesville
July 5, 1861 Carthage
July 11, 1861 Rich Mountain
July 18, 1861 Bull Run / Blackburn's Ford
July 21, 1861 First Manassas / First Bull Run
July -- First Battle of Bull Run.
Public demand pushed General-in-Chief Winfield Scott to advance on
the South before adequately training his untried troops. Scott
ordered General Irvin McDowell to advance on Confederate troops
stationed at Manassas Junction, Virginia. McDowell attacked on July
21, and was initially successful, but the introduction of
Confederate reinforcements resulted in a Southern victory and a
chaotic retreat toward Washington by federal troops.
July 1861-- General McDowell Is Replaced.
Suddenly aware of the threat of a protracted war and the army's need
for organization and training, Lincoln replaced McDowell with
General George B. McClellan.
July - November -- A Blockade of the South.
To blockade the coast of the Confederacy effectively, the federal
navy had to be improved. By July, the effort at improvement had made
a difference and an effective blockade had begun. The South
responded by building small, fast ships that could outmaneuver Union
vessels. On November 7, 1861, Captain Samuel F. Dupont's warships
silenced Confederate guns in Fort Walker and Fort Beauregard. This
victory enabled General Thomas W. Sherman's troops to occupy first
Port Royal and then all the famous Sea Islands of South Carolina.
August 10, 1861 Wilson's Creek / Oak Hills
August 21 -- Confederate Assignments
Brig General Roswell S. Ripley CS Army Assigned to command of the
Dept. South Carolina
Brig General John B. Grayson CS Army assigned to command of Dept of
Middle and East Florida
August 26, 1861 Kessler's Cross Lanes
August 28-29, 1861 Hatteras Inlet Batteries / Fort Clark / Fort
Hatteras
September 2, 1861 Dry Wood Creek / Battle of the Mules
September 10, 1861 Carnifex Ferry
September 12-15 1861 Cheat Mountain Summit
September 13-20, 1861 Lexington / Battle of the Hemp Bales
September 17, 1861 Liberty / Blue Mills Landing
September 19, 1861 Barbourville
October 3, 1861 Greenbrier River / Camp Bartow
October 9, 1861 Santa Rosa Island
October 21, 1861 Camp Wildcat / Wildcat Mountain
October 21, 1861 Fredericktown
October 21, 1861 Ball's Bluff / Leesburg
October 25, 1861 Springfield / Zagonyi's Charge
October 29 -- Sherman Moves
The Sherman Expedition sails from Hampton Roads Virginia
November 7, 1861 Belmont
November 8-9, 1861 Ivy Mountain / Ivy Creek / Ivy Narrows
November 19, 1861 Round Mountain
December 9, 1861 Chusto-Talasah / Caving Banks
December 13, 1861 Camp Allegheny / Allegheny Mountain
December 20, 1861 Dranesville
December 26, 1861 Chustenahlah
December 17, 1861 Rowlett's Station / Woodsonville / Green River
December 28, 1861 Mount Zion Church
January 1863 -- Emancipation Proclamation.
In an effort to placate the slave-holding border states, Lincoln
resisted the demands of radical Republicans for complete abolition.
Yet some Union generals, such as General B. F. Butler, declared
slaves escaping to their lines "contraband of war," not to be
returned to their masters. Other generals decreed that the slaves of
men rebelling against the Union were to be considered free.
Congress, too, had been moving toward abolition. In 1861, Congress
had passed an act stating that all slaves employed against the Union
were to be considered free. In 1862, another act stated that all
slaves of men who supported the Confederacy were to be considered
free. Lincoln, aware of the public's growing support of abolition,
issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring
that all slaves in areas still in rebellion were, in the eyes of the
federal government, free.
January 1
Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder, who became the Confederate commander of
military forces in Texas on November 29, 1862, gave the recapture of
Galveston top priority. At 3:00 am on New Year's Day, 1863, four
Confederate gunboats appeared, coming down the bay toward Galveston.
Soon afterward, the Rebels commenced a land attack. The Union forces
in Galveston were three companies of the 42nd Massachusetts
Volunteer Infantry Regiment under the command of Col. Isaac S.
Burrell. The Confederates captured or killed all of them except for
the regiment's adjutant. They also took Harriet Lane, by boarding
her, and two barks and a schooner. Cdr. W.B. Renshaw's flagship,
U.S.S. Westfield, ran aground when trying to help Harriet Lane and,
at 10:00 am, she was blown up to prevent her capture by the
Confederates. Galveston was in Confederate hands again although the
Union blockade would limit commerce in and out of the harbor.
Galveston. Soon afterward, the Rebels commenced a land attack.
January 1, 1863 Galveston
January 8, 1863 Springfield
January 9-11, 1863 Hartville
January 9-11, 1863 Arkansas Post / Fort Hindman
January 29, 1863 Bear River / Massacre at Boa Ogoi
February 3, 1863 Dover / Fort Donelson
March 1863 -- The First Conscription Act.
