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Civil War Timespan
Civil War Timeline from 1860-1867 -
Pony Express
The Pony Express begins in 1860. The Pony Express was the West's most direct means of East-West communication before the transcontinental telegraph. -
Democratic National Convention in Charleston
The 1860 Democratic National convention were a series of Presidential Nominating Conventions held to nominate the Democratic Party's candidates. The first convention help from April 23rd to May 3rd took place in Charleston, South Carolina. -
John Bell Nomination
On May 9th 1860, the Union Party holds in convention and nominates John Bell for President of the United States. -
Lincoln Nomination
On May 18th 1860, Lincoln is selected as the U.S. Presidential candidate for the Republican Party, in Chicago, Illinois. -
Baltimore Democratic Convention
On June 18th the Democratic convention reconvened in Baltimore and nominated Stephen Douglas. -
Democratic Split
In 1860 the Democratic Party split into two factions over the issue of enslavement. The Northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas and the Southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckinridge. -
Henry Repeating Rifle
Benjamin Henry perfects the Henry rifle which was manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company, and used in considerable numbers by certain Union army units in the Civil War. -
Lincoln Election
On November 6th, 1860 Lincoln was Elected President of the United States which caused 17 states to secede from the Union -
The Crittenden Compromise
The Crittenden Compromise was made by John J. Crittenden who claimed that it would end the arguments over slavery and avert a Civil War between the North and South -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
In 1860 South Carolina officially breaks away from the United States of America. -
Lincoln For President
On March 4th, 1861 Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States in Washington D.C. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Forces from the Confederate States attacked the U.S. military garrison at Fort Sumter from April 12th to April 13th. The Fort surrendered less than two days later with no deaths. This battle was the kickstart of The Civil War. -
Arlington Heights
Union forces cross the Potomac River and occupy Arlington Heights, the home of future Confederate Robert E. Lee. -
Union and Confederate Clash
On June 3rd, 1861, a skirmish near Philippi in Western Virginia is the first clash of Union and Confederate forces in the East. -
Battle of Big Bethel
The Battle of Big Bethel was one of the earliest land battles of the American Civil War. it took place on the Virginia Peninsula, near Newport News on June 10th, 1861 -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was on July 21st, 1861 in Virginia. There were a total of 4,700 casualties and is considered to be the first battle of the Civil War. -
Fort Hatteras Falls
From August 28th to 29th, 1861, Fort Hatteras at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina falls to Union naval forces. This begins the first union efforts to close Southern ports along the Carolina coast. -
First Battle of Lexington
Lexington, Missouri falls to Confederate forces under Sterling Price. The siege of Lexington, also known as the First Battle of Lexington or the Battle of the Hemp Bales, was a minor conflict of the American Civil War. -
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun Country, Virginia. On October 21st, 1861, the Union army forces under Major General George McClellan suffered a humiliating defeat. -
Battle of Belmont
The Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861 in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S. president, who was fighting Major General Leonidas Polk -
Battle of Fort Henry
The Battle of Fort Henry was fought on February 6, 1862, in Stewart County, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. It was the first important victory for the Union and Brig. This Union victory came from Fort henry surrendering which opened the door to Union control of the river. -
Battle of Roanoke Island
A Confederate defeat, the battle resulted in Union occupation of eastern North Carolina and control of Pamlico Sound, to be used as Northern base for further operations against the southern coast. -
Jefferson Davis Inauguration
February 22nd, 1862, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as President of the Confederate United States. -
Battle of Hampton Roads
The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the Civil War. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was an early battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. -
The First Battle of Winchester
The First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley -
Battle of Memphis
The First Battle of Memphis was a naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately North of the city of Memphis, Tennessee on June 6, 1862. -
The Seven Days' Battles before Richmond
The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
Despite heavy Confederate casualties, the Second Battle of Bull Run was a decisive victory for the rebels, as Lee had managed a strategic offensive against an enemy force twice the size of his own. -
Replacement of George McClellan
Lincoln discharged George McClellan as General since McClellan lacked aggression and was very hesitant at times. Lincoln decided enough is enough after the un-needed retreat at the Battle of Antietam. -
Sacking of Lawrence
