Events Calendar
January 1861 -- The South Secedes
03/31/2013 17:12
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....
March 1861 -- Lincoln's Inauguration
03/31/2013 17:10
March 1861 -- Lincoln's Inauguration,
At Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 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.
April 1861 -- Attack on Fort Sumter/Four More States Join the Confederacy
03/31/2013 17:09
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; the commander of the fort, Robert Anderson, was asked to surrender immediately. Anderson...
June 1861 -- West Virginia Is Born/Four Slave States Stay in the Union
03/31/2013 17:08
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.
Four Slave States Stay in the Union.
Despite their...
July 1861 -- A Blockade of the South/General McDowell Is Replaced/First Battle of Bull Run
03/31/2013 16:46
July 1861 -- 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...
January 1862 -- Abraham Lincoln Takes Action
03/31/2013 16:41
January 1862 -- Abraham Lincoln Takes Action,
On January 27, President Lincoln issued a war order authorizing the Union to launch a unified aggressive action against the Confederacy. General McClellan ignored the order.
April 1862 -- The Battle of Shiloh/ Fort Pulaski, Georgia/ New Orleans/ The Peninsular Campain
03/31/2013 16:40
April 1862 -- The Battle of Shiloh/ Fort Pulaski, Georgia/ New Orleans/ The Peninsular Campain,
On April 6, Confederate forces attacked Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant at Shiloh, Tennessee. By the end of the day, the federal troops were almost defeated. Yet, during the...
May 1862 -- "Stonewall" Jackson Defeats Union Forces/March 1862 -- McClellan Loses Command
03/31/2013 16:36
May 1862 -- "Stonewall" Jackson Defeats Union Forces,
Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, commanding forces in the Shenandoah Valley, attacked Union forces in late March, forcing them to retreat across the Potomac. As a result, Union troops were rushed to protect Washington,...
June 1862 -- The Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks)
03/31/2013 16:35
June 1862 -- The Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks),
On May 31, the Confederate army attacked federal forces at Seven Pines, almost defeating them; last-minute reinforcements saved the Union from a serious defeat. Confederate commander Joseph E. Johnston was severely wounded, and command of the Army...
July 1862 -- The Seven Days' Battles/ A New Commander of the Union Army
03/31/2013 16:33
July 1862 -- The Seven Days' Battles/ A New Commander of the Union Army,
Between June 26 and July 2, Union and Confederate forces fought a series of battles: Mechanicsville (June 26-27), Gaines's Mill (June 27), Savage's Station (June 29), Frayser's Farm (June 30), and Malvern Hill (July 1). On...
https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/tl1861.html