American Civil War Timeline of Events

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American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25 states supported the federal government...

Timeline of Events

1861

11.8.1861

American Civil War: The "Trent Affair" – The USS San Jacinto stops the United Kingdom mail ship Trent and arrests two Confederate envoys, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the UK and US.

11.20.1861

American Civil War: Secession ordinance is filed by Kentucky's Confederate government.

11.21.1861

American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis appoints Judah Benjamin secretary of war.

12.9.1861

American Civil War: The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War is established by the U.S. Congress.

12.10.1861

American Civil War: the Confederate States of America accept a rival state government's pronouncement that declares Kentucky to be the 13th state of the Confederacy.

12.26.1861

American Civil War: The ''Trent Affair'': Confederate diplomatic envoys James M. Mason and John Slidell are freed by the United States government, thus heading off a possible war between the United States and Britain.

1862

1.19.1862

American Civil War: Battle of Mill Springs

2.6.1862

American Civil War: Ulysses S. Grant gives the United States its first victory of the war, by capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee, known as the Battle of Fort Henry.

2.15.1862

American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Fort Donelson, Tennessee.

2.16.1862

American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Donelson, Tennessee.

2.21.1862

American Civil War: Battle of Valverde fought near Fort Craig in New Mexico Territory.

3.7.1862

American Civil War: Union forces defeat Confederate troops at Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas.

3.8.1862

American Civil War: The iron-clad Ship CSS (formerly USS Merrimack) is launched at Hampton Roads, Virginia.

3.9.1862

American Civil War: The USS Monitor and Ship CSS fight to a draw in the Battle of Hampton Roads, the first battle between two ironclad warships.

3.13.1862

American Civil War: The U.S. federal government forbids all Union army officers to return fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.

3.28.1862

American Civil War: Battle of Glorieta Pass

4.5.1862

American Civil War: The Battle of Yorktown begins.

4.6.1862

American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins – in Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston.

4.7.1862

American Civil War: Battle of Shiloh ends – the Union Army under General Ulysses S. Grant defeats the Confederates near Shiloh, Tennessee.

4.16.1862

American Civil War: The Battle at Lee's Mills in Virginia.

4.24.1862

American Civil War: A flotilla commanded by Union Admiral David Farragut passes two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River on its way to capture New Orleans, Louisiana.

5.11.1862

American Civil War: The ironclad Ship CSS is scuttled in the James River northwest of Norfolk, Virginia.

5.31.1862

American Civil War Peninsula Campaign: Battle of Seven Pines or (Battle of Fair Oaks) – Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston & G. W. Smith engage Union forces under George B. McClellan outside Richmond, Virginia.

6.1.1862

American Civil War, Peninsula Campaign: Battle of Seven Pines (or the Battle of Fair Oaks) ends inconclusively, with both sides claiming victory.

6.4.1862

American Civil War: Confederate troops evacuate Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River, leaving the way clear for Union troops to take Memphis, Tennessee.

6.6.1862

American Civil War: Battle of Memphis

7.1.1862

American Civil War: the Battle of Malvern Hill takes place. It is the final battle in the Seven Days Campaign, part of the George B. McClellan's Peninsula Campaign.

7.23.1862

American Civil War: Henry W. Halleck takes command of the Union Army.

8.6.1862

American Civil War: the Confederate ironclad Ship CSS is scuttled on the Mississippi River after suffering damage in a battle with USS Essex near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

8.9.1862

American Civil War: Battle of Cedar Mountain

8.17.1862

American Civil War: Major General J.E.B. Stuart is assigned command of all the cavalry of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

8.26.1862

American Civil War: the Second Battle of Bull Run begins.

8.28.1862

American Civil War: Second Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of Second Manassas.

8.30.1862

American Civil War - Battle of Richmond: Confederates under Edmund Kirby Smith rout Union forces under General Horatio Wright.

9.1.1862

American Civil War: Battle of Chantilly

9.2.1862

American Civil War: President Abraham Lincoln reluctantly restores Union General George B. McClellan to full command after General John Pope's disastrous defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run.

9.4.1862

Civil War Maryland Campaign: General Robert E. Lee takes the Army of Northern Virginia, and the war, into the North.

9.5.1862

American Civil War: the Potomac River is crossed at White's Ford in the Maryland Campaign.

9.13.1862

American Civil War: Union soldiers find a copy of Robert E. Lee's battle plans in a field outside Frederick, Maryland. It is the prelude to the Battle of Antietam.

9.14.1862

American Civil War: The Battle of South Mountain, part of the Maryland Campaign, is fought.

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