The 37th Congress of the United States assembles in special session as called by President Abraham Lincoln.
Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
The 37th Congress of the United States assembles in special session as called by President Abraham Lincoln.
Secessionists defeat a Federal detachment in a minor clash as both sides scramble to link with their main forces in southwestern Missouri.
The Confederate cruiser Sumter runs the Federal blockade and begins her career as a commerce raider.
President Lincoln holds a special cabinet meeting to decide on a plan for immediate offensive operations in northern Virginia.
Various detachments of Federal and Confederate forces maneuver toward a confrontation in Unionist western Virginia.
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.