Chronological History of the Civil War1860
November 6 - Lincoln is elected President
December 3 - Message from Buchanan (President of US), arguing against theright of secession. He expressed doubt of the constitutional power of Congress tomake war upon a state.
December 20 - South Carolina secedes from the Union
1861
January 9 - Confederates fired on the ship "Star of the West" because of reinforcementsbeing brought to Ft. Sumter.
February 18 - Jefferson Davis inaugurated Provisional President of the ConfederateStates, Montgomery, Alabama.
March 4 - Abraham Lincoln inaugurated.
April 12 - Bombardment of Ft. Sumter by Confederates; surrounded by Union forces April 14.
April 18 - Union garrison abandoned Harpers Ferry.
July 21 - First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) ended in the rout of McDowell's Unionforces.
August 10 - Confederates defeat Union at Wilson's Creek, Missouri.
August 20 - Confederates capture Union garrison at Lexington, Missouri.
October 21 - Federal troops defeated at Ball's Bluff, Virginia.
November 7 - Grant forces capture Port Royal, South Carolina.
1862
January 19 - Confederates lose battle at Mill Springs, Kentucky.
February 6 - Union captures Fort Henry, on Tennessee River.
February 8 - Federals capture Roanoke Island, North Carolina.
February 16 - Union captured 15,000 Confederates at Fort Donelson, Tennessee.
February 25 - Confederates abandon Nashville, Tennessee.
March 7-8 - Union wins the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas.
March 8 - CSS Virginia (Merrimack) entered Hampton Roads destroying US warships.
March 9 - CSS Virginia (Merrimack) and USS Monitor meet at Hampton Roads; battle betweenironclas is indecisive.
March 14 - Confederates abandoned New Madrid, Missouri.
March 23 - Sontewall Jackson defeated at Kernstown, Virginia in the first battle of theShenandoah Valley.
April 6-7 - Grant repulsed surprise attack, Shiloh, Tennessee.
April 8 - Island #10 captured by Union, which includes 5,000 Confederates.
April 11 - Fort Pulaski, near Savannah, Georgia, captured by Union troops.
April 16 - Confederate Congress votes draft of men between 18 and 35 (later exemptsowners of at least twenty slaves, or by hiring of a substitute or by payment of $500).
May 4 - McClellan occupied Yorktown, Virginia after Confederate withdrawal.
May 5 - Union army captured Williamsburg, Virginia.
May 8 - Stonewall Jackson defeated Union at McDowell, Virginia.
May 9 - Union forces advanced on Richmond, forcing Confederates to abandon Norfolk.
May 12 - Union troops occupied Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
May 23 - Jackson drives the Union forces from Front Royal, Virginia.
May 25 - Jackson routs Union forces at Winchester, Virginia.
May 31 - June 1 - Battle of Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, Virginia.
June 4 - Confederates evacuated Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
June 6 - Union captured Memphis, Tennessee, after a naval battle.
June 8-9 - Jackson defeated Union at Battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic, Virginia.
June 25-July 1 - Seven Days' Battle with Union retreat at Oak Grove, Mechanicsville,Gaines Mill, Savage Station, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Virginia.
August 9 - Jackson defeated Union army at Cedar Mountain, Virginia.
August 29-30 - Confederates rout John Pope at Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas).
September 5 - Lee's first invasion of the North, crossing the Potomac into Maryland.
September 14 - Battle of South Mountain, Maryland.
September 15 - Jackson wins at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, capturing 12,000 Union troops.
September 17 - Union army attacks Lee at Antietam Creek near Shrpsburg, Maryland (indecisive). Singlebloodiest day of the war.
September 19 - Confederates defeated at Iuka, Mississippi.
October 4 - Battle of Corinth, Mississippi.
October 8 - Battle of Perryville, Kentucky.
December 13 - Union forces defeated with heavy loss at Fredericksburg, Virginia.
December 31 - Battle of Murfreesboro (Stones River), Tennessee begins.
1863
January 1 - Lincoln issued Emancipation Proclamation.
January 2 - Second day of Battle of Murfreesboro (Stones River); Confederates withdrawnext day.April 7 - Union ironclads' attack on Ft. Sumter repulsed.
April 17 - May 2 - Union calvary raids in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi.
May 1 - Grant defeats Confederates at Port Gibson, Mississippi.
