Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: The Confederate government acquired a merchant steamer and converted her into a naval cruiser named the C.S.S. Sumter. Led by Captain Raphael Semmes, the Sumter runs the Federal blocked and enters the Gulf of Mexico to begin her career of waging war on U.S. shipping.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: President Abraham Lincoln holds a special cabinet meeting in which General Irvin McDowell explains his plan to invade northern Virginia, crush the Confederate army, and capture Richmond.
Federal forces crack down on suspected secessionism in Baltimore in the ongoing effort to keep Maryland in the Union.
165 YEARS AGO: Various detachments of Federal and Confederate forces maneuver toward a confrontation in Unionist western Virginia.
165 YEARS AGO: Professor Thaddeus Lowe ascends in a balloon to demonstrate the usefulness of aerial military reconnaissance, and J.D. Mills demonstrates a forerunner to the modern machine gun. Both of these innovations capture President Lincoln’s interest in advanced technology.
165 YEARS AGO: Confederate and U.S. officials work to develop strategies to wage war against each other on the waters. The Confederate Navy Secretary pushes for building armored warships, while the Federal naval blockade intensifies and strategy turns to capturing Confederate ports.