What was going on in 1864

The Union victory weakened the Confederate hold on the state. February 6, Surrender of Fort Henry, Tennessee. The loss of this southern fort on the Tennessee River opened the door to Union control of the river.

A Confederate defeat, the battle resulted in Union occupation of eastern North Carolina and control of Pamlico Sound, to be used as Northern base for further operations against the southern coast. February 16, Surrender of Fort Donelson, Tennessee. This primary southern fort on the Cumberland River left the river in Union hands. It was here that Union General Ulysses S. Grant gained his nickname "Unconditional Surrender". The Union victory loosened the Confederate hold on Missouri and disrupted southern control of a portion of the Mississippi River.

Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, a veteran of the Texas War of Independence and the War with Mexico considered to be one of the finest officers the South has, is killed on the first day of fighting. On April 25, the fleet arrived at New Orleans where they demanded the surrender of the city.

Within two days the forts fall into Union hands and the mouth of the great river is under Union control. May 25, - First Battle of Winchester, Virginia. After two weeks of maneuvering and battles at Cross Keys and Front Royal, General "Stonewall" Jackson attacks Union forces at Winchester and successfully drives them from the city. The victory is the culmination of his Valley Campaign.

Lee who renames his command the "Army of Northern Virginia". June 6, Battle of Memphis, Tennessee. A Union flotilla under Commodore Charles Davis successfully defeats a Confederate river force on the Mississippi River near the city and Memphis surrenders.

The Mississippi River is now in Union control except for its course west of Mississippi where the city of Vicksburg stands as the last southern stronghold on the great river. August , The Battle of Second Bull Run or Second Manassas is fought on the same ground where one year before, the Union army was defeated and sent reeling in retreat to Washington. Likewise, the result of this battle is a Union defeat.

The result of the battle ends General Lee's first invasion of the North. Following the Union victory, President Lincoln will introduce the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order that freed every slave in the Confederate States. December 13, The Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Army of the Potomac, under General Ambrose Burnside, is soundly defeated by Lee's forces after a risky river crossing and sacking of the city.

January 1, The Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect. Applauded by many abolitionists including Frederick Douglass , there are others who feel it does not go far enough to totally abolish slavery. March 3, Conscription, or the drafting of soldiers into military service, begins in the North.

It had begun in the South the year before. In the west, a Union army has begun a campaign to surround and take Vicksburg, Mississippi, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. May , - The Battle of Chancellorsville , Virginia.

General Lee's greatest victory is marred by the mortal wounding of "Stonewall" Jackson, who dies on May Soon after, Lee asks Jefferson Davis for permission to invade the North and take the war out of Virginia. May 18, - Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi begins. Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant attack Confederate defenses outside the city on May If Vicksburg falls, the Mississippi River will be completely controlled by the Union.

Union cavalry forces cross the Rapidan River to attack General J. Stuart's cavalry and discover that Lee's men are moving west toward the Shenandoah Valley. The largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, it also marks the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign. Meanwhile, the Union assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi has become a siege of the city where soldiers and civilians alike suffer from constant bombardment. June , - Battle of Second Winchester,Virginia. June 28, - The Gettysburg Campaign continues.

Confederates pass through York and reach the bridge over the Susquehanna River at Columbia, but Union militia set fire to the bridge, denying access to the east shore. Southern cavalry skirmishes with Union militia near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. July - The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War dashes Robert E. Lee's hopes for a successful invasion of the North.

The capture of Vicksburg gives the Union complete control of the Mississippi River, a vital supply line for the Confederate states in the west. At Gettysburg, Lee begins his retreat to Virginia. July , - Union naval and land forces attack Confederate defenses near Charleston, South Carolina.

Among the Union troops is the 54 th Massachusetts Colored Infantry, the first African American regiment of volunteers to see combat. July 13, - Draft Riots begin in New York City and elsewhere as disgruntled workers and laborers, seething over the draft system that seemingly favors the rich, attack the draft office and African American churches.

The riots continue through July Leading the Union infantry charge is the 54 th Massachusetts Colored Infantry commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw who is killed and buried with the dead of his regiment.

August 21, - Sacking of Lawrence, Kansas. In a murderous daylight raid, Confederate and Missouri guerillas under William Clarke Quantrill storm into Lawrence and destroy most of the town. Approximately men and boys are murdered by Quantrill's men. September 19 , - The Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia. Rosecrans' army retreats to the supply base at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Confederate forces under Braxton Bragg surround the occupied city. General Ulysses S. Grant is assigned to command the troops there and begins immediate plans to relieve the besieged Union army.

October 5, - Outside of Charleston Harbor, the Confederate David , a partially submerged, steam powered vessel, attacked the New Ironsides , part of the Union fleet blockading the harbor, with a torpedo. Both ships survived the attack, though the commander of the David and one of his crew were captured.

October 9 , - Bristoe Station Campaign. Lee successfully outmaneuvers Meade though fails to bring him to battle or catch him in the open. An engagement at Bristoe Station, Virginia, on October 14 gives the campaign its name. President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address. November 23 , - The Battle for Chattanooga. Union forces break the Confederate siege of the city in successive attacks.

David J. When Lincoln first ran for president in , it was his Republican Party that had a stronghold in the north , and the Democratic Party that had found popularity in the south. Even so, for the election, the Republican Party decided to join forces with some Democrats to form the National Union Party.

In contrast, McClellan said his only condition for ending the war would be that the Confederate states rejoined the Union. Whether or not slavery continued—as well as the fate of black Americans—was not a priority for McClellan or the Democratic Party.

It was the fact that in the two months before the election, the Union achieved major military victories by capturing Atlanta and winning a major battle in the Shenandoah Valley. These military victories boosted morale among both civilian and military voters. Union Army soldiers lining up to vote during the American Civil War, In order to pull off the election, the Union needed a way for soldiers stationed far from their homes to vote.

To this end, most northern states passed new laws allowing soldiers to cast absentee votes from military camps. However, because soldiers were more likely to vote for their current commander-in-chief, there were some partisan attempts to suppress their votes.

Tennessee schedules a referendum for June 8 May 13 - U. Beauregard takes command of Confederate forces in northern Virginia June 8 - Tennessee voters approve referendum to secede June 10 - Engagement at Big Bethel, Virginia June 16 - Thaddeus Lowe demonstrates the potential of hot air balloons to the government in Washington, D.

Navy, USS St. Army November 2 - General John C. Benjamin confirmed as Confederate Secretary of War. Stanton confirmed as U. Seddon replaces George W. Hood replaces J. October 13 - Confederate Colonel John S. Johnston opposes Sherman's march through the Carolinas January 31 - U.