Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Federals led by Colonel Charles P. Stone seize Edwards’ and Conrad’s ferries on the Potomac River, which are the main approaches from Maryland to the strategic town of Leesburg, Va.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Confederates abandon Harpers Ferry in northwestern Virginia as Federals cautiously prepare to enter that part of the state.
Conflict escalates west of the Mississippi River. Texas announces a state of war with the U.S., hostilities rise among Native Americans, Federals in New Mexico brace for a Confederate invasion, and Confederates in Arkansas are authorized to aid the Missouri State Guard.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: The Confederacy wins the first land battle on Virginia’s Peninsula and stops a Federal drive toward Yorktown and Richmond.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Despite initial reluctance, the Lincoln administration approves establishing a national agency to improve military healthcare for volunteer soldiers.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Tennessee voters confirm the state legislature’s resolution to secede from the Union. However, eastern Tennessee remains largely pro-Union, and political leaders in that region look to form a separate state with Federal military support.