TimeLineoftheCivilWar

ByJuliaSanford
November6,1860AbrahamLincolniselectedpresident.He
received180of303possibleelectoralvotesand40percentofthe
popularvote.

December20,1860SouthCarolinasecedesfromtheUnion.
FollowedwithintwomonthsbyMississippi,Florida,Alabama,
Georgia,LouisianaandTexas.

February9,1861TheConfederateStatesofAmericaisformed
withJeffersonDavisaspresident.

April12,1861At4:30a.m.ConfederatesattackFortSumterin
Charleston,SouthCarolina.TheCivilWarbegins.

April15,1861PresidentLincolnissuesaProclamationcalling
for75,000militiamen,andsummoningaspecialsessionof
CongressforJuly4.

April17,1861VirginiasecedesfromtheUnion,followedwithin
fiveweeksbyArkansas,Tennessee,andNorthCarolina,thus
forminganelevenstateConfederacywithapopulationof9
million,includingnearly4millionslaves.TheUnionwillsoon
have21statesandapopulationofover20million.

April19,1861PresidentLincolnissuesaProclamationof
BlockadeagainstSouthernports.Forthedurationofthewarthe
blockadelimitstheabilityoftheSouthtostaywellsuppliedinits
waragainsttheindustrializedNorth.
April20,1861RobertE.Leeresignshiscommissioninthe
UnitedStatesArmy.LeethengoestoRichmond,Virginia,and
becomesthecommanderofmilitaryforcesofVirginia.

July21,1861TheUnionArmyunderGen.IrvinMcDowellis
defeatedatBullRunbyConfederateGen.ThomasJ.Jackson(who
earnsthenickname"Stonewall,"ashisbrigaderesistsUnion
attacks.

February6,1862VictoryforGen.UlyssesS.Grantin
Tennessee,capturingFortHenry,andtendayslaterFortDonelson.
Grantearnsthenickname"UnconditionalSurrender"Grant.

March8/9,1862TheConfederateIronclad'Merrimac'sinkstwo
woodenUnionshipsthenbattlestheUnionIronclad'Monitor'toa
draw.Navalwarfareisthuschangedforever,makingwoodenships
obsolete.

April6/7,1862ConfederateArmysurpriseattacksUnionforces
atShilohontheTennesseeRiver.13,000Unionarekilledand
woundedand10,000Confederates,morementhaninallprevious
Americanwarscombined.

April24,186217UnionshipsmoveuptheMississippiRiver
andtakeNewOrleans,theSouth'sgreatestseaport.

June1,1862Gen.RobertE.Leeassumescommandof
Confederateforces,replacingthewoundedJohnston.Leethen
renameshisforcetheArmyofNorthernVirginia.
June25July1TheSevenDaysBattlesasLeeattacksUnion
forcesnearRichmond,resultinginveryheavylossesforboth
armies.UnionforceswithdrawbacktowardWashington.

August29/30,186275,000Unionsoldiers,underGen.John
Pope,aredefeatedby55,000ConfederatessoldiersunderGen.
StonewallJacksonandGen.JamesLongstreetatthesecondbattle
ofBullRuninnorthernVirginia.OnceagaintheUnionArmy
retreatstoWashington.
September17,1862ThebloodiestdayinU.S.militaryhistoryas
Gen.RobertE.LeeandtheConfederateArmiesarestoppedat
AntietaminMarylandbyMcClellanandnumericallysuperior
Unionforces.Bynightfall26,000menaredead,wounded,or
missing.

January1,1863PresidentLincolnissuesthefinalEmancipation
ProclamationfreeingallslavesinterritoriesheldbyConfederates
andemphasizestheenlistingofblacksoldiersintheUnionArmy.
ThewartopreservetheUnionnowbecomesarevolutionary
strugglefortheabolitionofslavery.

July13,1863ThetideofwarturnsagainsttheSouthasthe
ConfederatesaredefeatedattheBattleofGettysburgin
Pennsylvania.

July4,1863Vicksburg,thelastConfederatestrongholdonthe
MississippiRiver,surrenderstoGen.GrantandtheArmyofthe
Westafterasixweeksiege.

November19,1863PresidentLincolndeliversatwominute
GettysburgAddressataceremonydedicatingtheBattlefieldasa
NationalCemetery.
November2325,1863TheRebelsiegeofChattanoogaendsas
UnionforcesunderGrantdefeatthesiegearmyofGen.Braxton
Bragg.

March9,1864PresidentLincolnappointsGen.Grantto
commandallofthearmiesoftheUnitedStates.

May4,1864Thebeginningofamassive,coordinatedcampaign
involvingalltheUnionArmies.InVirginia,GrantwithanArmy
of120,000beginsadvancingtowardRichmondtoengageLee's
ArmyofNorthernVirginia,nownumbering64,000,beginninga
warofattritionthatwillincludemajorbattlesattheWilderness
(May56),Spotsylvania(May812),andColdHarbor(June13).
Inthewest,Sherman,with100,000menbeginsanadvancetoward
AtlantatoengageJosephE.Johnston's60,000strongArmyof
Tennessee.

November8,1864AbrahamLincolnisreelectedpresident,
defeatingDemocratGeorgeB.McClellan.

November15,1864AfterdestroyingAtlanta'swarehousesand
railroadfacilities,Sherman,with62,000menbeginsaMarchto
theSea.

December21,1864ShermanreachesSavannah,Georgialeaving
behinda300milelongpathofdestruction60mileswideallthe
wayfromAtlanta.ShermanthentelegraphsLincoln,offeringhim
SavannahasaChristmaspresent.

January31,1865TheU.S.CongressapprovestheThirteenth
AmendmenttotheUnitedStatesConstitution,toabolishslavery.
Theamendmentisthensubmittedtothestatesforratification.
April9,1865Gen.RobertE.LeesurrendershisConfederate
ArmytoGen.UlyssesS.GrantatthevillageofAppomattoxCourt
HouseinVirginia.