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Confederate States of America Founded
On this day the Confederacy of America was founded. Representatives from 6 seceded states met to form a unified government. After this an extra state joined the Confederacy as well (Texas). -
Jefferson Davis' Inaugural Address
On this day Jefferson Davis gave his Inaugural Address. In his speech Davis states that he wishes to maintain peace between the Union and Confederacy and the reasons he believed caused the secession. -
Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address
On this day Abraham Lincoln gave his first inaugural address as part of taking his Oath of Office. He talked about holding assets belonging to the Union (Such as Fort Sumter), claimed that the Union was undissolvable making secession impossible, and finally that while he had no plans of attack, he wouldn't hesitate to retaliate if there was any attack from the Confederates. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
On this day Confederate General P.G.T. opened fire on Union held Fort Sumter. The Confederates had tried to seize Fort Sumter earlier but the Union Garrison had refused to give up the fort. Eventually, the Union soldiers surrendered the fort. There were no causalities. How fitting for a battle with no blood shed to have spawned the bloodiest war for America. -
First Battle of Bull Run (Battle of First Manassas)
On this day the first major battle of the Civil War happened. 35,000 Union troops faced 20,000 Confederate troops at the river of Bull Run. Eventually, the Confederates brook through the Unions defensive line and sent the Union soldiers into an unorganized retreat. This not only caused a surge of confidence in the south but also showed the north that the war wouldn't be as easy as they thought. -
Battle of Antietam
On this day Confederate general Robert E. Lee faced the Union General George McClellan in Sharpsburg, Maryland. This was Lee's first invasion of the Northern United States, and was the single bloodiest day of the war. Lee eventually took a tactical retreat to Virginia, ended the battle. -
Emancipation Proclamation is Passed
On this day the Emancipation Proclamation was passed. This freed all the slaves in Confederate slave states; however, it did not free slaves in Union slave states. Even with this bill, most slaves in the South never even realized the bill had been passed, and stayed as slaves. -
The Battle Of Vicksburg
On this day new Union general Ulysses S. Grant attacked Vicksburg on May 19th and May 22nd. He was met with such staggering losses that instead of attacking once more he ordered a siege on the city. The Confederate forces endured the effect of being under siege for a whole 47 days before they were forced to surrender. Nearly all 33,000 Confederate soldiers were captured. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
On this day Confederate General Robert E. Lee marched his men into Pennsylvania after a major victory at Chancellorsville. He met resistance by the Union army led by General George G. Meade, in Gettysburg. As Lee took more and more causalities, he was forced to call a retreat into Virginia. This is considered the most important battle of the war, as it was the turning point for the Union. -
Gettysburg Address
On this day the Gettysburg Address was given by Abraham Lincoln. This was a part of the official dedication ceremony for the National Cemetery of Gettysburg. Though Lincoln was not the featured speaker that day, his words would be most remembered of all of the speeches that day. He talked about the equality mentioned in the Deceleration of Independence and about how important the preservation of the Union was. -
March to the Sea
On this day the March to the Sea started. Union general William T. Sherman led around 60,000 soldiers on a 285 mile trek from Atlanta to Savanna, Georgia. The purpose of this march was to frighten Georgia's population, causing them to abandon the Confederates. Sherman's army stole food and drink from settlements they passed and burned the barns of any one who tried to fight back. The march ended on December 21, 1864. -
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
On this day Abraham Lincoln have his Second Inaugural Address as part of his Oath of Office. He talked about what he believed to be the true cause of the war and it's meaning. He mentioned how he had been working too understand this for a long time. -
Battle of Appomattox Court House
On this day Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrender his 28,000 troops to Union Ulysses S. Grant effectively ending the Civil War. Lee had hoped to reach North Carolina and meet up with reinforcements but had no choice but to surrender when his retreat was cut of by Robert E. Lee.