Because of recruiting difficulties, an act was passed making all men
between the ages of 20 and 45 liable to be called for military
service. Service could be avoided by paying a fee or finding a
substitute. The act was seen as unfair to the poor, and riots in
working-class sections of New York City broke out in protest. A
similar conscription act in the South provoked a similar reaction.
March 3, 1863 Fort McAllister I
March 5, 1863 Thompson's Station
March 13-15, 1863 Fort Anderson / Deep Gully
March 17, 1863 Kelly's Ford / Kellysville
March 20, 1863 Vaught's Hill / Milton
March 25, 1863 Brentwood
March 30-April 20, 1863 Washington
April -- Charleston Harbor
Maj. Gen. David Hunter prepared his land forces on Folly, Cole's,
and North Edisto Islands to cooperate with a naval bombardment of
Fort Sumter. On April 7, the South Atlantic Squadron under Rear
Admiral S.F. Du Pont bombarded Fort Sumter, having little impact on
the Confederate defenses of Charleston Harbor. Although several of
Hunter's units had embarked on transports, the infantry were not
landed, and the joint operation was abandoned.
The ironclad warships Keokuk, Weehawken, Passaic, Montauk, Patapsco,
New Ironsides, Catskill, Nantucket, and Nahant participated in the
bombardment. Keokuk, struck more than 90 times by the accurate
Confederate fire, sunk the next day.
April 7, 1863 Charleston Harbor / Fort Sumter
April 11-May 4, 1863 Suffolk / Fort Huger / Hill's Point
April 10, 1863 Franklin
April 12-13, 1863 Fort Bisland / Bethel Place
April 13-15, 1863 Suffolk / Norfleet House Battery
April 14, 1863 Irish Bend / Nerson's Woods / Franklin
April 17, 1863 Vermillion Bayou
April 26, 1863 Cape Girardeau
April 29, 1863 Grand Gulf
April 29-May 1, 1863 Snyder's Bluff / Snyder's Mill
April 30-May 6, 1863 Chancellorsville
May 1, 1863 Port Gibson / Thompson's Hill
May 1-2, 1863 Chalk Bluff
May 1863 -- The Battle of Chancellorsville.
On April 27, Union General Hooker crossed the Rappahannock River to
attack General Lee's forces. Lee split his army, attacking a
surprised Union army in three places and almost completely defeating
them. Hooker withdrew across the Rappahannock River, giving the
South a victory, but it was the Confederates' most costly victory in
terms of casualties.
May 10 Stonewall Jackson dies
Stonewall Jackson dies of pneumonia following amputation of his arm
at Chancellorsville
May 1863 -- The Vicksburg Campaign.
Union General Grant won several victories around Vicksburg,
Mississippi, the fortified city considered essential to the Union's
plans to regain control of the Mississippi River. On May 22, Grant
began a siege of the city. After six weeks, Confederate General John
Pemberton surrendered, giving up the city and 30,000 men. The
capture of Port Hudson, Louisiana, shortly thereafter placed the
entire Mississippi River in Union hands. The Confederacy was split
in two.
May 3, 1863 Fredericksburg II / Marye's Heights
May 3-4, 1863 Salem Church / Banks' Ford
May 12, 1863 Raymond
May 13, Big Black River (Map) skirmishes at Baldwin's Ferry and
Hall's Ferry
May 14, 1863 Jackson
May 16 Champion Hill / Bakers Creek
May 17 Big Black River Bridge
May 18-July 4, 1863 Vicksburg
May 21, 1863 Plains Store / Springfield Road
May 21-July 9, 1863 Port Hudson
June 7, 1863 Milliken's Bend
June 9 -- Battle of Brandy Station, 1863.
The victorious Confederate Army of Northern Virginia streamed into
Culpeper County after its victory at Fredericksburg. Under the
leadership of Gen. Robert E. Lee, the troops seemed invincible and
massed around Culpeper preparing to carry the war north into
Pennsylvania.
By June 5, two infantry corps under Longstreet and Ewell were camped
in and around Culpeper. Six miles north of town, holding the line of
the Rappahannock River, Gen. J.E.B. Stuart bivouacked his cavalry
troopers, screening the Confederate Army against surprise by the
enemy.
June 9, 1863 Brandy Station / Fleetwood Hill
June 17, 1863 Aldie
June 17-19, 1863 Middleburg
June 13-15, 1863 Winchester Second
June 13 -- The Gettysburg Campaign.
Confederate General Lee decided to take the war to the enemy. On
June 13, he defeated Union forces at Winchester, Virginia, and
continued north to Pennsylvania. General Hooker, who had been
planning to attack Richmond, was instead forced to follow Lee.
Hooker, never comfortable with his commander, General Halleck,
resigned on June 28, and General George Meade replaced him as
commander of the Army of the Potomac.
