Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
165 YEARS AGO: President Lincoln issues orders formally relieving John C. Fremont from command due to allegations of corruption and mismanagement. But getting the orders to Fremont would be another matter.
165 YEARS AGO: The Federal defeat at Ball’s Bluff outrages northerners, sends the Lincolns into mourning, and increases calls for an “all-out war” against the Confederacy.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Federal forces suffer another horrific defeat when they are driven off a cliff overlooking the Potomac River at Leesburg, Virginia.
165 YEARS AGO: Federal forces converge on an isolated Confederate unit at Leesburg, a Virginia town up the Potomac River from Washington. However, confusion over troop positions leads to conflicting orders that cause Federal confusion.
165 YEARS AGO: The European powers entertain the possibility of recognizing Confederate independence. Meanwhile, France capitalizes on the war by invading Mexico, raising concerns about violating the Monroe Doctrine.
165 YEARS AGO: M. Jeff Thompson leads 3,000 secessionist Missourians in disrupting Federal operations and engaging in several skirmishes in southeastern Missouri.