165 YEARS AGO TODAY: The young, promising General George B. McClellan takes command of the demoralized Federal forces that had been defeated at Bull Run.
Tag: Abraham Lincoln
Naval Operations Along the Coast and at Sea
165 YEARS AGO: The C.S.S. Sumter completes her first raid on U.S. shipping, Federals strengthen their blockade, and a Federal crew takes on Confederate privateers.
The Special Session of the 37th U.S. Congress
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: The 37th Congress of the United States assembles at President Abraham Lincoln’s request. The Republicans hold a strong majority, but they are split between conservatives wanting to wage war only to reunite the Union and radicals seeking to wage war to end slavery.
You Are All Green Alike
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: President Abraham Lincoln holds a special cabinet meeting in which General Irvin McDowell explains his plan to invade northern Virginia, crush the Confederate army, and capture Richmond.
The Death of Stephen A. Douglas
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Prominent U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas dies at age 48 after battles with various illnesses. Douglas was a key Democrat who supported the Lincoln administration’s war effort, and his death begins a period of national mourning.
Chained Down by a Merciless Tyranny
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: William S. Harney is ousted as Federal commander in Missouri due to his suspected leniency toward secessionists. This leaves his successor, Nathaniel Lyon, with free reign to destroy secessionism in the state.