June 20 -- West Virginia admitted to the Union
June 20-21, 1863 LaFourche Crossing
June 21, 1863 Upperville
June 24-26, 1863 Hoover's Gap
June 28, 1863 Donaldsonville
June 29–30, 1863 Goodrich's Landing / The Mounds / Lake Providence
June 30, 1863 Hanover
July 1 -- Battle of Gettysburg
A chance encounter between Union and Confederate forces began the
Battle of Gettysburg. In the fighting that followed, Meade had
greater numbers and better defensive positions. He won the battle,
but failed to follow Lee as he retreated back to Virginia.
Militarily, the Battle of Gettysburg was the high-water mark of the
Confederacy; it is also significant because it ended Confederate
hopes of formal recognition by foreign governments. On November 19,
President Lincoln dedicated a portion of the Gettysburg battlefield
as a national cemetery, and delivered his memorable "Gettysburg
Address."
July 1-2, 1863 Cabin Creek
July 4, 1863 Helena
July 6-16, 1863 Williamsport / Hagerstown / Falling Waters
July 8, 1863 Boonsboro
July 9, 1863 Corydon
July 10-11, 1863 Fort Wagner / Morris Island
July 16, 1863 Grimball's Landing / Secessionville / James Island
July 18-September 7, 1863 Fort Wagner / Morris Island
July 12-13, 1863 Kock's Plantation / Cox's Plantation
July 10 -- Fort Wagner South Carolina
Union artillery on Folly Island together with Rear Adm. John
Dahlgren's fleet of ironclads opened fire on Confederate defenses of
Morris Island. The bombardment provided cover for Brig. Gen. George
C. Strong's brigade, which crossed Light House Inlet and landed by
boats on the southern tip of the island. Strong's troops advanced,
capturing several batteries, to within range of Confederate Fort
Wagner. At dawn, July 11, Strong attacked the fort. Soldiers of the
7th Connecticut reached the parapet but, unsupported, were thrown
back.
July 18: -- After the July 11 assault on Fort Wagner failed,
Gillmore reinforced his beachhead on Morris Island. At dusk July 18,
Gillmore launched an attack spearheaded by the 54th Massachusetts
Infantry, a black regiment. The unit's colonel, Robert Gould Shaw,
was killed. Members of the brigade scaled the parapet but after
brutal hand-to-hand combat were driven out with heavy casualties.
The Federals resorted to siege operations to reduce the fort. This
was the fourth time in the war that black troops played a crucial
combat role, proving to skeptics that they would fight bravely if
only given the chance.
July 16 -- Secessionville
To divert Confederate reinforcements from a renewed attack on Fort
Wagner, Gen. Gillmore designed two feints. An amphibious force
ascended Stone River to threaten the Charleston & Savannah Railroad
bridge. A second force, consisting of Terry's division, landed on
James Island on July 8. Terry demonstrated against the Confederate
defenses. On July 16, the Confederates attacked Terry's camp at
Grimball's Landing. Because of incomplete reconnaissance of the
difficult, marshy ground, the disorganized Confederate attack was
soon aborted. Their mission accomplished, Federal troops withdrew
from the island on July 17.
July 17, 1863 Honey Springs / Elk Creek / Shaw's Inn
July 19, 1863 Buffington Island / St. Georges Creek
July 23, 1863 Manassas Gap / Wapping Heights
July 24-25, 1863 Big Mound
July 26, 1863 Salineville / New Lisbon Road / Wellsville
July 26, 1863 Dead Buffalo Lake
July 28, 1863 Stony Lake
August - December -- Bombardment of Fort Sumter
Federal batteries erected on Morris Island opened fire on August 17
and continued their bombardment of Fort Sumter and the Charleston
defenses until August 23. Despite a severe pounding, Fort Sumter's
garrison held out. Siege operations continued against Fort Wagner on
Morris Island.
Aug 17-Aug 23, 1863 Fort Sumter / Charleston Harbor / Morris Island
August 21, 1863 Chattanooga
August 21, 1863 Lawrence / Lawrence Massacre
September 3-5, 1863 Whitestone Hill
September 6 -- Charleston Harbor
The night of September 6-7, Confederate forces evacuated Fort Wagner
and Battery Gregg pressured by advancing Federal siegeworks. Federal
troops then occupied all of Morris Island. On September 8, a
storming party of about 400 marines and sailors attempted to
surprise Fort Sumter. The attack was repulsed.
September 1, 1863 Devil's Backbone / Backbone Mountain
September 7-8, 1863 Charleston Harbor / Battery Gregg
September 8, 1863 Sabine Pass II
September 8 -- Fort Griffin Texas
About 6:00 am on the morning of September 8, 1863, a Union flotilla
of four gunboats and seven troop transports steamed into Sabine Pass
and up the Sabine River with the intention of reducing Fort Griffin
and landing troops to begin occupying Texas. As the gunboats
approached Fort Griffin, they came under accurate fire from six
cannons. The Confederate gunners at Fort Griffin had been sent there
as a punishment. To break the day-to-day monotony, the gunners
practiced firing artillery at range markers placed in the river.
