The Civil War-1861-1865
1862 Timeline (Con't)
September 17, 1862-Antietam aka Battle of Sharpsburg: General McClellan, caught Lee's Confederate forces near Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 17th. It was the bloodiest battle of the war, with 2,108 Union soldiers dead and 9,549 wounded. The Confederates suffered losses of 2,700 killed and 9,029 wounded. The battle was a virtual draw, but because General Lee withdrew his forces to Virginia, McClellan was considered the victor. Lincoln was disappointed in McClellen's over cautious actions that resulted in a draw, versus an overwhelming victory. McClellan would be replaced.
The battle convinced the British and French, who were contemplating official recognition of the Confederacy, to reserve action. This gave President Lincoln, the opportunity to announce his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation (September 22), which would free all slaves in areas rebelling against the United States, effective January 1, 1863.
December 1862-The Battle of Fredericksburg: General McClellan's slow movements at Sharpsburg, combined with General Lee's escape, and continued raiding by Confederate cavalry, dismayed many in the North. On November 7, Lincoln replaced McClellan with Major-General Ambrose E. Burnside. Burnside's forces were defeated in a series of attacks against entrenched Confederate forces at Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Burnside was replaced with General Joseph Hooker.
1863 Timeline
January 1863-Emancipation Proclamation: ... In 1861, Congress had passed an act stating that all slaves employed against the Union were to be considered free. In 1862, another act stated that all slaves of men who supported the Confederacy were to be considered free. Lincoln, aware of the public's growing support of abolition, issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring that all slaves in areas still in rebellion were, in the eyes of the federal government, free.
March 1863-The First Conscription Act: The Unions Conscription Act, was passed in order to recruit men between the ages of 20 and 45, for military service. A section of the act, stating that service could be avoided by paying a fee or finding a substitute, was seen as unfair to the poor. The South provided a similar act for recruitment. Riots broke out in both the North and the South, in working class neighborhoods.
April 30-May 6 1863-The Battle of Chancellorsville: An overwhelming Union force, led by Maj. Gen. Joesph Hooker, fought a much smaller Confederate army commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee. The battle proved Lee's abilities and Hookers timid performance, resulting in a Union defeat. Lee's victory was tempered by the loss of Stonewall Jackson during the battle.
Civil War Timeline-1863 (Con't)
Sources/Credits
Excerpts from Wikipedia.org-Civil War Battles
Civil War Battles
Excerpts from, Time Line of the Civil War-1861
Compiled by Joanne Freeman with a special debt to the Encyclopedia of American History by Richard B. Morris.
Library of Congress
Lincoln-McClellan at Sharpsburg-1862-
LC-DIG-cwpb-04351
