1 8 6 2

JANUARY

  1.Mason and Slidell left Fort Warren for England, in the British steamer Rinaldo.
11. Simon Cameron resigned as Secretary of War, and E.M. Stanton appointed.
19. Battle of Millsprings, Ky., General Zollicoffer, C.S.A., killed.
23. The second stone fleet sunk in Charleston Harbor.
31. Congress passed an act giving the President the authority to take possession of all the railroads and telegraph lines in the United States whenever he thought the public safety required it.

FEBRUARY

  3. Confederate steamer Nashville allowed to leave Southampton, England, and the Union gunboat Tuscarora detained twenty-four hours, until the Nashville escaped.
  5. Jesse D. Bright, of Indiana, expelled from the United States Senate.
  8. Battle of Roanoke Island, General Burnside captured six forts, taking about 3,000 small arms and destroying all the Confederate fleet except two vessels; 2,500 prisoners and a large quantity of ammunition captured.
  9. Gen. C.P. Stone arrested for treason and sent to Fort Lafayette.
13. General Curtis took possession of Springfield, Mo.
16. Tennessee Iron Works, near Dover, destroyed by the United States gunboat St. Louis.
17. Two Confederate regiments of Tennesseeans, unaware of the capture of Fort Donelson, marched into the fort with colors flying and drums beating to reinforce Floyd and Pillow, and were all taken prisoners.
22. Jefferson Davis inaugurated president, and A.H. Stephens, vice-president, of the Southern Confederacy.
23. Forty-two officers and men of the Missouri Cavalry poisoned at Fayetteville, Ark., by a quantity of poisoned meal left behind by the Confederates.
25. Nashville, Tenn., occupied by Union troops.

MARCH

  3. Gen. R.E. Lee's Army called to Richmond, Va.
  4. Andrew Johnson appointed military governor of Tennessee.
  5. Gen. G.T. Beauregard assumes command of the Confederate Army of the Mississippi.
  6. President Lincoln recommended that the Government cooperate with any State that would abolish slavery, by giving whatever pecuniary aid was necessary to compensate them for the inconvenience of the change.
  8. The Army of the Potomac was divided into five corps by order of the President, the first commanded by Major-General Sumner, the second by Major-General McDowell, the third by Brigadier-General Heintzelman, the fourth by Brigadier-General Keyes, and the fifth by Major-General Banks. Confederate steamers Merrimac, Jamestown, and Yorktown attacked the Union fleet in Hampton Roads, destroying the Cumberland and Congress, and damaging several other vessels.
  9. Duel of the Monitor and Merrimac in Hampton Roads. After three hours' fighting the Merrimac was towed under the protection of the battery at Sewell's Point, but did not renew the contest. The Monitor was uninjured.
11. General McClellan relieved of the command of the armies of the United States, but retained command of the Army of the Potomac.
11-12 Winchester, Va., abandoned by Confederates and occupied by Union forces.
13. Gen. R.E. Lee charged with the military operations of the armies of the Confederacy.
14. Brigadier-General Rosecrans assumed command of the Mountain Department.
16. General Garfield, with 600 Ohio and Kentucky Volunteers, surprised and routed the enemy at Pound Gap, Tenn., burned the camp, with arms and munitions, and returned without loss or damage to a single man.
17. Embarkation of the Army of the Potomac for the Peninsula commenced at Alexandria, Va.
18. Jefferson Davis recommended that all paroled Confederate soldiers be released from parole and compelled to reenter the service.
20. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler assumed command of the Department of the Gulf.
24. Anti-Secession meeting at Jacksonville, Fla, which condemned the State Secession convention.
29. Maj. Gen. John A. Dix assigned to command of the Middle Department, headquarters at Baltimore, Md.

APRIL

  2. All United States recruiting officers ordered to return to their respective regiments, the force in the field being deemed sufficient for the speedy termination of the war.
  7. Maj. Gen. A.S. Johnston, C.S.A., killed at the battle of Shiloah, Tenn.
  9. Jacksonville, Fla., evacuated by Union forces.
10-11. Fort Pulaski, commanding the approach to Savannah, surrendered after a bombardment of thirty hours. The Merrimac made her second appearance in Hampton Roads and destroyed 3 small vessels. Congress abolished slavery in the District of Columbia.
17. Grierson's raid. (See May 2)
18-28. Bombardment and capture of Forts Jackson and St. P hilip on the Mississippi. (See April 28.)
24. The Union fleet, having removed the obstructions in the Mississippi, passed Forts Jackson and St. Philip on the way to New Orleans.
25. Commodore Farragut arrived at New Orleans and took possession of the city; Gen. C.F. Smith died at Savannah, Tenn.
28. Surrender of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, Miss.; while the terms of surrender were being settled the Confederates set fire to the ram Louisiana and sent it down against the Union fleet, but it exploded prematurely.