Their practice paid off. Fort Griffin's small force of 44 men, under
command of Lt. Richard W. Dowling, forced the Union flotilla to
retire and captured the gunboat Clifton and about 200 prisoners.
Further Union operations in the area ceased for about a month. The
heroics at Fort Griffin--44 men stopping a Union
expedition--inspired other Confederate soldiers.
September 10, 1863 Bayou Fourche / Little Rock
September 18-20, 1863 Chickamauga
September 19 -- The Battle of Chickamauga.
On September 19, Union and Confederate forces met at Chickamauga
Creek in Tennessee. After a brief period of fighting, Union forces
retreated to Chattanooga, and the Confederacy maintained control of
the battlefield. After Rosecrans's debacle at Chickamauga,
Confederate General Braxton Bragg's army occupied the mountains that
ring the vital railroad center of Chattanooga.
September 22, 1863 Blountsville
September 29, 1863 Stirling's Plantation / Fordoche Bridge
October 6, 1863 Baxter Springs
October 10, 1863 Blue Springs
October 13, 1863 Auburn / Catlett's Station / St. Stephen's Church
October 14, 1863 Bristoe Station
October 14, 1863 Auburn / Coffee Hill
October 16-18, 1863 Fort Brooke
October 19, 1863 Buckland Mills / Buckland Races / Chestnut Hill
October 25, 1863 Pine Bluff
October 28-29, 1863 Wauhatchie / Brown's Ferry
November 3, 1863 Collierville
November 6, 1863 Droop Mountain
November 7, 1863 Rappahannock Station
November 16, 1863 Campbell's Station
November 23-25, 1863 Chattanooga
November 1863 -- The Battle of Chattanooga. Grant, brought in to
save the situation, steadily built up offensive strength, and on
November 23- 25 burst the blockade in a series of brilliantly
executed attacks. Union forces pushed Confederate troops away from
Chattanooga. The victory set the stage for General Sherman's Atlanta
Campaign.
November 27, 1863 Ringgold Gap / Taylor's Ridge
Nov 27-Dec 2, 1863 Mine Run / Payne's Farm / New Hope Church
November 29, 1863 Fort Sanders / Fort Loudon
November-December -- The Siege of Knoxville
The difficult strategic situation of the federal armies after
Chickamauga enabled Bragg to detach a force under Longstreet to
drive Burnside out of eastern Tennessee. Burnside sought refuge in
Knoxville, which he successfully defended from Confederate assaults.
December 14, 1863 Bean's Station
December 29, 1863 Mossy Creek
January 17, 1864 Dandridge
January 26, 1864 Athens / Alabama
January 27, 1864 Fair Garden
January 26 Confederate force fails in its attempt to take Athens,
Alabama. Confederate cavalry, numbering about 600 men, attacked
Athens, held by about 100 Union troops, around 4:00 am on the
morning of January 26, 1864. After a two-hour battle, the
Confederates retreated. Union forces, although greatly outnumbered
and without fortifications, repulsed the attackers.
February 6-7 Morton's Ford / Rapidan River
February 13, 1864 Middle Boggy Depot
February 14-20, 1864 Meridian
February 20, 1864 Olustee / Ocean Pond
February 22, 1864 Okolona
February 20 Olustee Florida
In February, the commander of the Department of the South, Maj. Gen.
Quincy A. Gillmore, launched an expedition into Florida to secure
Union enclaves, sever Rebel supply routes, and recruit black
soldiers. Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour moved deep into the state,
occupying, destroying, and liberating, meeting little resistance on
February 20, he approached Brig. Gen. Joseph Finegan's 5,000
Confederates entrenched near Olustee. One infantry brigade pushed
out to meet Seymour's advance units. The Union forces attacked but
were repulsed. The battle raged, and as Finegan committed the last
of his reserves, the Union line broke and began to retreat. Finegan
did not exploit the retreat, allowing most of the fleeing Union
forces to reach Jacksonville.
February 22-27, 1864 Dalton I
March 2 Walkerton / Mantapike Hill
March 14, 1864 Fort DeRussy
March 25, 1864 Paducah
April 3-4, 1864 Elkin's Ferry Okolona
April 8, 1864 Mansfield / Sabine Cross-Roads / Pleasant Grove
April 9, 1864 Pleasant Hill
April 9-13, 1864 Prairie D'Ane / Gum Grove / Moscow
April 12, 1864 Fort Pillow
April 12-13, 1864 Blair's Landing / Pleasant Hill Landing
April 17-20, 1864 Plymouth
April 18, 1864 Poison Spring
April 23, 1864 Monett's Ferry / Cane River Crossing
April 25, 1864 Marks' Mills
April 30, 1864 Jenkins' Ferry
May Grant's Wilderness Campaign
General Grant, promoted to commander of the Union armies, planned to
engage Lee's forces in Virginia until they were destroyed. North and
South met and fought in an inconclusive three- day battle in the
Wilderness. Lee inflicted more casualties on the Union forces than
his own army incurred, but unlike Grant, he had no replacements.
