August 1862

Major fighting occurred in northern Virginia. An Indian uprising in Minnesota caused new problems for the Lincoln administration, which faced stronger criticism and an increasingly hostile press. Federal operations were conducted against Vicksburg, Kentucky, and Baton Rouge. An old battlefield became the site for a new Federal disaster.

Here is the Heart of the Rebellion

George B. McClellan is finally ordered to take his Federal Army of the Potomac off the Virginia Peninsula and use it to reinforce the new Federal army to the north

Holding the Western Army in Check

Ulysses S. Grant’s Federal army spends August scattered and unable to mount any offensive operations in western Tennessee and northern Mississippi.

The Growing Clamor for Black Military Recruitment

Abraham Lincoln orders the drafting of militia into the Federal armies and allows for the recruitment of blacks as military combatants for the first time.

The Battle of Baton Rouge

Confederate forces try to retake the Louisiana capital with the help of a mighty but unreliable ironclad.

I Trust We May All Unite in Ohio

Braxton Bragg’s Confederates reach Chattanooga, Edmund Kirby Smith’s Confederates prepare to move into Kentucky, and the Federal high command expresses dissatisfaction with Don Carlos Buell’s lack of action.

An Ass Between Two Bundles of Hay

John Pope sends his Federal army probing southward from northern Virginia, while Robert E. Lee determines that Pope is the main threat to his Confederate army.

The Battle of Cedar Mountain

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s Confederates advance toward Culpeper Court House and confront a Federal force deployed to stop them at Cedar Mountain in northern Virginia.

Feigned Retreats are Secesh Attacks

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s Confederates fall back after the Battle of Cedar Mountain as Robert E. Lee prepares to move the rest of his Confederate army up to meet Jackson.

The Battle of Corpus Christi

A Federal naval force off the coast of Texas attempts to capture the key port city of Corpus Christi.

The End of the Peninsula Campaign

George B. McClellan tries one last time to persuade the Federal high command to cancel the order to pull his Army of the Potomac off the Virginia Peninsula.

You and We are Different Races

Abraham Lincoln hosts a conference of black men at the White House, where he reiterates his desire that they voluntarily leave America.

Pope Turns His Back

Robert E. Lee plans to attack the Federal Army of Virginia while posted between two rivers, but Federal commander John Pope learns of Lee’s plan.

The Dakota Sioux Uprising of 1862

In southwestern Minnesota, Dakota Sioux Native Americans rebel against local settlers and Federal authorities in what became known as the Sioux Uprising, or Dakota War, of 1862.

Confederates Target Kentucky

Edmund Kirby Smith begins the Confederate incursion into Kentucky as the political turmoil in that state continues.

The Dakota Sioux Uprising Intensifies

The Native American uprising in Minnesota reaches its bloody climax as Native warriors launch vicious attacks on Fort Ridgely and the town of New Ulm.

The Prayer of Twenty Millions

Horace Greeley publishes an editorial in his influential New York Tribune that prompts a rare public response from President Abraham Lincoln.

Worse Than That of a Savage

Jefferson Davis issues an executive order authorizing the execution of Federal officers caught using slaves for military purposes against the Confederacy.

A Fair Exchange of Prisoners

Confederate cavalry commander Jeb Stuart seeks revenge for a recent Federal ambush and exacts more damage than even he intended.

Northern Virginia: Lee Moves to Flank Pope

John Pope misses an opportunity to claim an easy Federal victory in northern Virginia, and Robert E. Lee hurries to form a plan of attack before Federal numbers become too overwhelming.

This is No Place for This Army

Confederates under Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson approach the Federal supply depot at Manassas Junction, as John Pope remains unaware of the Confederates’ objective.

The Second Bull Run Campaign: Manassas Junction

Confederate troops under Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson descend on one of the largest Federal supply depots in Virginia, between John Pope’s Federal army and Washington, D.C.

The Second Battle of Bull Run: Groveton

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s Confederates attack a portion of John Pope’s Federal Army of Virginia northwest of Manassas Junction and spark a major battle in northern Virginia.


Last Updated: 8/28/2022

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