Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
165 YEARS AGO: Generals John B. Floyd and Henry A. Wise, both former Virginia governors, struggle to unite their divided forces against a Federal advance. Despite pressure from Robert E. Lee, Wise resists joining Floyd, resulting in ongoing disputes and operational delays.
165 YEARS AGO: Robert E. Lee seeks to unify Confederate forces in western Virginia, but internal divisions and rivalries among commanders hinder cooperation. Various independent commands operate without collaboration, resulting in ineffective resistance against Federal forces in the Kanawha Valley.
165 YEARS AGO: In western Virginia, a Federal force looks to clear Confederates out of the Great Kanawha Valley while Confederates try to coordinate and consolidate their forces.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Confederates abandon Harpers Ferry in northwestern Virginia as Federals cautiously prepare to enter that part of the state.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Federal troops invade northern Virginia and seize the strategic town of Alexandria, but a promising young officer becomes one of the war’s first casualties.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Robert E. Lee directs Thomas J. Jackson to assemble Confederate troops at strategic Harpers Ferry, Va. Command then shifts from Jackson to Joseph E. Johnston, who soon learns that the place is highly vulnerable to attack.