May The Battle of Spotsylvania.
General Grant continued to attack Lee. At Spotsylvania Court House,
he fought for five days, vowing to fight all summer if necessary.
May 4, 1864 Day's Gap / Sand Mountain / Alabama
May 5, 1864 Albemarle Sound
May 5-7 Wilderness / Furnaces / Todd's Tavern
May 6-7 Port Walthall Junction
May 7-13, 1864 Rocky Face Ridge / Mill Creek / Dug Gap
May 8-21 Spotsylvania Court House / Corbin's Bridge
May 9 Cloyd's Mountain
May 9 Swift Creek / Arrowfield Church
May 10 Chester Station
May 10 Cove Mountain
May 11 Yellow Tavern
May 12-16 Proctor's Creek / Drewry's Bluff, / Fort Darling
May 13-15, 1864 Resaca
May 15 New Market
May 16, 1864 Mansura / Smith's Place / Marksville
May 17, 1864 Adairsville
May 18, 1864 Yellow Bayou / Norwood's Plantation
May 20 Ware Bottom Church
May 20 Ware Bottom Church
Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard attacked Butler's
Bermuda Hundred line near Ware Bottom Church. About 10,000 troops
were involved in this action. After driving back Butler's advanced
pickets, the Confederates constructed the Howlett Line, effectively
bottling up the Federals at Bermuda Hundred. Confederate victories
at Proctor's Creek and Ware Bottom Church enabled Beauregard to
detach strong reinforcements for Lee's army in time for the fighting
at Cold Harbor.
May 23-26 North Anna / Jericho Mill / Hanover Junction
May 24 Wilson's Wharf / Fort Pocahontas
May 25-26, 1864 New Hope Church
May 26-June 1, 1864 Dallas / Pumpkinvine Creek
May 27, 1864 Pickett's Mills / New Hope
May 28 Haw's Shop / Enon Church
May 28-30 Totopotomoy Creek / Shady Grove Road
May 30 Old Church / Matadequin Creek
May 31-June 12 Second Cold Harbor
June The Battle of Cold Harbor.
Grant again attacked Confederate forces at Cold Harbor, losing over
7,000 men in twenty minutes. Although Lee suffered fewer casualties,
his army never recovered from Grant's continual attacks. This was
Lee's last clear victory of the war.
June 1864 -- The Siege of Petersburg.
Grant hoped to take Petersburg, below Richmond, and then approach
the Confederate capital from the south. The attempt failed,
resulting in a ten month siege and the loss of thousands of lives on
both sides, Grant won by steadily extending his lines westward.
June 5-6 Piedmont
June 6, 1864 Old River Lake / Ditch Bayou / Lake Chicot
June 9-July 3, 1864 Marietta / Pine Hill / Ruff's Mill
June 9 Petersburg
June 10, 1864 Brices Cross Roads / Tishomingo Creek
June 11-12 Trevilian Station
June 11-12, 1864 Cynthiana / Kellar's Bridge
June 15-18 Assault on Petersburg
June 17-18 Lynchburg
June 21-24 Jerusalem Plank Road / First Battle of Weldon
June 22, 1864 Kolb's Farm
June 24 Saint Mary's Church / Nance's Shop
June 25 Staunton River / Blacks and Whites
June 27, 1864 Kennesaw Mountain
June 28 Sappony Church / Stony Creek Depot
June 29 Ream's Station
July -- Confederate Troops Approach Washington, D.C.
Confederate General Jubal Early led his forces into Maryland to
relieve the pressure on Lee's army. Early got within five miles of
Washington, D.C., but on July 13, he was driven back to Virginia.
July 9, 1864 Monocacy
July 14-15, 1864 Tupelo / Harrisburg
July 17-18 Cool Spring / Island Ford / Parkers Ford
July 20, 1864 Peachtree Creek
July 20 Rutherford's Farm
July 22, 1864 Atlanta
July 24 Kernstown Second
July 27-29 Deep Bottom I / Strawberry Plains / Gravel Hill
July 28, 1864 Ezra Church / Battle of the Poor House
July 28-29, 1864 Killdeer Mountain / Tahkahokuty Mountain
July 30 Crater / The Mine
August 1, 1864 Folck's Mill / Cumberland
August 2-23 -- Mobile Bay / Fort Morgan / Fort Gaines Alabama.
