The Civil War-1861-1865
1861 Timeline (Con't) Timeline
November 1861-Battle of Port Royal: In one the first naval operations of the war, Captain Samuel DuPont's warships, in conjunction with the U.S. Army, silenced Confederate guns at Fort Walker and Fort Beauregard. The victory enabled General Thomas W. Sherman's troops to occupy Port Royal, then all the island's of South Carolina.
Winter Quarters 1861: Following the Battle of Leesburg on October 21, major offensive action was halted in the eastern theater, as both armies went into winter quarters.
1862 Timeline
January 1862-Lincoln orders action against the Confederacy: President Lincoln issues orders on 27 January, authorizing the Union to take aggressive action against the Confederacy. General McClellan for some reason, ignores the order to proceed.
March 1862-McClellan Relieved of Command: President Lincoln relieved General McClellan of command on the 8th of March, because of his inactivity, and ordered the reorganization of the Army of Virginia. McClellan was given command of the Army of the Potomac, and ordered to attack Richmond, which was the beginning of the Peninsular Campaign.
March 8-9, 1862-Battle of the Monitor and Merrimac-aka Battle of Hampton Roads: The first naval battle between two ironclad ships. The first day of battle, saw the C.S.S. Virginia, sink two wooden Union ships and threaten a third-the U.S.S. Minnesota. The next day, the Virginia showed up, to destroy the Minnesota, but was met by the Monitor. The two ships fought for three hours, without doing damage to either one. Both ships retreated, Virginia to it's docks and the Monitor in defense of the Minnesota. Neither ship fought again. It was the end of wooden-hulled ships and the beginning of naval guns that could fire in all directions.
April 6-7, 1862-Battle of Shiloh: A Union army, under command of Major General Ulysses. S. Grant was encamped on the West bank of the Tennessee River called Pittsburgh Landing. A Confederate force under command of General Johnston and P.G.T Beauregard, launched a surprise attack, nearly defeating the Union forces on the first day. Reinforcements for the Union showed up that night, eventually helping to defeat the Confederates. The two day battle, was the costliest in U.S. history up to that time. Union causalities were 1,754 killed, 8,408 wounded, with 2,885 missing in action. The Confederates suffered 1,728 killed, 8,012 wounded and 959 missing or captured.
Battle of Fort Pulaski, Georgia: Fort Pulaski was an imposing masonry structure, located near the mouth of the Savannah River. It was a federal fort, that had been seized by a volunteer militia following the secession of Georgia. Union forces under Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore bombarded the fort into submission in less than two days time. A major technical advance at the time, was the use of the 30-pounder Parrott rifle-a rifled canon which fired further than the smooth bores that were currently in use. The use of the new canon, made masonry fortifications obsolete.
Civil War Timeline-1862 (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
Manse George Cabin, by Josh Clemons-
Shiloh National Military Park