- January 11
- Naval engagement near Galveston between CSS Alabama and USS Hatteras. [1]
- Union forces capture Arkansas Post, or Fort Hindman, Arkansas. [1]
- January 12
- President Davis delivers his "State of the Confederacy" address. [1]
- January 14
- Battle between gunboats at Bayou Teched, Louisiana. [1]
- January 16
- Cruise of CSS Florida. [1]
- January 17
- President Abraham Lincoln asks Congress in a special message for quick implementation of national banking legislation. [570.62]
- US Congress authorizes another US$100 million in United States Notes. [447.16]
- Civil War skirmish near Newtown, Virginia. [1]
- January 22
- Union General Burnside's "Mud March". [1]
- January 25
- Battle of Kinston, North Carolina. [1]
- General Joseph Hooker replaces Burnside as head of Army of Potomac. [1]
- January 26
- John Sherman introduces the National Currency Act in the US Senate. [473.58]
- War Department authorizes Massachusetts Governor to recruit black troops. [1]
- January 31
- First black Civil War regiment, South Carolina Volunteers, mustered into US army. [1]
- February 24
- Forrest's raid on Brentwood, Tennessee. [1]
- February 25
- US President Abraham Lincoln signs the National Currency Act into law, creating national banking system, comptroller of currency, allowing qualified banks to issue government-sponsored paper money in the banks' names. [421.156] [471.18] [473.86] [602.34]
- February 28
- Confederate raider "Nashville" sinks near Fort McAllister, Georgia. [1]
- March 3
- Congress authorizes the establishment of a branch mint at Carson City in Nevada. [1] [418.77] [481.62] [516.66]
- US Congress authorizes another US$200 million in United States Notes. [447.16]
- Federal ironclad ships bomb Fort McAllister, Georgia. [1]
- First US wartime military conscription bill enacted. [1]
- March 4
- Battle of Thompson's Station, Tennessee. [1]
- March 10
- Congress authorizes additional legal tender notes. [482.38]
- March 17
- Battle of Kelly's Ford, Virginia (211 casualities). [1]
- March 20
- Battle of Pensacola, Florida: evacuated by Federals. [1]
- March 25
- Skirmish at Brentwood, Tennessee. [1]
- March 26
- Voters in West Virginia approve gradual emancipation of slaves. [1]
- April 1
- First wartime conscription law in US goes into effect. [1]
- April 7
- Battle of Charleston, South Carolina; failed Federal fleet attack on Fort Sumter. [1]
- April 10
- Rebel General Earl Van Dorn attacks at Franklin, Tennessee. [1]
- April 11
- Battle of Suffolk, Virginia (Norfleet House). [1]
- April 12
- Gunboat battle at Bayou Teche, Louisiana. [1]
- April 13
- Battle of Irish Bend, Louisiana (Fort Bisland). [1]
- April 17
- Grierson's Raid: La Grange, Tennessee to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. [1]
- April 19
- Union troops/fleet occupy Fort Huger, Virginia. [1]
- April 24
- Skirmish at Okolona/Birmingham, Mississippi (Grierson's Raid). [1]
- April 27
- Battle of Streight's raid: Tuscumbia to Cedar Bluff, Alabama. [1]
- April 29
- Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia (Fredericksburg, Wilderness Tavern). [1]
- May 1
- Edward Dorr Tracy, US Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle at age 29. [1]
- Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia (29,000 injured or died). [1]
- Battle of Port Gibson, Mississippi. [1]
- Confederate "National Flag" replaces "Stars and Bars". [1]
- Confederate congress passes resolution to kill black soldiers. [1]
- May 2
- Stonewall Jackson attacks Chancellorsville, Virginia, wounded by his own men; South defeats North. [1]
- May 3
- Elisha Franklin "Bull" Paxton, US Confederate Brigadier-General, dies at age 35. [1]
- Battle of Chancellorsville - Beaten Union army withdraws. [1]
- Battle of Fredricksburg, Virginia (Marye's Heights). [1]
- Battle of Salem Church, Virginia. [1]
- May 4
- Battle of Chancellorsville ends - Beaten Union army withdraws. [1]
- May 5
- Battle of Tupelo, Mississippi. [1]
- May 7
- Amiel Weeks Whipple, US Union general-major, dies of injuries at age 46. [1]
- May 10
- Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, Confederate General (Civil War), dies from wounds received at Chancellorsville. [1]
- May 12
- Battle of Raymond, Mississippi. [1]
- May 14
- Battle of Jackson, Mississippi. [1]
- May 16
- Lloyd Tilghman, Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle at age 47. [1]
- Battle of Champion's Hill, Mississippi - bloodiest action of Vicksburg Campaign. [1]
- May 17
- Battle of Big Black River Bridge, Mississippi. [1]
- May 19
- Union forces begin attack on Vicksburg's earthwork defences. [1] [701.18]
- May 21
- Siege on Port Hudson, Louisiana, begins. [1]
- May 27
- Edward Payson Chapin, Union Brigadier General, dies at age 31. [1]
- CSS Chattahoochie explodes on Chattahoochie River Georgia, 18 die. [1]
