Chronological History of the American Civil War

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60,000, including the irreplaceable “Stonewall” Jackson. He was on injured reserve, after surgeons decided the wound in his shoulder was so severe as to require amputation of the limb. Very heavy rain helped Hooker’s army in their retreat as it greatly hindered Lee’s army in its efforts to follow up its successes. In sports, Joe Coburn, "Kos" Mike McCoole for U.S. boxing title in 63rd round. Wednesday, May 6, 1863 : Senator Sumner (Massachusetts) visits the White House and President. He informs him of the defeat at Chancellorsville. The Confederacy agreed to spend $2 million on purchasing European naval ships. The requirement for the ships was simple: they had to be able to operate in the Atlantic yet, be able to sail up the River Mississippi. The leaders of the Confederacy believed that such a ship would be able to break the Union blockade of southern ports. Thursday, May 7, 1863 : Dr. George B. Peters first married Narcissa Williams, but she dies in 1840.

He then marries Evelina McNeal, granddaughter of Ezekiel Polk founder of Bolivar, Tennessee, but she too died in 1855. (McNeal Place in Bolivar, Tennessee was built across from Polk Cemetery, so Evelina’s mother could visit her daily. Evelina Peters (26 Jul 1818-20 Oct 1855) and four of the seven children by Dr. Peters are buried in Polk Cemetery in Bolivar, Tennessee). Dr. George B. Peters marries again. This time to a young, 20-year-old widow, Jessie McKissack, in 1858. Today, Dr. Peters is in the Confederate headquarters at Spring Hill in Maury County, Tennessee, as he shoots and kills his wife’s lover, General Earl Van Dorn (CSA) (pictured) of the Confederate Army. He shot him, because Van Dorn was 'seeing too much' of Dr. George Peters' third wife. It was Van Dorn's reputation as a womanizer and not a Union bullet that led to his death. Doctor, Peters was later arrested by Confederate authorities, but was never brought to trial for the killing. In

defense of his actions, Dr. Peters stated that Van Dorn had "violated the sanctity of his home." Friday, May 8, 1863 : Nearly a week after being accidentally shot by one of his own men, it became obvious that the wounds suffered by ‘Stonewall’ Jackson (CSA) were life threatening. An arm had already been amputated, but a chronic infection meant that he wasn’t expected to live. Nearly one week, after the shooting, Jackson was drifting in and out of consciousness. In Washington, President Lincoln by proclamation orders that no plea of alienage be allowed to exempt from military service any person, who has declared his intention to become citizen of U.S. Saturday, May 9, 1863 : General Joseph E. Johnston, (CSA), is ordered to Mississippi, to assume the command of the Confederate forces there. In Oiltown, West Virginia, Brig. General William E. "Grumble" Jones, (CSA) destroys the Federal oil-works. Sunday, May 10, 1863 : Eight days ago, as dusk fell in the northern Virginia area known as the

Wilderness, Confederate troops had fired at a party approaching their post in the gloom, thinking they were Yankees. Thirty nine year old, Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson had been hit in the arm and other places. He was taken to a small house south of Fredericksburg, where the arm had to be amputated. The surgery was well done and was healing nicely, but pneumonia had set in. Today, the South loses one of its boldest and most colorful generals on this day. He is said to have said, “Let us pass over the river and rest in the shade of the trees,” and died. John Decatur Barry (CSA) (pictured) was the captain that gave the order to fire 8 days earlier that wounded Jackson. Barry would survive the war, but would die just 3 years later. Some of his friends and family said that Barry "died of a broken heart" for his role in Jackson's death.

Monday, May 11, 1863 : Salmon P. Chase, currently Secretary of the Treasury in Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet, had been put in the cabinet basically so, Lincoln could keep an eye on him and his presidential ambitions. He had caused one political crisis already, back in December, by circulating petitions