MAY

  9. Major-General Hunter, commanding Department of the South, declared Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina under martial law, and the slaves in those states free. (See May 19th)
  9-12 Confederates evacuated Pensacola, Fla., and destroyed the navy-yard.
10. The Union forces took possession of Norfolk, Va.; the result of this movement was the destruction of the ironclad Merrimac and the capture of a number of guns and a large amount of ammunition; Gosport Navy-Yard destroyed by Confederates; naval engagement on the Mississippi above Fort Wright, during which an attempt to board the United States gunboat Cincinnati was twice repulsed by the use of hot water and steam.
11. Robert Small, a slave, navigated an armed Confederate steamer with a crew of slaves and their families from Charleston, S.C., and surrendered to the United States blockading fleet.
19. President Lincoln declared General Hunter's proclamation of may 9 to have been issued without authority and therefore void.
30. Union troops took possession of Corinth, Miss.

JUNE

  3. Confederate officers ordered to wear fatigue dress and not to expose themselves unnecessarily in battle, as it is unsoldierlike.
  6. Gunboat engagement on the Mississippi, near Memphis; seven Confederate boats were destroyed or captured; after the naval battle Memphis surrendered to the Union troops; General Ashby, C.S.A., killed near Harrisonburg, Va.
  7. William B. Mumford hung at New Orleans by order of Gen. B.F. Butler, for high treason in tearing down the American flag.
18. Union troops occupied Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.
23. Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck assumed command of the armies of the United States.
26. General Pope assigned to the command of the Army of Virginia; Maj. Gen. N.P. Banks and Irvin McDowell, U.S.A., assumed command of the Second and Third Corps, Army of Virginia; Commodore Farragut's fleet passed Vicksburg and joined Commodore Davis's fleet above.
27. Bombardment of Vicksburg commenced; General Fremont relieved of his command.
29. Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel, U.S.A., assumed command of the First Corps, Army of Virginia.

JULY

  1. Battle of malvern Hill and last of the Richmond battles; President Lincoln called for 300,000 additional volunteers.
11. General Halleck appointed commander of all the land forces of the United States; Confederate General Morgan entered Glasgow, Ky., and called upon the Kentuckians to rise.
18. A band of Confederates entered Newburg, Ind., destroyed hospital stores, and captured 250 stand of arms; General Twiggs died.
21. John S. Phelps appointed military governor of Arkansas.
22.Siege of Vicksburg abandoned.

AUGUST

  3. The Confederate General Jeff Thompson defeated near Memphis, Tenn.; General Halleck ordered General McClellan to evacuate the peninsula of Virginia.
  4.The Secretary of War ordered a draft of 300,000 men; Confederate ram Arkansas destroyed by her crew; General Butler ordered that the subscribers to the Confederate loan fund of $1,250,000 for the defense of New Orleans against the United States Government should be assessed at the rate of one-fourth their subscription, for the support of the poor of the city.
  5. Gen. Robert McCook killed by Confederates while wounded and riding in an ambulance.
  8. United States War Department ordered the arrest of all persons who discouraged volunteer enlistments.
16. General McClellan evacuated Harrisons Landing, Virginia.
19. General Wright placed in command of the Department of the Ohio; Col. Rodney Mason surrendered Clarksville, Tenn., to an inferior force without firing a gun, and was cashiered for cowardice.
27. Federal gunboats destroyed the Confederate works at City Point, Va.
28. General Scofield, commanding at St. Louis, assessed $500,000 on the Secessionists of that county to equip the militia enrolled for the defense of the State, and to support their destitute families.

