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Secession
South Carolina endorses an Ordinance of Secession on grounds that threats to slavery by Lincoln are too great -
Inauguration
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated after he is elected in 1860. -
Fort Sumter
Major Robert Anderson surrenders to PGT Beaureguard after his ammunition is empty in Charleston -
Declaration of War
Lincoln proclaims a blockade of southern ports, in which the Supreme Court decided was a declaration of war -
First Battle of Bull Run
Union general Irvin Mcdowell fights PGT Beaureguard at the creek of Bull run near Manassas Junction. The union loses after its troops flee, but the Confederates don't capitalize -
Legal Tender Act
Congress passes this act that allows the treasury to print money. Specifically 450 million dollars in greenbacks -
Battle of Hampton Roads
The new confederate ironclad Virginia fights the Union Monitor, ending in a draw. -
Shiloh
General Albert Johnston attacks Grant at Shiloh in Tennessee. Suprisingly the Union pushes the confederates back to Corinth. -
Conscription
The Confederate government requires all white male citizens 18-35 to serve for three years. You could get out of it either by paying 500 dollars or providing a replacement. -
Battle of 7 Pines
Joseph E Johnston attacks the Union general Mclellan at Fair Oaks, who gets reinforced and the Federals stave off the attackers. General Lee also takes command of the Army of Northern Virginia. -
Antietam
General Mclellan attacks the Confederates and pushes back Robert E Lee into Virginia. It was the bloodiest single day in American history (6400 dead on either side) and ended Lee's northern invasion -
Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln uses this before the final one to warn that on Jan. 1 all slaves will be set free. -
Fredericksburg
Union General Burnside sends the Army of the Potomac to a slaughter house against Lee's forces who were entrenched on the high ground. This hurt morale terribly. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln signs the soon to be 13th amendment, freeing slaves everywhere except in the Union. His excuse was war powers and that it will cripple the South -
Chancelorsville
Robert E Lee fights Joseph Hooker for five days, securing his last major victory. Stonewall Jackson is also killed by friendly fire. -
Gettysburg
Lee stakes everything up the center of the Union at Cemetery Ridge, in effect completing slaughtering his officer Pickett's University Greys and losing the battle. A new cemetery is built for the dead and Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg address based on the battle -
Vicksburg
After 47 days of siege, the Confederates surrender to Grant just before help would arrive from Lee. This split the Confederacy in two by the Missisippi River -
Chattanooga
William Rosecrans of the Federals battles Braxton Bragg's rebels at Chickamuga. He is replaced by George Thomas who is helped by Grant, and they hold off from the end of September to November, taking Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. This was the third great victory of the Union and spelled defeat for the Confederacy. -
Battle of the Wilderness
On Grant's pursuit of Lee, the two opposing armies fought in a forest blindly, making a massacre and a terror to fight in. It wore down the confederates even more and led to other battles in Grant's campaign. -
Cold Harbor
Grant attacks Lee again, but this time it was a grave mistake. The rebels were dug in and in 20 min 7,000 Yankees were killed or wounded. This gave Grant the name the Butcher, but he didn't stop there. -
Battle of Nashville
JB Hood in Tennessee attacked the Federals and got defeated, disentegrating the Confederate Army of Tennessee. It was one of the last major battle -
Columbia
At the end of William T Shermans march throughout the south, he captures and burns the "hellhole of secession" capital; Columbia, South Carolina. It was the last push to break the South's morale and showed how great Sherman's plan had worked out -
Second Inaugural Address
Although there appeared to be an assassination plot, President Lincoln still gave his second address in public. He is the first President to be reelected since andrew Jackson and the speech was more of a sermon to all of the USA. Everyone bore guilt, and what is done is done. In front of a crowd of 35,000 (including John Wilkes Booth), the 700 words of it showed that he wanted peace. "With Malice towards none' with charity for all" -
Appomatox Court House
Finally, after 4 years of war, General Robert E Lee surrenders to Ulysses S Grant at wilmer McLean's home on what is known as Palm Sunday. The Union welcomed back the confederacy as brothers, not the conquered people as Lincoln stated. Although there were some battles afterwards, this was the official end of the Civil War. -
Lincoln's Death
John Wilkes Booth shoots President Abraham Lincoln at the Petersen House during a play. He survives for a little, but eventually succumbs to the head wound. Although there are many conspiracies encircling this event, it was the last time Lincoln would be seen alive, ending his term in office short and his great work undone.
