The final battle was fought in the Shenandoah Valley. In the North, Abraham Lincoln began a second term as president amidst a growing rift between him and the Radical Republicans in Congress. In the South, the Confederate government resorted to desperate measures to stay intact. Joseph E. Johnston futilely tried holding Sherman back in North Carolina, and Robert E. Lee made plans to abandon Petersburg and Richmond. Most southerners knew that the end was near.
Philip Sheridan’s Federal cavalry advances to within seven miles of the last substantial Confederate force in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Sheridan finally gets the opportunity to permanently cripple the Confederate cause.
Lee Proposes a Military Convention
Robert E. Lee proposes to meet with Ulysses S. Grant to discuss the possibility of “a satisfactory adjustment of the present unhappy difficulties by means of a military convention…”
From Luther Rice Mills, 26th Virginia
Letter from Luther Rice Mills of the 26th Virginia Infantry to his brother.
President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law establishing the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, which became known as the Freedmen’s Bureau. The Bureau’s purpose was to facilitate the transition of former slaves to freedom.
The Second Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln begins a second term as the 16th U.S. president in Washington, D.C. By this time, a shift from war to peace is already underway.
The Enemy Will Overrun This Country
William T. Sherman’s Federal armies capture Cheraw begin crossing the Pee Dee River into North Carolina as Confederates scramble to put up any kind of resistance.
Grant’s Spring Offensive Takes Shape
Ulysses S. Grant continues preparing to launch the spring offensive, which involves movement in all major theaters of operations in a final push to end the war.
North Carolina: Battle Looms Near Kinston
Braxton Bragg looks to prevent Federals from joining forces in North Carolina by blocking a detachment moving inland from the coast.
A small Confederate force under Braxton Bragg tries making a stand east of Kinston to stop Jacob D. Cox’s Federal advance inland from the North Carolina coast.
The Battle of Monroe’s Cross Roads
Wade Hampton’s Confederate cavalry catches Federal horsemen by surprise in a fight separate from the main Federal thrust into North Carolina.
William T. Sherman’s Federal armies capture Fayetteville, a key city on the Cape Fear River in southern North Carolina. Sherman then plans to unite with other Federal forces and capture Goldsboro while Confederates hurry to prevent the union.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis signs a bill into law authorizing the recruitment of slaves into the Confederate armies.
President Jefferson Davis resists acknowledging the South’s bleak prospects for independence. He submits a contentious message to the Confederate Congress to take stronger actions as a growing sense of defeat spreads throughout the South.
William T. Sherman’s Federals move towards Goldsboro, North Carolina, to join forces with John Schofield. A small Confederate force digs in near Averasboro and partially blocks Sherman’s path.
Confederates Make a Stand at Bentonville
Joseph E. Johnston concentrates all the Confederates he can muster near Bentonville, North Carolina, to oppose the advancing left wing of William T. Sherman’s Federal army.
Joseph E. Johnston’s makeshift Confederate army moves to crush the left wing of William T. Sherman’s Federal army outside Bentonville before the right wing can come up in support.
The Battle of Bentonville: Day Two
The fight that began yesterday in North Carolina ends as William T. Sherman scrambles to unite his Federal army to oppose Joseph E. Johnston’s makeshift Confederate force.
William T. Sherman’s Federals end their devastating march through the Carolinas by arriving at Goldsboro, North Carolina.
Robert E. Lee faces dire circumstances as his Confederates are besieged at Petersburg. He approves a desperate plan for his army to break the Federal siege line east of Petersburg, thereby opening an escape route to the south.
The Lincoln family braves a storm as they steam down the Virginia coast and arrive at the headquarters of Ulysses S. Grant to visit the Federal officers and troops laying siege to Petersburg and Richmond.
Lee and Grant Prepare for Offense
Ulysses S. Grant continues preparing to mount his spring offensive, unaware that Robert E. Lee is preparing to attack first.
Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia launches a desperate surprise assault to break out of the siege lines at Petersburg and Richmond.
An ugly incident occurs at a military review as President Abraham Lincoln continues his visit with the Federal armies besieging Richmond and Petersburg.
President Abraham Lincoln meets with his top commanders to discuss plans for what they hope to be the last campaign of the war.
Grant Makes Final Preparations
Federal forces prepare to move west, around the Confederate right flank southwest of Petersburg, in what Ulysses S. Grant hopes will crush Confederate resistance in Virginia and end the war.
The Petersburg Offensive Begins
Ulysses S. Grant’s Federals start moving to launch their massive spring effort to cut the last supply lines into Petersburg and Richmond and starve Robert E. Lee’s Confederates into submission.
Federal forces led by Philip Sheridan prepare for a significant offensive against Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army outside Petersburg that Ulysses S. Grant hopes will end the war.
Robert E. Lee plans a Confederate assault, while Philip Sheridan pleads with the Federal high command to launch an attack of his own.
Dinwiddie Court House and the White Oak Road
Confederates repel a Federal advance in the southwestern sector of the Petersburg siege lines, but the Federals will not be denied for long.
Last Update: 3/31/2025