The second session of the first Republican-dominated Congress opened with many intent on destroying slavery as a means to win the war.

Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
The second session of the first Republican-dominated Congress opened with many intent on destroying slavery as a means to win the war.
Federal forces suffer another horrific defeat when they are driven off a cliff overlooking the Potomac River at Leesburg, Virginia.
Federal forces converge on an isolated Confederate unit at Leesburg, a Virginia town up the Potomac River from Washington.