A combined Union force initiated operations to close Mobile Bay to
blockade running. Some Union forces landed on Dauphin Island and
laid siege to Fort Gaines. On August 5, Farragut's Union fleet of
eighteen ships entered Mobile Bay and received devastating a fire
from Forts Gaines and Morgan and other points. After passing the
forts, Farragut forced the Confederate naval forces, under Adm.
Franklin Buchanan, to surrender, which effectively closed Mobile
Bay. By August 23, Fort Morgan, the last big holdout, fell, shutting
down the port. The city, however, remained uncaptured.
August 1864 -- General Sherman's Atlanta Campaign.
Union General William T. Sherman departed Chattanooga, and was soon
met by Confederate General Joseph Johnston. Skillful strategy
enabled Johnston to hold off Sherman's force -- almost twice the
size of Johnston's. However, Johnston's tactics caused his superiors
to replace him with General John Bell Hood, who was soon defeated.
Hood surrendered Atlanta, Georgia, on September 1; Sherman occupied
the city the next day. The fall of Atlanta greatly boosted Northern
morale.
August 5-7, 1864 Utoy Creek
August 7, 1864 Moorefield / Oldfields
August 13-20 Deep Bottom II / Fussell's Mill / Bailey's Creek
August 14-15, 1864 Dalton II
August 16 Guard Hill / Front Royal / Cedarville
August 18-21 Globe Tavern / Yellow Tavern / Blick's Station
August 20, 1864 Lovejoy's Station
August 21, 1864 Summit Point / Flowing Springs / Cameron's Depot
August 21, 1864 Memphis
August 25 Ream's Station
August 25-29, 1864 Smithfield Crossing
August 31–September 1, 1864 Jonesborough
September-November -- Sherman in Atlanta
After three and a half months of incessant maneuvering and much hard
fighting, Sherman forced Hood to abandon Atlanta, the munitions
center of the Confederacy. Sherman remained there, resting his
war-worn men and accumulating supplies, for nearly two-and-a-half
months.
September 3-4 Berryville
September 10-11, 1864 Davis' Cross Roads / Dug Gap
September 19 Opequon / Third Winchester
September 21-22 Fisher's Hill
September 27, 1864 Fort Davidson / Pilot Knob
September 29-30 Chaffin's Farm / New Market Heights
September 30 Peebles' Farm / Poplar Springs Church
October 2 Saltville
October 5, 1864 Allatoona
October 7 Darbytown / New Market Roads / Fourmile Creek
October 9 Tom's Brook / Woodstock Races
October 13 Darbytown Road / Alms House
October 15, 1864 Glasgow
October 19, 1864 Lexington
October 19 Cedar Creek
October 21, 1864 Little Blue River / Westport
October 22, 1864 Independence
October 22-23, 1864 Byram's Ford / Big Blue River
October 23, 1864 Westport
October 25, 1864 Marmiton River / Shiloh Creek / Charlot's Farm
October 25, 1864 Mine Creek / Battle of the Osage
October 25, 1864 Marais des Cygnes / Battle of Trading Post
October 26-29, 1864 Decatur Alabama
October 28, 1864 Newtonia
October 26-29-- Franklin-Nashville Campaign Gen. John B. Hood's Army
of Tennessee, in an attempt to cross the Tennessee River at Decatur,
Alabama encountered Union forces under the command of Brig. Gen.
Robert S. Granger for most of the battle, numbered only about 5,000
men, but successfully prevented the much larger Confederate force
from crossing the river.
October 27-28 Fair Oaks / Darbytown Road / Second Fair Oaks
October 27-28-- Boydton Plank Roadaka Hatcher's Run, Burgess' Mill.
Directed by Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, divisions from three
Union corps (II, V, and IX) and Gregg's cavalry division, numbering
more than 30,000 men, withdrew from the Petersburg lines and marched
west to operate against the Boydton Plank Road and Southside
Railroad. The initial Union advance on October 27 gained the Boydton
Plank Road, a major campaign objective. But that afternoon, a
counterattack near Burgess' Mill spearheaded by Maj. Gen. Henry
Heth's division and Wade Hampton's cavalry isolated the II Corps and
forced a retreat. The Confederates retained control of the Boydton
Plank Road for the rest of the winter.
November 4-5, 1864 Johnsonville
November 11-13, 1864 Bull's Gap
November 24-29, 1864 Columbia
November 29, 1864 Spring Hill
November 30, 1864 Franklin
November 1864 -- Sherman's March to the Sea.
General Sherman continued his march through Georgia to the sea. In
the course of the march, he cut himself off from his source of
supplies, planning for his troops to live off the land. His men cut
a path 300 miles in length and 60 miles wide as they passed through
Georgia, destroying factories, bridges, railroads, and public
buildings.
November 22, 1864 Griswoldville
November 28, 1864 Buck Head Creek
November 30, 1864 Honey Hill
November 30 -- Honey Hill South Carolina.
