The Federal elections took place as the armies of a major nation voted for their commander-in-chief for the first time in history. Southerners watched with interest; most favored George B. McClellan, but some supported Abraham Lincoln because at least they knew where he stood. Confederate forces launched desperate attacks at various points, including a tragic clash in Tennessee, but the Federal war machine was only growing stronger.
Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate cavalry moves south up the Tennessee River on two captured Federal transports to disrupt Federal river traffic en route to Johnsonville, Tennessee.
William T. Sherman prepares to lead his Federal forces southeast from Atlanta to the Atlantic coast, despite John Bell Hood’s Confederate Army of Tennessee disrupting his supply lines.
From Cyrus H. Lewis, 1st Missouri Engineers
Letter from Cyrus H. Lewis of the 1st Missouri Engineers to his parents.
A Devastation More or Less Relentless
William T. Sherman announces his plan to march his Federals through Georgia, asserting its significance for northern morale. Sherman aims for a strategic campaign of devastating the region between Atlanta and the Atlantic Ocean.
By November, most pundits believe that President Abraham Lincoln and his Republican party will win the upcoming elections. However, the Republicans are not taking any chances as they team up with War Democrats to form a “National Union” party.
Jefferson Davis’s 1864 Message to Congress
The second session of the Second Confederate Congress assembles and receives President Jefferson Davis’s optimistic annual message. This includes “a radical modification” in the laws governing slavery.
Abraham Lincoln is decisively reelected as U.S. president. This ensures that the National Unionists and Republicans will continue waging war to destroy the Confederacy and reunite the Union.
President Abraham Lincoln delivers a speech to supporters after his reelection is confirmed. Lincoln emphasizes the election’s significance amidst civil war, urging unity for the nation’s future.
Confederate Resistance in the Valley Continues
After being routed at Cedar Creek in October, Jubal Early’s Confederates leave the Shenandoah Valley. But some are not yet ready to admit complete defeat.
William T. Sherman carries out his plans to advance his Federal forces from Atlanta to the sea. This includes destroying anything useful to the Confederacy and cutting all communications with the North.
Sherman’s March to the Sea Begins
Leading elements of William T. Sherman’s Federal armies begin moving out of the ruined city of Atlanta, heading southeast toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Confederates Defiant in Georgia
Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown issues a proclamation urging all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 55 to form militias and oppose William T. Sherman’s Federal march through the state.
Hood’s Tennessee Incursion Begins
John Bell Hood finally begins moving his Confederate army in a desperate effort to destroy the Federal armies in Tennessee and then continue north into Kentucky and beyond.
Tennessee: Hood Moves to Confront Schofield
John Bell Hood leads his Confederate Army of Tennessee north to confront John Schofield’s Army of the Ohio holding the forward Federal line at Pulaski, Tennessee.
William T. Sherman enters the capital of Georgia and sees that his Federals have already begun laying waste to the town. The arrival of starving prisoners intensifies the Federals’ resolve for destruction.
John W. Headley and seven Confederate Secret Service agents attempt to burn New York City in an effort to unite northern Copperheads in forcing a movement to stop the war.
Sherman’s March Cannot Be Stopped
William T. Sherman’s Federal march through Georgia resumes, as does the destruction and desolation left in the soldiers’ wake. This prompts reassessment by Confederate leadership regarding their defensive capabilities.
John Bell Hood’s Confederate Army of Tennessee stands poised to cut off the Federal Army of the Ohio at Columbia, Tennessee. But miscommunication leads to missed opportunity for the Confederates in what became one of the greatest controversies of the war.
The Destruction of the C.S.S. Florida
The famed Confederate commerce raider C.S.S. Florida, which had been captured under dubious circumstances in October, suspiciously sinks before she could be returned.
U.S. troops slaughter Cheyenne Indians on their reservation, despite earlier peace assurances. This paves the way toward permanently banishing Native Americans from Colorado.
John Bell Hood directs his Confederate Army of Tennessee to make a desperate frontal assault on strong Federal defenses south of Nashville. The results prove tragic and unnecessary.
Federal troops look to cut the Savannah & Charleston Railroad to stop Confederates from reinforcing Savannah. Confederates aim to block this move by posting strong defenses near Honey Hill in South Carolina.
Last Updated: 12/6/2024