May 1-4 - Lee defeated Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville, Virginia. StonewallJackson accidentally shot by hiw own men (died May 10th).
May 12 - Grant defeated Confederates at Raymond, Mississippi.
May 18 - Grant begins siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
June 3 - Lee begins second invasion of the North (from Fredericksburg).
June 28 - Confederates seize York, Pennsylvania.
July 1-3 - Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Confederates retreat.
July 4 - Vicksburg surrendered (30,000 Confederate troops).
July 9 - Port Hudson, Louisiana surrendered to Union.
July 13 - Four-day draft riots by mob of 50,000 in New York City.
July 26 - Confederate raids in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio (July).
September 9 - Union army enters Chattanooga, Tennessee.
September 19-20 - Braxton Bragg won the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia.
November 19 - Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address.
November 24 - Battle of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.
November 25 - Battle of Missionary Ridge.
1864
February 17 - Confederate submarine sinks Union warship off Charleston.
February 20 - Union forces defeated at Olustree, Florida.
March 13 - Red River Campaign in Louisiana begun by Union forces.
April 12 - Confederates recaptured Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
April 17 - Grants stops prisoner exchanges.
April 30 - Confederates defeat Union forces at Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas, forcing themto withdraw to Little Rock.
May 5-6 - Battle of Wilderness, Virginia.
May 8-21 - Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia.
May 13 - Battle of Resaca, Georgia (Sherman approaches Atlanta).
May 15 - Battle of New Market, Virginia.
May 25 - Battle at New Hope Church, Georgia, 4 days' (Paulding County). Known as verybloody battle.
June 1-3 - Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia. Grant severely repulsed.
June 10 - Union forces lose at Brice's Crossroads, Mississippi.
June 18 - Grant begins siege of Petersburg, Virginia.
June 19 - Confederate raider "Alabama" sunk by US warship off Cherbourg, France.
June 27 - Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia.
July 12 - Confederate forces reached outskirts of Washington, D. C.
July 15 - Battle of Tupelo, Mississippi.
July 20 - Battle of Peachtree Creek, Georgia.
July 22 - Battle of Atlanta, Georgia.
July 30 - Battle of the Crater. Confederates holt breakthrough.
August 1 - Admiral Farragut won the Battle of Mobile Bay (for Union).
September 1- Confederates evaculated Atlanta.
September 2 - Sherman occupied Atlanta.
September 4 - Sherman ordered civilians out of Atlanta.
September 19 - Battle of Winchester, Virginia.
October 19 - Confederate raiders from Canada surprise attack on St. Albans, Vermont.
November 15 - Sherman starts march to the sea. (to Savannah)
November 25 - Confederate's plot to burn New York City failed.
November 30 - Battle of Franklin, Tennessee. Five Confederate Generals killed.
December 13 - Sherman captured Ft. McAllister, Savannah, Georgia
December 21 - Sherman occupied Savannah, Georgia.
1865
January 15 - Union forces captured Fort Fisher, which closed off last Confederate port,Wilmington, North Carolina.
January 31 - US abolished slavery.
February 17 - Sherman captured Columbia, South Carolina, burned it, marched towardsNorth Carolina.
February 18 - Ft. Sumter bandoned, while Union army seized Charleston.
March 4 - Lincoln inaugurated President for a second term.
March 13 - Confederate Congress authorized the use of slaves as combat soldiers.
March 19 - Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina.
April 1 - Battle of Five Forks, Virginia.
April 2 - Grant captured Petersburg, Virginia, after 10 months' siege; Confederategovernment evacuated Richmond.
April 6 - Battle of Sayler's Creek, Virginia.
April 9 - Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant at Appomattox CourtHouse, Virginia.
April 14 - President Lincoln shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D. C.,died following day.
April 26 - Johnston's army surrendered to Sherman at Durham, North Carolina.
April 26 - Confederate cabinet met for the last time at Charlotte, North Carolina.
April 26 - Booth killed by Union cavalry near Bowling Green, Virginia.
May 4 - Richard Taylor's forces surrendered, which was the last Confederate army east of Mississippi.
May 13 - Last Battle of war, Palmito Ranch, near Brownsville, Texas.
May 26 - E. Kirby Smith surrendered Confederate Trans-Mississippi Army.
April 17 - May 2 - Union calvary raids in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi.