Leaving Hilton Head on November 28, a Union expeditionary force
under Maj. Gen. John P. Hatch, steamed up the Broad River in
transports to cut the Charleston & Savannah Railroad near
Pocotaligo. Hatch disembarked at Boyd's Landing and marched inland.
On November 30, Hatch encountered a Confederate force of regulars
and militia under Col. Charles J. Colcock at Honey Hill. Determined
attacks by U.S. Colored Troops (including the 54th Massachusetts)
failed to capture the Confederate entrenchments or cut the railroad.
Hatch retired after dark, withdrawing to his transports at Boyd's
Neck
November 1864 -- Abraham Lincoln Is Re-Elected.
The Republican party nominated President Abraham Lincoln as its
presidential candidate, and Andrew Johnson for vice-president. The
Democratic party chose General George B. McClellan for president,
and George Pendleton for vice-president. At one point, widespread
war-weariness in the North made a victory for Lincoln seem doubtful.
In addition, Lincoln's veto of the Wade-Davis Bill -- requiring the
majority of the electorate in each Confederate state to swear past
and future loyalty to the Union before the state could officially be
restored -- lost him the support of Radical Republicans who thought
Lincoln too lenient. However, Sherman's victory in Atlanta boosted
Lincoln's popularity and helped him win re-election by a wide
margin.
November 29-30, 1864 Sand Creek / Chivington Massacre
December 4, 1864 Waynesborough
December 5-7, 1864 Murfreesboro / Wilkinson Pike / Cedars
December 7-27, 1864 Fort Fisher
December 13, 1864 Fort McAllister II
December 1864 -- Sherman at the Sea
After marching through Georgia for a month, Sherman stormed Fort
McAllister on December 13, 1864, and captured Savannah itself eight
days later.
December -- Hood before Nashville
Continuing his policy of taking the offensive at any cost, General
John B. Hood brought his reduced army before the defenses of
Nashville, where it was repulsed by General George H. Thomas on
December 15-16, in the most complete victory of the war.
December 15-16, 1864 Nashville
December 17-18 Marion
December 20-21 Saltville
January 1865 -- Fort Fisher, North Carolina
After Admiral David D. Porter's squadron of warships had subjected
Fort Fisher to a terrific bombardment, General Alfred H. Terry's
troops took it by storm on January 15, and Wilmington, North
Carolina, the last resort of the blockade-runners, was sealed off.
January 13-15, 1865 Fort Fisher
January 1865 -- The Fall of the Confederacy.
Transportation problems and successful blockades caused severe
shortages of food and supplies in the South. Starving soldiers began
to desert Lee's forces, and although President Jefferson Davis
approved the arming of slaves as a means of augmenting the shrinking
army, the measure was never put into effect.
February - Sherman Marches through North and South Carolina.
Union General Sherman moved from Georgia through South Carolina,
destroying almost everything in his path.
February 3, 1865 Rivers' Bridge / Owens' Crossroads
February 3 -- Rivers' Bridge
Confederate force under McLaws held the crossings of the
Salkehatchie River against the advance of the right wing of
Sherman's Army. Federal soldiers began building bridges across the
swamp to bypass the road block. In the meantime, Union columns
worked to get on the Confederates' flanks and rear. On February 3,
two Union brigades waded the swamp downstream and assaulted McLaws's
right. McLaws retreated toward Branchville after stalling Sherman's
advance for only one day.
February -- A Chance for Reconciliation Is Lost.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis agreed to send delegates to a
peace conference with President Lincoln and Secretary of State
William Seward, but insisted on Lincoln's recognition of the South's
independence as a prerequisite. Lincoln refused, and the conference
never occurred.
February 5-7 Hatcher's Run / Dabney's Mill / Rowanty Creek
February 12-22, 1865 Wilmington / Forks Road / Sugar Loaf Hill
March 2 Waynesboro
March 4 Abraham Lincoln Second Inaugural Address
March 6, 1865 Natural Bridge
March 6 --Natural Bridge
Maj. Gen. John Newton had undertaken a joint force expedition
(including 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry and 99th U.S. Colored Infantry)
to engage and destroy Confederate troops that had attacked at Cedar
Keys and Fort Myers and were allegedly encamped somewhere around St.
Marks. The Navy had trouble getting its ships up the St. Marks
River. The Army force, however, had advanced and, after finding one
bridge destroyed, started before dawn on March 6 to attempt to cross
the river at Natural Bridge. The troops initially pushed Rebel
forces back but not away from the bridge. Confederate forces,
protected by breastworks, guarded all of the approaches and the
bridge itself. The action at Natural Bridge lasted most of the day,
but, unable to take the bridge, the Union troops retreated to the
protection of the fleet.