The sacking of Lawrence occurred on May 21, 1856, when pro-slavery settlers, led by Douglas County Sheriff Samuel J. Jones, attacked and ransacked Lawrence, Kansas, a town which had been founded by anti-slavery settlers from Massachusetts who were hoping to make Kansas a free state. -
Battle of Second Winchester
Confederate troops under General Richard Ewell defeat Union troops under General Robert Milroy, clearing the Shenandoah Valley of Union forces. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg started July 1st and went to July 3rd of 1863 and is considered to be the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. -
Second Assault on Battery Wagner
Quincy Gillmore launched an unsuccessful assault on the Confederate fortress of Fort Wagner, which protected Morris Island, south of Charleston Harbor. -
The Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, the biggest battle ever fought in Georgia, took place on September 18-20, 1863, during the Civil War. With 34,000 casualties, it is generally accepted as the second bloodiest engagement of the war -
Bristoe Station Campaign
The Bristoe campaign was a series of minor battles fought in Virginia during October and November 1863, in the Civil War. -
Siege of Knoxville
On November 17, 1863, Confederate General James Longstreet places the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, under siege. After two weeks and one failed attack, he abandoned the siege and rejoined General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. -
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a short but powerful speech about the Battle of Gettysburg made by President Lincoln regarding the United States as a whole instead of the North or South. -
The Mine Run Campaign
The Mine Run Campaign was Meade's last and failed attempt in 1863 to destroy Lee's Army of Northern Virginia before winter halted military operations. -
Proclamation of Amnesty
On December 8, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln offers his conciliatory plan for reunification of the United States with his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. By this point in the Civil War, it was clear that Lincoln needed to make some preliminary plans for postwar reconstruction. -
The Meridian Campaign
The Meridian campaign or Meridian expedition took place from February 3 – March 6, 1864, from Vicksburg, Mississippi to Meridian, Mississippi, by the Union Army of the Tennessee, led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. Sherman captured Meridian, Mississippi, inflicting heavy damage to it. -
Escape from Libby Prison
After weeks of digging, 109 Union officers made their escape from the notorious Libby Prison, the largest and most sensational escape of the war. Though 48 of the escapees were later captured and two drowned, 59 were able to make their way into Union lines. -
U.S. Grand Promotion
On March 2nd, 1864 Ulysses S. Grant is appointed lieutenant general, a rank revived at the request of President Lincoln. Grant assumes command of all Union Armies in the field the following day. -
Ulysses S. Grant is appointed Lieutenant General
On March 2nd, 1864, Grant is appointed Lieutenant General and assumes command of all Union Armies in the field the following day. -
The Red River Campaign
As part of an overall Union strategy to strike deep into various parts of the Confederacy, a combined force of army and navy commands under General Nathaniel Banks begins a campaign on the Red River in Louisiana. -
Capture of Fort Pillow
After a rapid raid through central and western Tennessee, Confederate cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest attacked and overwhelmed the Union garrison at Fort Pillow, located on the Mississippi River. Among those garrisoning the fort were African American troops, many of whom were murdered by Forrest's angered troopers after they had surrendered. -
Atlanta Campaign
With three Union armies under his command, General William T. Sherman marched south from Tennessee into Georgia against the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Joseph Johnston, the objective being the city of Atlanta. -
Lincoln Nominated Again
June 8th, 1864, Abraham Lincoln is nominated by his party for a second term as President. -
Battle of Cherbourg
The Battle of Cherbourg, or sometimes the Battle off Cherbourg or the Sinking of CSS Alabama, was a single-ship action fought during the American Civil War between a United States Navy warship, USS Kearsarge, and a Confederate States Navy warship, CSS Alabama, on June 19, 1864, off Cherbourg, France. -
General John Bell Hood
General John Bell Hood replaces General Joseph Johnston as commander of the Army of Tennessee. This change in command signals a new Confederate strategy to thwart Sherman's campaign, though the end result will be disastrous for the southern cause. -
Second Battle of Fort Fisher
The Second Battle of Fort Fisher was a successful assault by the Union Army, Navy and Marine Corps against Fort Fisher, south of Wilmington, North Carolina, near the end of the American Civil War in January 1865. -
Battle of Wilmington
The Battle of Wilmington was fought February 11–22, 1865, during the American Civil War, mostly outside the city of Wilmington, North Carolina, between the opposing Union and Confederate Departments of North Carolina. -
Capture of Columbia
The capture of Columbia occurred February 17–18, 1865, during the Carolinas Campaign of the American Civil War. The state capital of Columbia, South Carolina, was captured by Union forces under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman. Much of the city was burned, although it is not clear which side caused the fires. -