May 1 - Grant defeats Confederates at Port Gibson, Mississippi.
May 1-4 - Lee defeated Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville, Virginia. StonewallJackson accidentally shot by hiw own men (died May 10th).
May 12 - Grant defeated Confederates at Raymond, Mississippi.
May 18 - Grant begins siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
June 3 - Lee begins second invasion of the North (from Fredericksburg).
June 28 - Confederates seize York, Pennsylvania.
July 1-3 - Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Confederates retreat.
July 4 - Vicksburg surrendered (30,000 Confederate troops).
July 9 - Port Hudson, Louisiana surrendered to Union.
July 13 - Four-day draft riots by mob of 50,000 in New York City.
July 26 - Confederate raids in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio (July).
September 9 - Union army enters Chattanooga, Tennessee.
September 19-20 - Braxton Bragg won the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia.
November 19 - Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address.
November 24 - Battle of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.
November 25 - Battle of Missionary Ridge.
1864
February 17 - Confederate submarine sinks Union warship off Charleston.
February 20 - Union forces defeated at Olustree, Florida.
March 13 - Red River Campaign in Louisiana begun by Union forces.
April 12 - Confederates recaptured Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
April 17 - Grants stops prisoner exchanges.
April 30 - Confederates defeat Union forces at Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas, forcing themto withdraw to Little Rock.
May 5-6 - Battle of Wilderness, Virginia.
May 8-21 - Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia.
May 13 - Battle of Resaca, Georgia (Sherman approaches Atlanta).
May 15 - Battle of New Market, Virginia.
May 25 - Battle at New Hope Church, Georgia, 4 days' (Paulding County). Known as verybloody battle.
June 1-3 - Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia. Grant severely repulsed.
June 10 - Union forces lose at Brice's Crossroads, Mississippi.
June 18 - Grant begins siege of Petersburg, Virginia.
June 19 - Confederate raider "Alabama" sunk by US warship off Cherbourg, France.
June 27 - Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia.
July 12 - Confederate forces reached outskirts of Washington, D. C.
July 15 - Battle of Tupelo, Mississippi.
July 20 - Battle of Peachtree Creek, Georgia.
July 22 - Battle of Atlanta, Georgia.
July 30 - Battle of the Crater. Confederates holt breakthrough.
August 1 - Admiral Farragut won the Battle of Mobile Bay (for Union).
September 1- Confederates evaculated Atlanta.
September 2 - Sherman occupied Atlanta.
September 4 - Sherman ordered civilians out of Atlanta.
September 19 - Battle of Winchester, Virginia.
October 19 - Confederate raiders from Canada surprise attack on St. Albans, Vermont.
November 15 - Sherman starts march to the sea. (to Savannah)
November 25 - Confederate's plot to burn New York City failed.
November 30 - Battle of Franklin, Tennessee. Five Confederate Generals killed.
December 13 - Sherman captured Ft. McAllister, Savannah, Georgia
December 21 - Sherman occupied Savannah, Georgia.
1865
January 15 - Union forces captured Fort Fisher, which closed off last Confederate port,Wilmington, North Carolina.
January 31 - US abolished slavery.
February 17 - Sherman captured Columbia, South Carolina, burned it, marched towardsNorth Carolina.
February 18 - Ft. Sumter bandoned, while Union army seized Charleston.
March 4 - Lincoln inaugurated President for a second term.
March 13 - Confederate Congress authorized the use of slaves as combat soldiers.
March 19 - Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina.
April 1 - Battle of Five Forks, Virginia.
April 2 - Grant captured Petersburg, Virginia, after 10 months' siege; Confederategovernment evacuated Richmond.
April 6 - Battle of Sayler's Creek, Virginia.
April 9 - Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant at Appomattox CourtHouse, Virginia.
April 14 - President Lincoln shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D. C.,died following day.
April 26 - Johnston's army surrendered to Sherman at Durham, North Carolina.
April 26 - Confederate cabinet met for the last time at Charlotte, North Carolina.
April 26 - Booth killed by Union cavalry near Bowling Green, Virginia.
May 4 - Richard Taylor's forces surrendered, which was the last Confederate army east of Mississippi.
May 13 - Last Battle of war, Palmito Ranch, near Brownsville, Texas.
May 26 - E. Kirby Smith surrendered Confederate Trans-Mississippi Army.