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.
Tag: Robert E. Lee
Confederates Abandon Harpers Ferry
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Confederates abandon Harpers Ferry in northwestern Virginia as Federals cautiously prepare to enter that part of the state.
Federals Capture Alexandria
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.
An Uneasy Hold on Harpers Ferry
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.
The Old Dominion Mobilizes
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: After Virginia seceded from the Union, the governor mobilizes state militia to defend against an impending Federal invasion from Washington.
The Very Best Soldier Goes South
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: U.S. Colonel Robert E. Lee meets with influential statesmen and receives an offer to command the Federal army.