SEPTEMBER

  1. The Union Troops evacuated Lexington, Ky.
  2. General McClellan appointed to the command of the troops for the defense of Washington; martial law declared in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport and Covington, Ky.
  5. Confederates began crossing the Potomac into Maryland.
  6. Colonel Lowe recaptured Clarksville, Tenn.
  7. General Banks assigned to the command of the fortifications in and around Washington; General McClellan took the field at the head of the Army of the Potomac.
11. Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, called out 50,000 citizens for immediate service to repel an expected advance of the Confederates into that State.
14. Battle of South Mountain, Maryland; General Reno killed.
15. Harpers Ferry surrendered, after two days' fighting, to the enemy, with all the garrison, consisting of 8,000 men.
16. Mumfordsville, Ky., captured by the Confederates; about 4,000 prisoners taken.
18. Confederates recrossed the Potomac into Virginia, having been in Maryland two weeks; Confederates evacuated Harpers Ferry.
19. General McCook recaptured Mumfordsville, Ky.
22. President Lincoln's emancipation proclamation issued; ten citizens of Missouri who had violated their oath of allegiance to the United States shot at Hudson, Mo., by order of a court-martial.
29. General Nelson was shot by Gen. Jeff. C. Davis at Louisville, Ky.

OCTOBER

  3. Army of the Potomac reviewed by President Lincoln near Harpers Ferry, Va.
10. Confederate cavalry, under General Stuart, entered Chambersburg, Pa., and captured a quantity of small arms and clothing.
18. General Morgan, C.S.A., occupied Lexington, Ky.
22. Confederate salt works in Florida destroyed.
30. General Rosecrans assumed command of the Army of the Cumberland; General Mitchell died at Port Royal, S.C.

NOVEMBER

  1. Ex-President Buchanan published in the Washington National Intelligencer a defense of his administration in regard to the anticipated rebellion in the cotton States.
  5. General McClellan relieved of the command or the Army of the Potomac and General Burnside put in his place.
11. Under the cartel the following United States officers were exchanged: Brigadier-generals, 3; colonels, 18; lieutenant-colonels, 19; captains, 431; lieutenants, 545. Confederate officers: Colonels, 27; lieutenant-colonels, 17; captains, 467; lieutenants, 1,085. About 24,000 privates were also exchanged, leaving a balance due the United States of 6,000 privates.
16. President Lincoln enjoined on the United States forces the orderly observance of the Sabbath.
17. Jefferson Davis issued a proclamation that unless General McNeill, of the Missouri Militia, who had hanged 10 guerrillas accused of the murder of a Union citizen, was delivered up to him he would hang 10 United States officers who might fall into his hands.
22.All political State prisoners released by order of the Secretary of War.

DECEMBER

  1. Third session of Thirty-seventh Congress; President's message recommended the passage of a law guaranteeing compensation to each loyal State that would emancipate its slaves before the year 1900.
  6. General Banks's expedition sailed for New Orleans.
  7. Confederate General Morgan captured the One hundred and fourth Illinois, the One hundred and sixth and One hundred and eighth Ohio, and a number of the Second Indiana Cavalry at Hartsville, Tenn.; California steamer Ariel, captured by the Alabama, was released upon a ransom of $228,000, to be paid at the close of the war.
11. The city of Fredericksburg bombarded by Union troops, under cover of which they crossed the Rappahannock.
13. An expedition under Commodore Parker destroyed the Confederate salt works; also five schooners and two sloops in Mob Jack Bay.
14. General Banks's expedition arrived at New Orleans, and Major-General Butler was superseded.
18. Certain Republican Senators having accused Secretaries Seward and Chase of being responsible for the disaster at Fredericksburg, the latter tendered their resignations; but while they were under advisement, General Burnside wrote to General Halleck assuming the responsibility of the failure and the resignations were not accepted.
19. Holly Springs, Miss., taken by Confederate cavalry, who captured 1,950 officers and men and destroyed commissary stores worth $2,000,000.
23. Proclamation of Jefferson Davis denouncing the conduct of General Butler at New Orleans, and the hanging of Munford and threatening to hang Butler if caught, or any of his officers, and prohibiting any exchange of Federal officers taken prisoner thereafter.
28. Thirty-eight Sioux Indians, convicted of murdering the inhabitants of Minnesota, hanged at Mankato.
31. West Virginia admitted into the Union as a State, taking effect June 20; steamer Monitor foundered on the coast of South Carolina.

Next:  Part III 1863