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Election of Lincoln
Election of President Abraham Lincoln. -
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States Seceded from the Union
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States Seceded from the Union
- South Carolina- December 20th,1860.
- Mississippi- January 9th, 1861.
- Florida- January 10th, 1861.
- Alabama- January 11th, 1861.
- Georgia- January 19th, 1861.
- Louisiana- January 26th, 1861.
- Texas- February 1st, 1861.
- Virginia- April 17th, 1861.
- Arkansas- May 6th, 1861.
- Tennessee- May 6th, 1861.
- North Carolina- May 20th, 1861.
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Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America is formed and Jefferson Davis is named its President. -
Battle of Shiloh
Grant’s April 7th counteroffensive overpowered the weakened Confederate forces and Beauregard’s army retired from the field. The two day battle at Shiloh produced more than 23,000 casualties and was the bloodiest battle in American history at its time. -
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Battle of Shiloh
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Attack on Fort Sumter by the Confederacy
At 4:30 AM Confederates under General Pierre Beauregard open fire with 50 cannons upon Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The Civil War begins. -
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Attack on Fort Sumter by the Confederacy
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Fort Sumter Surrenders
The surrender of Fort Sumter to the Confederacy. -
First Battle of Bull Run or First Manassas
The Union Army under Gen. Irvin McDowell suffers a defeat at Bull Run 25 miles southwest of Washington. Confederate Gen. Thomas J. Jackson earns the nickname "Stonewall," as his division resists Union attacks. Union troops fall back to Washington. President Lincoln realizes the war will be long. -
General Ulysses S. Grant
General Ulysses S. Grant gets Union victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in Tennesse. -
Battle of the Ironclads
The Confederate Ironclad 'Merrimac' sinks two wooden Union ships then battles the Union Ironclad 'Monitor' to a draw. Naval warfare is thus changed forever, making wooden ships obsolete. Engraving of the Battle In March - The Peninsular Campaign begins as McClellan's Army of the Potomac advances from Washington down the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay to the peninsular south of the Confederate Capital of Richmond, Virginia then begins an advance toward Richmond. -
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Battle of the Ironclads
The Confederate Ironclad sinks two wooden Union ships then battles the Union Ironclad 'Monitor' to a draw. Naval warfare is changed forever, making wooden ships go out of use. Engraving of the Battle In March - The Peninsular Campaign begins as McClellan's Army of the Potomac advances from Washington down the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay to the peninsular south of the Confederate Capital of Richmond, Virginia then begins an advance toward Richmond. -
David Farragut and the Union Navy
David Farragut and the Union Navy captures the seaport of New Orleans. -
General Robert E. Lee
General Robert E. Lee is given command of the Army of Northern Virginia. -
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The 7 Days Battle
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7 Days Battle
The Seven Days Battles as Lee attacks McClellan near Richmond, resulting in very heavy losses for both armies. McClellan then begins a withdrawal back toward Washington. -
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Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas
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Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas
75,000 Federals under Gen. John Pope are defeated by 55,000 Confederates under Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Gen. James Longstreet at the second battle of Bull Run in northern Virginia. Once again the Union Army retreats to Washington. The president then relieves Pope. -
Battle of Antietam
The bloodiest day in U.S. military history as Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Armies are stopped at Antietam in Maryland by McClellan and numerically superior Union forces. By nightfall 26,000 men are dead, wounded, or missing. Gen. then withdraws to Virginia. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Army of the Potomac under Gen. Burnside suffers a costly defeat at Fredericksburg in Virginia with a loss of 12,653 men after 14 frontal assaults on well entrenched Rebels on Marye's Heights. Confederate losses are 5,309. -
Union passes law
The Union enacts or passes a law creating the first military draft of men into the army. -
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Battle of Chancellorsville
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Battle of Chancellorsville
The Union Army under Gen. Hooker is decisively defeated by Lee's much smaller forces at the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia as a result of Lee's brilliant and daring tactics. Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded by his own soldiers. Hooker retreats. Union losses are 17,000 killed, wounded and missing out of 130,000. The Confederates, 13, 000 out of 60,000. "I just lost confidence in Joe Hooker," said Hooker later about his own lack of nerve during the battle. -
"Stonewall" Jackson Dies
Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson dies, -
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The Fall or Capture of Vicksburg
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The Fall or Capture of Vicksburg
In May and June of 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s armies converged on Vicksburg, investing the city and entrapping a Confederate Army. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations. This was the highest point of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. With the loss of Pemberton’s army and this vital stronghold on the Mississippi, The Confederacy was effectively split in half. Grant's successes in the West boosted his reputation. -
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Battle of Gettysburg
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Battle of Gettysburg
The tide of war turns against the South as the Confederates are defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. -
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Confederate Prisoner of War Camp Andersonville
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Battle at the Wilderness or The Wilderness Campaign
Over the course of two days, the two armies fought to a bloody stalemate, inaugurating a new era of violence in the war in the East. Though badly bloodied in the fighting, the Federals continued their march to the south. -
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Battles at the Wilderness or The Wilderness Campaign
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Battle at Sportsylvania
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Battle at Spotsylvania
Following the Battle of the Wilderness, Grant marched the Union army south with the hope of capturing Spotsylvania Court House. Lee's Confederates managed to get ahead of the Federals and block the road. For the next two weeks, the two armies fouhgt in some of the fiercest fighting of the Civil War. -
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Battle at Cold Harbor
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Battle at Cold Harbor
A costly mistake by Grant results in 7,000 Union casualties in twenty minutes during an offensive against fortified Rebels at Cold Harbor in Virginia. -
Battle at Petersburg
Beginning after the unsuccessful attack of the city of Petersburg by Ulysses S. Grant, Grant then construction trenches around the eastern portion of Richmond to the outskirts of Petersburg. The city was a major supply hub to the confederate army led by Robert E. Lee, who finally abandoned the city in 1865 and retreated, which led afterward to his ultimate surrender at Appomattox Court House. -
Confederate Prisoner of War Camp Andersonville
The opening of the Confederate prisoner of war camp Andersonville. -
President Lincoln is Re-elected
President Lincoln is re-elected for a 2nd term. -
Union General William T. Sherman
Union General William T. Sherman burns Atlanta, Georgia to the ground and begins his March to the Sea. -
Union General William T. Sherman finishes his March
Union General William T. Sherman finishes his March to the Sea and captures Savannah, Georgia. -
Confederate Capitol is Captured
The Confederate capitol of Richmond, Virginia falls or is captured by the Union Army. -
Confederacy and General Robert E. Lee Surrender
The Confederacy and General Robert E. Lee surrender to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Virgnia. -
Lincoln Dies and Andrew Johnson Steps In
President Lincoln dies and Vice President Andrew Johnson takes over as President of the U.S.