- June 5
- CSS Alabama captures the Tailsman in the Mid Atlantic. [1]
- June 9
- Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia. [1]
- June 10
- Battle of Brice's Crossroads, Mississippi; Forrest with 3500 defeats 8000 Federal troops. [1]
- June 14
- Battle of second Winchester, Virginia. [1]
- June 17
- Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford chartered (first accident insurer). [1]
- Battle of Aldie; Confederates fail to drive back the Union in Virginia. [1]
- June 18
- After long neglect, Confederates hurriedly fortify Vicksburg. [1]
- June 20
- First bank chartered in US (National Bank of Davenport Iowa). [1]
- West Virginia admitted as 35th US state. [1] [646.59]
- June 28
- US President Abraham Lincoln replaces General Joseph Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac with General George Meade. [129]
- June 29
- General Lee orders his forces to concentrate near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. [1]
- July 1
- The Battle of Gettysburg begins in Pennsylvania, as a Confederate division under General Henry Heth clashes with three brigades of Union cavalry. [129]
- July 2
- Day two of the Battle of Gettysburg: General James Longstreet leads the main Confederate attack, but Union forces retain control of their strategic positions. After three hours, the total number of dead at Gettysburg stood at 35,000. [129]
- July 3
- On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate General George Pickett leads a 15,000-man column a mile toward Union positions at Cemetery Ridge, after an hour-long cannon bombardment. But Union artillery and infantry survive, and devastate the attacking force, killing or wounding 7,000 within an hour. [129] [701.20]
- July 4
- Major General Ulysses S. Grant captures Vicksburg, Mississippi. [1] [417.56] [701.20]
- General Robert Lee's army withdraws from Gettysburg, retreating to the South. The Battle of Gettysburg resulted in total casualties of about 48,000. [129]
- July 7
- First military draft by US (exemptions cost $100). [1]
- July 8
- Confederate forces surrender at Port Hudson, Louisiana. [701.20]
- July 9
- Union troops enter Port Hudson. [1]
- July 12
- US President Abraham Lincoln signs into law act establishing the Medal of Honor. [677.28]
- July 13
- Anti-draft mobs lynch blacks in New York City; about 1,000 die. [1]
- July 17
- Battle of Honey Springs, largest battle of war in Indian Territory. [1]
- July 26
- At Salineville, Ohio, John Hunt Morgan and 364 troops surrender. [1]
- July 30
- US President Abraham Lincoln issues "eye-for-eye" order to shoot a rebel prisoner. [1]
- August 1
- Cavalry action near Brandy Station - End of Gettysburg Campaign. [1]
- August 15
- Submarine "HL Hunley" arrives in Charleston on railroad cars. [1]
- August 16
- Emancipation Proclamation signed. [1]
- August 17
- Federal batteries and ships bombard Fort Sumter, Charleston. [1]
- September 6
- After 59 day siege, confederates evacuate Fort Wagner, South Carolina. [1]
- September 7
- Federal naval expedition arrives off Sabine Pass. [1]
- September 8
- 47 Texas volunteers repel Federal invasion force at Sabine Pass, Texas. [1]
- September 19
- Battle of Chickamauga, Tennessee (near Chattanooga) begins; Union retreat. [1]
- September 20
- Civil War Battle of Chickamauga, near Chattanooga, Tennessee, ends. [1]
- September 21
- Union forces retreat to Chattanooga after defeat at Chickamauga. [1]
- September 22
- US President Abraham Lincoln makes his Emancipation Proclamation speech. [1]
- September 23
- Confederate siege of Chattanooga begins. [1]
- September 27
- Jo Shelby's cavalry in action at Moffat's Station, Arkansas. [1]
- November 14
- Bedford Forrest is assigned to command of West Tennessee. [1]
- Skirmish at Danville, Mississippi. [1]
- November 19
- US President Abraham Lincoln delivers his famous Gettysburg Address during the dedication of a new national cemetery at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg. [1] [129]
- November 23
- Battle of Chattanooga begins. [1]
- November 24
- Civil War battle for Lookout Mountain begins in Tennessee. [1]
- November 25
- Battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee. [1]
- December 2
- Thomas Crawford's statue Freedom is placed at the top of the US Capitol building. [456.107] [491.22]
- December 3
- Longstreet abandons his siege at Knoxville, Tennessee. [1]
- December 8
- Abraham Lincoln announces plan for Reconstruction of South. [1]
- December 14
- Battle of Bean's Station - Confederacy repulses Union in Tennessee. [1]
- December 15
- Skirmish at Bean's Station, Tennessee (Knoxville Campaign). [1]
- December 21
- National bank notes are first issued to the American public. [463.42]
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