The Civil War Months

The Battle of Antietam

September 17, 2022 WalterCoffey

The bloodiest day in American history takes place as the armies of Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan fight to a standoff near Sharpsburg, Maryland, along Antietam Creek.

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From David Ash, 37th Illinois

March 11, 2022 WalterCoffey

Letter from David Ash, Company B, 37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, three days after the Battle of Pea Ridge.

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The Battle of Valverde

February 21, 2022 WalterCoffey

Henry H. Sibley’s Confederate Army of New Mexico begins its mission to conquer the New Mexico Territory, culminating in a fight for a ford on the Rio Grande.

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The Fall of Fort Donelson

February 16, 2022 WalterCoffey

Federals score their greatest victory of the war up to this time, generating a new national hero in the process.

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The Union is Broken For Ever

December 31, 2021 WalterCoffey

The year closes with southerners optimistic about gaining independence and northerners pessimistic about preserving the Union.

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The Battle of Ball’s Bluff

October 21, 2021 WalterCoffey

Federal forces suffer another horrific defeat when they are driven off a cliff overlooking the Potomac River at Leesburg, Virginia.

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The Fall of Lexington

September 20, 2021 WalterCoffey

Sterling Price’s Missouri State Guards capture a Federal force and a key commercial town in their effort to expel the Federals from their state.

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From Robert McAllister, 1st New Jersey

July 25, 2021 WalterCoffey

Letter from Lt. Col. Robert McAllister, 1st New Jersey Infantry, to his friend.

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From Philip Powers, 1st Virginia Cavalry

July 23, 2021 WalterCoffey

Letter from Sgt. Philip Powers, 1st Virginia Cavalry, to his wife.

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From Eugene Blackford, 5th Alabama

July 22, 2021 WalterCoffey

Letter from Eugene Blackford, 5th Alabama, to his father following the Battle of Bull Run.

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The Battle of Bull Run

July 21, 2021 WalterCoffey

The battle that many hoped would end the war takes place in northern Virginia near a stream named Bull Run.

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From Sullivan Ballou, 2nd Rhode Island

July 14, 2021 WalterCoffey

Letter from Maj. Sullivan Ballou, 2nd Rhode Island, to his wife.

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The Verdict for Fitz John Porter

January 10, 2023 WalterCoffey

The court-martial of Federal General Fitz John Porter ends with a shocking verdict and serves as a warning to all other Federal generals.

Marmaduke’s Raid: Hartville

January 9, 2023 WalterCoffey

John S. Marmaduke’s Confederates clash with Federals during their raid on Federal supply depots in southwestern Missouri.

Marmaduke’s Raid: Springfield

January 8, 2023 WalterCoffey

John S. Marmaduke leads a Confederate force from Little Rock, Arkansas, to raid Federal supply depots in southwestern Missouri.

Reactions to the Emancipation Proclamation

January 7, 2023 WalterCoffey

Reactions vary as Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation is released to the public.

Rescinding the Jewish Exclusion Order

January 4, 2023 WalterCoffey

President Abraham Lincoln directs General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck to order Ulysses S. Grant to rescind his controversial General Order No. 11.

The Fort Hindman Expedition

January 3, 2023 WalterCoffey

John A. McClernand reorganizes his Federal forces and acts upon William T. Sherman’s recommendation to attack a Confederate fort on the Arkansas River.

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