March 7-10, 1865 Wyse Fork / Wilcox's Bridge / Second Southwest
Creek
March 10, 1865 Monroe's Cross Roads / Fayetteville Road / Blue's
Farm
March 16, 1865 Averasborough / Smiths Ferry / Black River
March 19-21, 1865 Bentonville / Bentonsville
March 25 Fort Stedman
March 27-April 8 -- Spanish Fort.
Maj. Gen. E.R.S. Canby's forces, the XIII and XVI corps, moved along
the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, forcing the Confederates back into
their defenses. Union forces then concentrated on Spanish Fort and
Fort Blakely. On March 27, 1865, Canby's forces rendezvoused at
Danley's Ferry and immediately undertook a siege of Spanish Fort.
The Union had enveloped the fort by April 1, and on April 8 captured
it. Most of the Confederate forces, under the command of Brig. Gen.
Randall L. Gibson, escaped and fled to Mobile, but Spanish Fort was
no longer a threat.
April 2 -- Selma.
Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson, commanding three divisions of Union
cavalry, about 13,500 men, led his men south from Gravelly Springs,
Alabama, on March 22, 1865. Opposed by Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan
B. Forrest, Wilson skillfully continued his march and eventually
defeated him in a running battle at Ebenezer Church, on April 1.
Continuing towards Selma, Wilson split his command into three
columns. Although Selma was well-defended, the Union columns broke
through the defenses at separate points forcing the Confederates to
surrender the city, although many of the officers and men, including
Forrest and Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor, escaped. Selma demonstrated
that even Forrest, whom some had considered invincible, could not
stop the unrelenting Union movements deep into the Southern
Heartland.
March 29 Lewis's Farm / Quaker Road / Military Road
March 31 White Oak Road / Hatcher's Run / Gravelly Run
March 31 Dinwiddie Court House
April 2-9, 1865 Fort Blakely
April 2-9-- Canby's forces, the XVI and XIII corps, moved along the
eastern shore of Mobile Bay, forcing the Confederates back into
their defenses. Union forces then concentrated on Spanish Fort and
Fort Blakely. By April 1, Union forces had enveloped Spanish Fort,
thereby releasing more troops to focus on Fort Blakely. Brig. Gen.
St. John R. Liddell, with about 4,000 men, held out against the much
larger Union force until other Confederate forces disengaged and
Spanish Fort fell on April 8, allowing Canby to concentrate 16,000
men for the attack on April 9. Sheer numbers breached the
Confederate earthworks compelling the Confederates to capitulate.
The siege and capture of Fort Blakely was basically the last
combined-force battle of the war. African-American forces played a
major role in the successful Union assault.
April -- Fallen Richmond.
On March 25, General Lee attacked General Grant's forces near
Petersburg, but was defeated -- attacking and losing again on April
1. On April 2, Lee evacuated Richmond, the Confederate capital, and
headed west to join with other forces.
April 1 Five Forks
April 2, 1865 Ebenezer Church / Selma / Alabama
April 2, 1865 Hill's Plantation / Cache River / Cotton Plant
April 2 Petersburg / The Breakthrough
April 2 Sutherland's Station
April 3 Namozine Church
April 5 Amelia Springs
April 6 Sailor's Creek / Hillsman Farm
April 6 Rice's Station
April 6-7 High Bridge
April 7 Cumberland Church / Farmville
April 8 Appomattox Station
April 8 Spanish Fort
April 9 Fort Blakely Alabama
April 9 -- Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse.
General Lee's troops were soon surrounded, and on April 7, Grant
called upon Lee to surrender. On April 9, the two commanders met at
Appomattox Courthouse, and agreed on the terms of surrender. Lee's
men were sent home on parole -- soldiers with their horses, and
officers with their side arms. All other equipment was surrendered.
April -- The Assassination of President Lincoln.
On April 14, as President Lincoln was watching a performance of "Our
American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., he was shot
by John Wilkes Booth, an actor from Maryland obsessed with avenging
the Confederate defeat. Lincoln died the next morning. Booth escaped
to Virginia. Eleven days later, cornered in a burning barn, Booth
was fatally shot by a Union soldier. Nine other people were involved
in the assassination; four were hanged, four imprisoned, and one
acquitted.
April 1865 -- Final Surrenders among Remaining Confederate Troops.
Remaining Confederate troops were defeated between the end of April
and the end of May. Jefferson Davis was captured in Georgia on May
10.
May 12-13, 1865 Palmito Ranch / Palmito Hill
May 12-13 -- Palmito Hill Texas
Union Col. Theodore H. Barrett dispatched an expedition to attack
reported Rebel outposts and camps.
Nov. 1865 -- The Execution of Captain Henry Wirz
The notorious superintendent of the Confederate prison at
Andersonville, Georgia, was tried by a military commission presided
over by General Lew Wallace from August 23 to October 24, 1865, and
was hanged in the yard of the Old Capitol Prison on November 10.
December 18
Thirteenth Amendment to Constitution ratified, abolishing slavery.
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