Second Inauguration
President Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated for his second term as president in Washington, DC. -
The Battle of Averasboro
The Battle of Averasborough or the Battle of Averasboro, fought March 16, 1865, in Harnett and Cumberland counties, North Carolina, as part of the Carolinas Campaign of the American Civil War, was a prelude to the climactic Battle of Bentonville, which began three days later. -
Battle of Fort Stedman
The Battle of Fort Stedman, also known as the Battle of Hare's Hill, was fought on March 25, 1865, during the final weeks of the American Civil War. The Union Army fortification in the siege lines around Petersburg, Virginia, was attacked in a pre-dawn Confederate assault by troops led by Maj. Gen. John B. -
Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks, on April 1, 1865, was the last major battle of the Petersburg Campaign during the American Civil War. By defeating Confederate infantry under George E. Pickett and cavalry under William H. F. -
Third Battle of Petersburg
The Third Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Breakthrough at Petersburg or the Fall of Petersburg, was fought on April 2, 1865, south and southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, at the end of the 292-day Richmond–Petersburg Campaign -
Battle of Appomattox Court House
The Battle of Appomattox Court House was fought on April 9, 1865, near the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia, and led to Confederate General Robert E. Lee's surrender of his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. -
Lincoln Assassination
On April 14th, 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Fords Theater. -
Fisk University
January 9th, 1866, Fisk University opens in Nashville, Tennessee. -
Wesley College
January 18th, 1866, Wesley College is established in Melbourne. -
Volcanic Eruption
Santorini Caldera, a volcano located in Greece, started to erupt January 26th 1866 and stopped October 15th, 1870. -
First Daylight Bank Robbery
The first daylight bank robbery in United States history during peacetime takes place in Liberty, Missouri. This is considered to be the first robbery committed by Jesse James and his gang, although James's role is disputed. -
Civil Rights Acts
On March 13th, 1866 the United States Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the first federal legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans. -
ASPCA Founded
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh. -
Memphis Riots
The Memphis massacre of 1866 was a series of violent events that occurred from May 1 to 3, 1866 in Memphis, Tennessee. The racial violence was ignited by political and social racism following the American Civil War, in the early stages of Reconstruction. -
Minting of a Nickel
The U.S. Congress approves the minting of a nickel 5-cent coin (nickel), eliminating its predecessor, the half dime. -
Paraguayan War
Paraguay successfully defends Curupayty against the Triple Alliance in the Paraguayan War, killing more than 5,000 with just about 50 casualties. -
Treaty of Vienna
The Treaty of Vienna ends the war between Austria and Italy; it formalizes the annexation of Venetia by Italy. The treaty confirmed the terms of the August 12th Armistice of Cormons, resulting in the transfer of Venetia and most of Friuli to the French Empire. -
African Voters
African-American men are granted the right to vote in the District of Columbia. -
Reconstruction Act of 1867
During Radical Reconstruction, which began the passage of the Reconstruction Act of 1867, newly freed African-Americans gained a voice in government for the first tie in American History. -
University of Illinois Urbana
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign opened on March 2, 1868, and is the second oldest public university in the state, and is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference. -
Alaska is Purchased
The United States agreed to buy Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million on March 30, 1867. Secretary of State William Seward and Russian Minister to the United States Edouard de Stoeckl negotiated the Treaty. It was signed by US President Andrew Johnson and the then Emperor of Russia Tsar Alexander II -
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
In Boston, Massachusetts, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine is established as the first dental school in the United States. -
The United States takes control of Midway Island
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and in particular Midway Atoll, became a potential commodity in the mid-19th century. The United States took formal possession of Midway Atoll in August of 1867 by Captain William Reynolds of the USS Lackawanna. -
Alaska Taken Back
U.S. takes formal possession of Alaska from Russia, paying $7.2 million. -
Medicine Lodge Treaty
The Medicine Lodge Treaty is the overall name for three treaties signed near Medicine Lodge, Kansas, between the Federal government of the United States and southern Plains Indian tribes in October. -
The Grange
The Grange, officially named The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a social organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agriculture. -
Angola Horror
The Angola Horror train wreck occurred on December 18, 1867, just after 3 p.m. when the last coach of the Buffalo-bound New York Express of the Lake Shore Railway derailed at a bridge, slid down into a gorge and caught fire in Angola, New York, United States, killing approximately 49 people.