Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
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.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Prominent U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas dies at age 48 after battles with various illnesses. Douglas was a key Democrat who supported the Lincoln administration’s war effort, and his death begins a period of national mourning.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: A conference between Federal officers and Missouri state officials leads to open warfare between the Federals and pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard.