Chronological History of the American Civil War

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Thursday, April 3, 1862 : The Senate outlawed slavery in the District of Columbia with a vote of 29 to 14. This was seen to set the precedent that slavery should be abolished in any area over which the Federal government had jurisdiction. There were only 63 slaves in the District, but the act set the wheels in motion for the abolition of slavery in all areas controlled by the Federal government. Encouraged by Union successes, U.S. Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, today closed all US Recruiting Offices, thinking the North had enough manpower to bring the war to a successful end. They would not remain closed for long. General Albert Sidney Johnston (CSA) was supposed to be leading an army towards the Tennessee River hamlet of Pittsburg Landing. Their mission: destroy the Union army under the suddenly dangerous General U. S. Grant. Unfortunately, as was often the case in attempts to move large numbers of men, supplies, weapons, ammunition, horses and such like items, delays of one sort or another delayed the entire army. Johnston feared that he was losing the element of surprise. Skirmishes occurred near a building called Shiloh Church. Friday, April 4, 1862 : Confederate General Johnston's forces are again delayed and fail to attack Grant at Shiloh. Grant's reinforcements continue to arrive. Grant does not expect an open attack from the Confederates. Union General McClellan proceeds to Yorktown,Virginia and calls for more reinforcements. Saturday, April 5, 1862 : U.S. Vice President Andrew

Johnson, and now Federal Military Governor of Tennessee, suspends the mayor and other city officials for refusing to take a loyalty oath to the Union. General Joseph Johnston (CSA) gathers Confederate reinforcements to meet an imminent attack from Union General McClellan at Yorktown. Union General Grant's forces are still unaware of General Albert Johnston's plans to attack Shiloh. Grant

didn’t know, which was understandable since his headquarters were in Savannah at “Cherry Mansion” (pictured) a couple of miles upriver. What was more alarming was that William T. Sherman, (U.S.) the commander on the scene, didn't either. Meanwhile, today, at Yorktown, Virginia was on the venue for war, on the Peninsula. General John Magruder, (CSA), was defending with inadequate numbers. He faced General George McClellan, (U.S.), who had twice as many men. Magruder’s solution was to march his troops around in a large circle, making it appear to McClellan’s scouts that huge numbers of reinforcements were arriving. McClellan became nervous and dug in for siege instead of attacking. The real reinforcements, under J. E. Johnston, (CSA) were on the way. Sunday, April 6, 1862 : To most Americans this was just another Sunday morning. Get up do your

chores and go to church, but in West Tennessee at a little church called Shiloh, it was much different and one that no one could or should forget. It was a cool morning after spring rains with a little fog on the fields, when the first rebel yells were heard in the Tennessee early dawn, as the first of 40,000 Southern troops of General Albert Sidney Johnston’s (pictured) men burst out of the woods into the Union picket lines of William T. Sherman’s men. General Grant was having breakfast at the Cherry Mission in Savannah, when he heard the first shots being fired. As the day wore on, fighting on a horrendous scale occurred that would make certain places immortal in American history: the Sunken Road, the Hornet’s Nest, Bloody Pond, the Peach Orchard. Among the dead that day: General Albert Sidney Johnston. Hit in the leg, the wound was thought insignificant, until he died minutes later from loss of blood. Now in command is General P.G.T. Beauregard, of the Confederate forces as fighting continued until after dark, but the Federals held their retreated